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Business as usual? Not this week for Texas

Joe Cookby: Joe Cook10/11/25josephcook89
Steve Sarkisian
Steve Sarkisian (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

Very often, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian likes to say that his program treats every game about the same. They understand the intensity and the emotion associated with big games, like the season opener versus Ohio State or even the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma. But Sarkisian tries to ensure that each week has the same amount of attention and effort given toward defeating the opponent in front of them.

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That hasn’t applied this week. Texas has a 3-2 record without a win over a Power Four opponent. This upcoming Red River Shootout is not just important for the purposes of measuring up against Oklahoma, but for also for the expectations for this season. If Texas loses, the Longhorns can kiss any College Football Playoff hopes goodbye.

So this week, it hasn’t been business in usual for Texas according to Sarkisian.

“People always ask you is it business as usual when you come to games like this? I say no it’s not,” Sarkisian said Thursday. “You come to games like this, especially this one in particular in the Red River Rivalry, and all that it encompasses from a rivalry standpoint, it’s not business as usual. There’s so much that goes into this game for both schools. Obviously for us, coming off of last week in SEC play stubbing our toe at Florida and starting conference play at 0-1, this is a very significant game as it pertains to the SEC race.

“This is not a business as usual week, and I think we could feel that at practice, the level of intensity, the sense of urgency of which everyone’s been operating. Players, coaches, everybody involved. You can feel that. I think that’s a good thing, I think that’s what’s needed this week against a really quality opponent.”

Texas has won two of the last three Red River Shootouts. In 2022, the Longhorns dominated the Sooners 49-0. Last year, Texas won 34-3. The only blemish over the course of the Longhorns’ time spent near the top of the sport was a 34-30 loss in 2023, one Texas made up for in certain respects by winning the Big 12 in its final season as members of the league.

Winning this one will be a challenge. The Sooners are now favored on Bet MGM by a point. Oklahoma is the ranked team while the Longhorns don’t have a number by their name. It appears as if Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer is on track to play. Oh yeah, Oklahoma has one of the best defenses in the entire country, and the Longhorns haven’t shown an ability to move the ball against opponents with similar talent levels.

So for Texas to give this game an added level of scrutiny throughout the week? It makes a whole lot of sense to all involved, including Sarkisian.

“The players, like I said, this week in practice hasn’t been business as usual,” Sarkisian said. “You can feel that sense of urgency. You can feel that level of intensity in practice. I think regardless of how we are playing, that’s needed when you go into this game. I think in particular for us of where we’re at in this stage of the season, it’s needed as well.”

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