What a swing of emotions in Starkville! Down 21-38 in the fourth quarter, Texas fans were already doomscrolling through another “what went wrong” Saturday. Steve Sarkisian looked cooked, Arch Manning looked shaken, and the Longhorns looked anything but SEC-ready. But college football has a way of flipping the script when you least expect it. Because somehow, the Longhorns clawed their way back from the edge and into bowl eligibility with a six-figure cherry on top.

When the dust settled at Davis Wade Stadium, Texas walked off with a 45-38 overtime win over Mississippi State. Meanwhile, Steve Sarkisian received a bounty. On October 25, USA Today’s Steve Berkowitz dropped an update on X. “Texas coach Steve Sarkisian set for $100,000 bonus as Texas overcomes 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to best Mississippi State in overtime in Starkville for 6th win of season, which makes Longhorns eligible for bowl game.”

For the second straight week, Texas found itself in an overtime brawl, first against Kentucky, now against Mississippi State. But this time, the twist came with Arch Manning sidelined by injury and backup QB Matthew Caldwell stepping up like a walk-on in a movie finale. The game-winning moment came from a 10-yard touchdown pass from him to Emmett Mosley V. This play was initially ruled incomplete before replay overturned it, sending the Texas sideline into chaos. And just like that, the noise around Arch Manning took a back seat to a comeback that reminded everyone what Texas football can still be. 

Ethan Burke’s fourth-down sack sealed the win on defense, capping off a rally that saw Texas overcome a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter. The Longhorns now sit at 6-2 (3-1 SEC), ranked No. 22, staring down a brutal November slate featuring Vanderbilt, Georgia, Arkansas, and Texas A&M. But with that $100K bonus in the bag, Steve Sarkisian not only celebrated the comeback but also strengthened his reasons to stay in Austin just as NFL whispers began swirling.

Steve Sarkisian puts NFL rumors to rest

Steve Sarkisian, now under contract through 2031, ranks fifth among the highest-paid coaches in college football. The whispers about his NFL aspirations have followed him for years, but this win and the payday that came with it might be the perfect antidote. Hours before the game, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini lit up the rumor mill with reports linking Sark to the Tennessee Titans’ head coaching job after the team dumped Brian Callahan following a 1-5 start. The idea of their HC jumping ship to the NFL, especially mid-season, threw Texas fans into a mini panic.

But before that narrative could gain traction, his agents Jimmy Sexton and Ed Marynowitz stepped in with a full-court press of denial. “Any reports regarding communications on coaching opportunities with the NFL teams are patently false and wildly inaccurate,” they said in a statement. “Sark is solely focused on coaching the University of Texas football team.” Because for $10 million a year and another $100K bonus in the bag, life in Austin suddenly looks a whole lot better than the NFL hot seat.

For now, he’s got momentum, money, and a locker room that still believes. And if Saturday proved anything, it’s that Texas isn’t done fighting, and neither is Steve Sarkisian. Sometimes, the best way to silence NFL rumors is a 45-38 win that pays you six figures to stay put.