Steve Sarkisian had firm belief he could rebuild the Longhorns into a powerhouse. But lifting the program out of mediocrity had incredible challenges.

When Sarkisian arrived in 2021, the roster had too many skill position players for his liking and not enough “big humans.” The Horns had enough players to be competitive but nowhere near the depth required to win big, much less win in the SEC.

Sarkisian admitted Tuesday he leaned on his mentor Pete Carroll to get through his first season, a miserable 5-7 experience that included a six-game losing streak and a 57-56 overtime loss to Kansas at home.

Carroll’s message? There is no shortcut to success.

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“I remember taking the job, and I remember us struggling through that first year and losing games in the second half,” Sarkisian said at the final Peach Bowl pre-game press conference.

“We’d have leads, and we weren’t finishing the way we would have liked. And I was venting to him, I remember, on one Sunday night just about, man, I feel like if I would just go and do some of the things they did before, that we might have a little more success and our record might be a little bit different.

“He said that’s probably true,” Sarkisian continued. “But he said at the end of the day, if you want to go down that road, you better expect similar results to what they were before. Or if you really believe in what you do, you’re going to have some rough waters for a while, but in the end, you'll find better results than what was there before.”

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You never know what’ll end up on the other team’s bulletin board. In 2017, Texas players felt disrespected by their Missouri counterparts who got the microphone at an Alamo Bowl pre-game function. The Tigers talked all season long about “securing the bag.” The Longhorns secured a 33-16 win. Coach Tom Herman mocked Mizzou from the […]

Texas closed the 2021 season with a 22-17 win over Kansas State. The Horns weren’t not bowl eligible, but even the coach admitted afterward, “I think it’s OK to smile.” That win erased the possibility of UT taking the longest losing streak since 1956 into the offseason.

Things began to change quick, though. Sarkisian landed a recruiting commitment from Ohio State transfer Quinn Ewers, which was widely viewed as a game-changer, and seven linemen, including future first-round draft pick Kelvin Banks Jr.

Texas went 8-5 the next season and charged forward to win the Big 12 title with a 12-2 mark in 2023. The Horns made the College Football Playoffs in back-to-back seasons and are the odds-on favorite to win it all this January.

“So staying true to the belief I think is critical,” Sarkisian said. “But I also think being adaptable to the times for us. When we started, there was no transfer portal. There was no NIL. And along this journey of four years, college football has changed a ton. And I think being adaptable to the times, I think for ASU, same thing, like adapting to what college football is now and not sitting around complaining about it.”

Sarkisian pointed out that Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham has been one of the few coaches who have adapted to the Wild West feel of college football. The Sun Devils have been rewarded with a Big 12 title this season and have a bright future, too.

“And I think the two of us have been guys that have been on the forefront of here's the rules, let's maximize the opportunities that we have to enhance our roster, to enhance our level of play, to put the best team out there that we can,” Sarkisian said. “But, yeah, it's definitely a journey.

“Nobody likes to lose, especially in Austin.”