Sarkisian promises Longhorns to belt their school song proudly
AUSTIN — Steve Sarkisian landed in Austin on Tuesday morning, a few hours after No. 1 Alabama polished off No. 3 Ohio State in the CFP championship game to claim its sixth national title since 2009.
Proud as the Crimson Tide’s now ex-offensive coordinator was of how his offense eviscerated the Buckeyes, Sarkisian had already shifted gears. He was a Texas man now, the team’s 31st head coach, the next great hope for a program that’s cycled through a couple since Mack Brown hit that old dusty trail in 2013.
Over the course of about an hour Tuesday afternoon, Sarkisian fielded questions about everything from his coaching philosophy to locking down in-state recruits to the ongoing “Eyes of Texas” controversy.
Here’s a sampling of what Sarkisian had to say during his first official press conference as head coach of the Texas Longhorns:
On “The Eyes of Texas” controversy:
“I know this much, ‘The Eyes of Texas’ is our school song and we support that song. We’re gonna sing that song. We’re gonna sing it proudly. I think when I come into the fold, any talks we need to have, whether it’s about the ‘Eyes of Texas’ or any other issues that come up, I think it’s having the discussions. We can’t put our head in the sand and act like things aren’t happening.
“We have to really have those discussions with them and educate our players to make sure that we’re all on the same page and understand that. I think sometimes there are tough discussions that need to happen. Without speaking too candidly, we’re living in country right now where there’s some turmoil going on. But as long as we can have those discussions and be on the same page, we can do that.
“As it pertains to the ‘Eyes of Texas,’ that’s our song and we’re fired up to sing it.”
On renewing the rivalry with Texas A&M:
“I would love to play that game.
Saban, put the pressure on Fisher to continue the Aggies’ upward trajectory following the Crimson Tide’s sixth national title in the past 12 seasons on Monday night.
Not because Alabama won another national championship — that’s old hat — but because it continues a string of similarities to the season before Fisher won a national title in 2013 at Florida State.
In 2012, Alabama overcame its home loss to the Aggies to win Saban’s third national title at the school. Around that same time in Fisher’s third season at FSU, the Seminoles defeated Northern Illinois in the Orange Bowl.
The coincidences (and expectations) are piling up entering Fisher’s fourth year at A&M, and he’s aware. Asked if he noticed any similarities between his third season at A&M and his third season at FSU, Fisher grinned.
“I knew that was coming,” he said. “We won the Orange Bowl our third year, and I’ll take the fourth year just like it was there (at Florida State) too, I promise. But, listen, that doesn’t happen without a lot of work, and it doesn’t happen without a lot of circumstance.”
A&M, in closing the season with eight consecutive victories in SEC play, including the last seven by double digits, nearly joined Alabama as the league’s second team in the four-team College Football Playoff.
CFP chairman Gary Barta said the committee debated into the night the weekend of Dec. 20 on whether to choose Notre Dame or A&M for the fourth slot. It went to the Fighting Irish, and the feisty Aggies went to the Orange Bowl.
A&M might have beaten Notre Dame, Clemson or Ohio State in the CFP, but nobody was beating Alabama this season. The Crimson Tide in fact beat Ohio State in the title game by the same score (52-24) as they beat A&M in Week 2 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. — the Aggies’ lone loss on the season.
Begging the question: Despite their relatively rapid ascension under Fisher, are the Aggies closing the gap with Alabama? The short answer is no. The longer answer is Saban is 69 and Fisher is 55, so the latter should have time on his side in giving the Crimson Tide long-term competition in the SEC West.
Saban has won an NCAA record seven national titles, including six at Alabama and one at LSU (when Fisher was his offensive coordinator in 2003). Saban has defeated Fisher by 22, 19 and 28 points — an average of 23 points — in their three meetings with Fisher at A&M.
It’s more accurate to say the Aggies are closing the gap with the “other” powers of late — Clemson and Ohio State, for example — but for now falling further behind the Crimson Tide in the talent differential.
A&M is hardly unique in that situation. The Aggies are in the same boat as 128 other FBS programs in chasing Alabama, which appears stronger than ever as Saban closes in on 70 (or roughly a national title for every decade of his life).
Other programs in the SEC and across the plains don’t care to recognize this, but Alabama is in the process of signing perhaps the top recruiting class in college football history.
The Crimson Tide have seven five-star prospects in the class of 2021, including six who already have signed and are raring to replace the departing five stars. For perspective, A&M has had eight five-star signees in its last seven classes, and that’s considered solid compared to decades past for the Aggies.
The Aggies are not closing the gap with Alabama, but neither is anyone else. Also know this: The buildup to Alabama at A&M this fall should be tremendous, with protégé once again trying to take down mentor.
It might happen someday, and certainly Fisher has the Aggies springing in the right direction, but that “someday” does not appear to be anytime soon because of the extraordinary roll of the prodigious Crimson Tide.