Texas suffered its 3rd loss of this season, falling 35-10 to Georgia. After that bruising loss to Georgia, the worst of the Sarkisian era, Steve Sarkisian’s tenure is getting questioned from every angle. Here’s where ESPN College GameDay host Desmond Howard has hopped on the bandwagon.

On Monday, Howard shared his wild Texas prediction on his X. “Don’t be surprised if that Texas job opens up at the end of the season,” he said. “You guys were shocked when LSU opened up. Imagine how you’re going to feel if that job in Austin pops open. I’m not calling or saying anyone’s going to get fired, maybe a mutual parting of ways, you dig?”

Although Howard made it clear, he wasn’t calling for Texas and Sarkisian to split because of a firing. But his words nudged the conversation right back toward the NFL rumor mill. Considering Sarkisian’s previous NFL experience as QBs coach for the Oakland Raiders and OC for the Falcons, earlier reports from Diana Russini said Sark would at least listen if pro teams came knocking.

But Sarkisian shut down the rumor with a frustration-laced response, while his agents, Ed Marynowitz and Jimmy Sexton, slammed the door on the chatter. Still, the idea of a “parting of ways” fits an old track record of the program. Yes, when Texas A&M shines, the Longhorn heat turns volcanic, and coaches have paid the price. It happened before, and Tom Herman is the perfect example. An Aggie surge with 3 losses was enough to push him out the door. So winning the game against A&M seems crucial for Sark.

Then the situation in Austin also added fuel to the fire. A team that opened the year at No. 1 now looks unlikely to sniff the CFP after the Georgia loss. While they’re sitting at No. 10, winning their final two games, especially beating Texas A&M, could nudge them up a spot or two. But they wouldn’t receive an automatic bid.

Still, Sarkisian may not part ways at the end of this season, as there’s hope for the Longhorns considering the timing of winning a national title. At present, only 3 active coaches have climbed the national-title mountain. While Ryan Day and Kirby Smart needed six years, Dabo Swinney took seven. Now the Texas HC is only in year five, so there’s at least one more season to get his shot.

Besides, Texas’ contract terms and buyouts could also play a role. He earns $10.8 million this season, not including bonuses, locked into a deal that runs through 2031. Now if Texas wants to part ways with him, they have to arrange a hefty amount, as his buyout this year is set at approximately $60 million.

But that thought probably isn’t coming up right now, as the coach is focused on urgent fixes after the Georgia loss.

Steve Sarkisian’s take on damage control

In the game against Georgia, Texas struggled as the offense fell apart, barely scraping together 23 rushing yards. Due to that, what started as a close 14-10 battle quickly turned into a rout, with Georgia pouring on 21 unanswered points in the 4th quarter. That’s why Sarkisian didn’t waste time to admit the truth. “We have to be better at running the ball,” he said. “Nobody’s in our building thinking, ‘Hey, we’re good.'” And the numbers back him up.

The Longhorns average just 124.2 rushing yards per game, ranking 97th nationally. To make the matter worse, Texas A&M, North Texas, and Texas Tech all outpace the Longhorns on the ground. Probably, that’s why Steve Sarkisian didn’t hold back from calling for a fix. “We’ve got a two-week season in front of us. We’ve got to go play. We’ve got two games. It’s two weeks. Let’s go play,” said the Texas HC. “Let’s put our best foot forward and see what happens.”

In the Georgia loss, Manning went negative 17 yards on five carries. But the running game isn’t the only issue. WRs are letting the team down at critical moments. As Stephen A. Smith put it, writing,  “I just watched ArchManning put the ball right in dudes hands… and these brothers are dropping passes… Damn @TexasFootball. Y’all want to make this a game vs Georgia or not?”

Manning’s passes to Ryan Wingo, Jordan Washington, and DeAndre Moore Jr. all went to waste at key drives, forcing field goals instead of TDs. Now, if Texas stays in the playoffs, a quick fix is needed.