As the college football offseason is slowly turning the wheels, few SEC head coaches have attracted more limelight than Lane Kiffin. But it seems Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian is catching all the negativity because of his loud comments. Now, analyst Mike Bratton has officially placed Sarkisian, and his massive, estimated $60 million remaining contract buyout, firmly on the hot seat radar.
Why Texas Coach Steve Sarkisian Is on Thin Ice
Bratton, appearing in a conversation with Paul Finebaum, did not pull punches when evaluating the recent talking points coming out of Austin. He took direct aim at the program’s heavy emphasis on its high-minded academic standards, viewing it as a thinly veiled safety net in case the 2026 season goes off the rails.
“Steve Sarkisian at Texas, who all we’ve heard off-season is, “Hey, we take real classes. Our transfers come here. All the academics are so hard.” I mean, do we really think Cam Coleman and Hollywood Smothers transferred to Austin because of the academics?” Bratton noted skeptically. “I mean, what are they doing? They are already lining up the excuses.”
For Bratton, the rhetoric feels entirely too familiar. He compared it directly to the defensive messaging used by former Florida head coach Billy Napier during his own turbulent stretches. Bratton continued, “It sounds like Billy Napier last year saying, “We have an all-time high GPA.””
Texas has definitely been hyper-aggressive in reshaping its roster to handle the trenches of the SEC. Explosive playmakers like wide receiver Cam Coleman and running back Hollywood Smothers were added to surround quarterback Arch Manning.
However, the concern is not the talent of the rest but the schedule. The Longhorns are staring down what many consider the single most difficult slate in the country. Matchups against Oklahoma, Ohio State, Tennessee, Ole Miss, LSU, and Texas A&M present an uphill task.
“If you don’t finish on the field, and I think Texas has all the pieces to get there, but I also think they have the most difficult schedule in the country playing Ohio State out-of-conference and then the nine-game SEC slate. Obviously, if they go 9 and 3, they’re probably out, and I think there’s a realistic chance that happens,” Bratton concluded.
With a $60 million-plus commitment hanging in the balance, Sarkisian must prove that his team can finish on the field, or the seat under him will go from a radar blip to a raging fire.
Currently, PFSN’s CFB Playoff Meter gives the Longhorns a 66.9% chance to make the College Football Playoff.
Read More: ‘Got His A** Beat’: Steve Sarkisian Faces Brutal Texas Truth Amid Joey McGuire Heat
