The Texas Longhorns aced their first November test but more await: ‘Everybody is hungry’

AUSTIN — The seven-spot climb that Texas took in Sunday’s AP Top 25 poll suggests that voters believed an almost-perfect win vs. a ranked opponent was enough to recertify the preseason title favorites as legitimate contenders.

The man in charge considers it a box that the Longhorns are now required to check in order to survive.

“They’re all statement wins right now,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said after Saturday 34-31 win vs. Vanderbilt. “We put ourselves in this position.”

The position that the No. 13 Longhorns (7-2, 4-1 SEC) are in is a precarious one. They’re one of a baker’s dozen teams with multiple ranked wins this season and, per ESPN, own the nation’s ninth-best strength of resume and a 54% chance to reach the College Football Playoffs for a third consecutive year. Their performance in conference play — which includes a loss to lowly Florida and overtime wins against two teams that are winless in the league — raised questions of the team’s mettle. The schedule they have left to play is among the toughest any postseason hopeful will face and they likely cannot afford another loss if they hope to remain one.

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So, to Sarkisian’s point, Saturday’s win at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium was a statement that the Longhorns aren’t yet out of the fight. It was only the first test, though, in a November slate that will determine the team’s immediate future.

“I addressed what the month of November is going to be with the team, but then we got into why [the Vanderbilt game] is so important if the month of November’s going to be that important,” Sarkisian said. “That’s going to be the next one, too, and we’ve got to pour all of our energy and focus and intent into the next game.”

The next game, at No. 5 Georgia (7-1, 5-1) in two weeks after a bye, will test Texas with a program that beat it twice last season and has won 33 of its last 34 games at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. Arkansas — winless in conference play and without a permanent head coach — offers a reprieve before No. 3 Texas A&M (8-0, 5-0) travels two hours west for the final game of the regular season. The Aggies own the best resume in college football, per ESPN, and may very well have a trip to the conference championship game to play for against their in-state rivals.

“We know we can’t lose,” cornerback Malik Muhammad said. “We know we have no room to lose. We’ll always be motivated. Everybody is hungry because we don’t breed losers; we breed competitors.”

Sarkisian believes that the team which played Saturday afternoon is a far more mature unit than the one that loss to Ohio State at the start of the season or even the one that beat Kentucky only by a hair. He credits the 42-day span between home games, the continued growth of their prodigious signal caller and their past experiences of do-or-die late-season games in each of the last two seasons.

The win vs. the Commodores showcased that and the brand of Texas football that can hack it with the conference’s best. Quarterback Arch Manning played arguably his best game against a serious power conference opponent yet. The reconfigured offensive line didn’t allow a sack vs. an above-average pass rush. The run game was a benefit, not a negative, and the defense largely bottled up a dual-threat quarterback before a fourth-quarter lapse.

“Being on the road for four weeks straight and being able to come home, in front of our fans, and show our dominance at a high level and be able to enjoy the game at a high level [shows growth],” running back Quintrevion Wisner said. “Everyone’s understanding what it’s going to take to get to the SEC championship where we want to be.”

The next four weeks will determine if they can get there.

“We all know what the goals are this season,” Sarkisian said. “We can be real with them about that.”

College football poll (Nov. 2): Texas Tech jumps into top 10 after Kansas State takedown