Steve Sarkisian’s day started with a statement from his agent that, contrary to a report, he’s not available to coach in the NFL next season, and it ended with a miraculous fourth quarter and overtime necessary to beat the likes of Mississippi State.
Suffice to say this season isn’t working out the way Sark probably figured, a fun day at the State Fair of Texas notwithstanding.
Besides struggling to beat the lowly Bulldogs and Kentucky, Texas lost to Florida, whose coach has since been fired.
Now the schedule really heats up: three top-10 schools, starting with Vanderbilt this week, and two of the opponents archrivals, no less.
Sports Roundup
Based on how Texas has played in its three SEC games to date, it’s hard to see it beating Vandy, Texas A&M and Georgia in Athens.
On top of everything else, Texas may miss Arch Manning, who had his best game of the season in leading the Longhorns back from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit. Before leaving the game in overtime with an apparent head injury, Manning threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another.
Bad enough that Texas is also missing All-American safety Michael Taaffe, whose absence was notable in Starkville. He runs the defense. Still to be determined who’s running the offense.
Think where the Longhorns would be without Ryan Niblett, who’s returned two punts for touchdowns in the last three games, including a 79-yarder that forced OT Saturday.
Texas still has time to put it all together, which is good, because if the Longhorns don’t finish strong, they’re in danger of becoming only the second preseason No. 1 team to finish out of the polls in more than 60 years. USC, under Lane Kiffin, was the other in 2012.
In other Best in Texas news, Texas A&M put together its best all-around performance in a statement win over LSU, Behren Morton got to stand around and watch as Texas Tech dominated Oklahoma State, SMU sucked all the air out of Saturday’s game on the Hilltop against Miami with a shocking loss to Wake Forest and UNT’s Drew Mestemaker continues to make his high school coach look bad for playing him at safety instead of quarterback.
1. Texas A&M (8-0)
Aggies stacking up an SEC title run. A national one, too?
Last: 49-25 win over LSU.
Next: at Missouri on Nov. 8.
2. Texas Tech (7-1)
No tortillas? No problem.
Last: 42-0 win over Oklahoma State.
Next: at Kansas State on Saturday.
3. Texas (6-2)
Does this ranking look too big on the Longhorns?
Last: 45-38 win over Mississippi State in OT.
Next: Vanderbilt on Saturday.
4. Houston (7-1)
Coogs’ break Sun Devils’ 4-0 stranglehold on Texas teams.
Last: 24-16 win over Arizona State.
Next: West Virginia on Saturday.
5. TCU (6-2)
Horned Frogs hang on, snap two-game road losing streak.
Last: 23-17 win over West Virginia.
Next: Iowa State on Nov. 8.
6. North Texas (7-1)
Mestemaker passes for a school-record third of a mile.
Last: 54-20 over Charlotte.
Next: Navy on Saturday.
7. Baylor (4-4)
Aranda on another slow start: “We can’t live the way we’re living.”
Last: 41-20 loss to Cincinnati.
Next: UCF on Saturday.
8. SMU (5-3)
Mustangs no longer share driver’s seat with first regular-season ACC loss in two years.
Last: 13-12 loss to Wake Forest.
Next: Miami on Saturday.
9. Texas State (3-4)
It’s almost President’s Day in San Marcos.
Last: idle.
Next: James Madison on Tuesday.
10. UTSA (3-4)
Can’t anyone down here and play on Saturdays?
Last: idle.
Next: Tulane on Thursday.
11. Rice (4-4)
Quinton Jackson piles up 248 all-purpose yards.
Last: 37-34 win over UConn in 2OT.
Next: Memphis on Friday.
12. UTEP (2-5)
See “UTSA.”
Last: idle.
Next: Kennesaw State on Tuesday.
13. Sam Houston (0-7)
For Bearkats, no matter what day they play, it’s always Groundhog Day.
Last: idle.
Next: at Louisiana Tech on Friday.
LSU fires head coach Brian Kelly following blowout loss to Texas A&M
The Tigers let go of Kelly during the fourth season of a 10-year contract worth about $100 million.
Texas Tech QB Will Hammond to miss remainder of season with ACL injury, reports say
Starting quarterback Behren Morton is back at full health and will lead the Red Raiders against Kansas State.
Texas A&M’s injection of speed, explosiveness into offense powering Aggies’ meteoric rise
The additions of KC Concepcion and Mario Craver have added a new dynamic to Texas A&M and made the Aggies’ offense into a special unit.
Find more college sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.