Texas vs Vanderbilt: Steve Sarkisian's ultimate culture tester

A lot of fuss has been made about Steve Sarkisian over the past few months.

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From reports of leaving for the NFL to misallocation of funds and failure to address needs in the portal, he’s been a polarizing figure in Austin and around the country.

It’s led to some conversations we didn’t expect to be having, and results that feel the same way. Texas lost to a Florida team that no longer has a head coach. They nearly lost to Kentucky and Mississippi State in back-to-back weeks. Texas’ offense has, at times, looked like the worst in the SEC. A Steve Sarkisian-led team.

But Texas has been able to win three SEC games that all exemplify one of Sarkisian’s calling cards: a strong culture. Texas won a rivalry game and two overtime road thrillers, games in which a Texas team from the 2010s might go 0-3 in. If there’s one thing it feels like you can cling to this season, it’s Sarkisian’s continued belief in culture, and the players latching onto that identity.

But with kickoff against Vanderbilt less than 48 hours away, it feels like we are entering the most important culture game of the Sarkisian era.

The optics around this game don’t look great. There’s a chance Texas will be without its No. 1 leader on both offense and defense: the No. 16s, Arch Manning and Michael Taaffe. Without a starting QB or the captain of the defense, it’s hard to imagine a team can take down a top-10 opponent like Vanderbilt, but Sarkisian believes these factors may make this team even stronger.

“I’ve been watching a lot of these guys grow up and mature over the last month, and I think that’s why the connectivity is better,” Sarkisian said. “Guys are feeling a lot more confident and comfortable in being vulnerable and being honest with one another.”

There is something to be said about a team that is on the ropes. These players know what’s at stake here. With a win, you enter the bye week knowing you control your own destiny to the College Football Playoff, and maybe an SEC Championship. With a loss, your season may just be over.

Sarkisian is going to be asking his players to rally around a cause. They’ve seen their QB take hit after hit after hit over this season, and get back up after every single one of them. Even with a concussion, Manning is pushing to return to the playing field.

Whether it’s with him under center or backup Matthew Caldwell, this team has to play for Manning because he’s showing an immense level of drive to continue on in a brutal season. The same goes for Taaffe, who is looking to return to the field less than two weeks removed from surgery.

“It’s a good place to be that way for us. If I didn’t have these two guys earlier in the year, I would not feel as comfortable. But now, going into this game, I feel a lot more comfortable if I don’t have those two, knowing that we have the leadership on both sides,” Sarkisian said.

Sometimes, the idea of culture winning a game can be overblown, but in this instance, there really is a mystique surrounding this Texas team. Each individual will be playing for something more, whether that be Manning or Taaffe, a teammate clinging onto his last year of eligibility, or the team as a whole.

Texas will need to bring its A-game against Vanderbilt, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. This is a top-ten team with one of the best offenses and QBs in the nation. But in a return to Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, with the season on the line and two leaders pushing themselves to the limit to play in front of the home crowd, it’s hard not to get caught up in the idea that Texas may have some magic in Austin come Saturday.