Lose the game but win the support of the crowd! That’s how Steve Sarkisian has created a ground for himself and the Texas Longhorns. October 19 was an ominous day for the Texas HC as his program got crushed by Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs 15-30. However, Sarkisian has found a fan in this ESPN analyst and the well-known ‘tough nut to crack’. Paul Finebaum seems to be in favor of Team Texas and he is making sure to show it off.

While Texas tries to heal from its fresh loss, Finebaum enters to apply some balm. The ESPN analyst is quite hopeful about Sarkisian’s squad. Even though he got offended with how the Longhorns fans raged across the field throwing water bottles and bear cans tagging them as “third world universe” actions, he seems to not doubt Texas reigning the SEC race. After the only loss this season which came as a crushing blow, Finebaum dished out a bold claim, “The Longhorns are good for business in the SEC, and the Longhorns will be winners in the SEC. The Georgia game doesn’t change that.”

To make his analysis look even stronger, the analyst counted on Austin American-Statesman columnist Cedric Golden’s comment. “@CedGolden says he’s “still cocky” about Texas’s place in their new conference despite taking an L last weekend,” wrote Finebaum. When the HC himself is so confident that he claims, “still has everything to play for” then the battle is half-won, isn’t it? After all, winning the SEC title will be the only way to shut the haters who now believe that the Longhorns might have got the No.1 spot by fluke! 

Like the Texas linebacker, David Gbenda echoed Sarkisian’s mindset, “We have to understand that we fell short of last week’s game (against Georgia), and we have to look at it holistically…at the same time, we have to earn the right to play (Georgia) again and just keep on pushing forward for our goal.” Well, can’t comment much about their blueprint but there’s something that is plaguing the program- Sarkisian dodging between Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning. 

Steve Sarkisian and his growing QB woes

Right after Ewers got injured with an abdominal strain while facing off against UTSA, Sarksiain had gone into complete panic mode. He seemed to be worrying about his QB position all the time. So much so, that even while commenting on the Matthew Sluka situation, he refused to delve in deep and dodged the question saying, he “has a lot on his plate.” Sadly, the Texas HC failed to clear the mess before the Georgia face-off.

And it did cost him hard. Sarkisian chose to make Ewers do the talking after he was back from his injury. Unfortunately, he faltered and finished 6-of-12 for 17 yards and got sacked three times without even playing the full game. It was time for the HC for the QB switch and brought in his backup, Manning. But that too didn’t stop the Texas boat from sinking. 

That’s when NFL legend Robert Griffin III pitched in to sprinkle some salt on the HC’s wounds, “Unless Quinn Ewers is injured you ride or die with your guy. What the hell is Arch Manning gonna do against Georgia down 20? That’s not a great spot to put the young Manning in AT ALL.” Maybe, now that it plays at the back of Steve Sarkisian’s mind that he always has a QB2 to fall upon, it is stopping him from trusting the potential one. It’s high time that the Texas HC gets clarity before it goes too late.