After back-to-back years in the College Football Playoff semifinal, it seems the Texas Longhorns are again on the cusp of capturing a national championship.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian has led the Longhorns out of their decade-long run of mediocrity and has returned them to national contention. After all, they are fresh off their first back-to-back 12-plus win seasons since 2008 and 2009 and fell just a few plays short of making it to the national title game. The question of whether Texas will win a national championship is no longer about if; it is now about when.
That is a sentiment reflected in a recent piece from On3’s Pete Nakos, where he lays out the biggest question for each of the top-25 programs entering the 2025. For some, that question regarded a certain position, player, or even a coach. But for Texas, the question was: “Can Steve Sarkisian capture the Longhorns’ first national title?”
“After falling in the College Football Playoff semifinals the previous two seasons, Steve Sarkisian and Texas are again viewed as a national title contender,” Nakoswrites. “Arch Manning will get his starting debut at Ohio State in Week 1. The Longhorns also went all-out in the portal to bring depth on the defensive line. After two years of being on the doorstep, is this the year Sarkisian joins the club of head coaches to hoist a national title trophy?”
As Nakos goes on to note, there are only three active head coaches in college football who have won a national championship. Those three are Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Ohio State’s Ryan Day, and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney. Coincidentally, all are coaches Sarkisian and Texas have had to face over the past two seasons.
And if they hope to win a national championship this coming season, they are guaranteed to face at least two of those coaches on their path to doing so.
Just like they did with Michigan last year, Texas’ first major test of the regular season will see them travel to Columbus and face the defending national champions, Ohio State. However, this time, the matchup is right out of the gate in Week 1.
Then the matchup with Georgia will come in Week 12, as the Longhorns will travel to Athens. There is the possibility that just like last season, both teams meet again in Atlanta for the SEC Championship game.
If the Longhorns do indeed end up hoisting a national championship to kick off 2026, there is a scenario where they have to beat all three of the current active coaches with a national title.
