Texas' Steve Sarkisian correct to call Ohio State 'the best team in college football'

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian opted not to give the Ohio State Buckeyes any bulletin board material on Friday, ahead of the two teams' College Football Playoff semifinal matchup next week.

"I need Longhorn Nation to show out in Arlington," Sarkisian told reporters, per Dave Wilson of ESPN, "We're going to need everything we've got to try to win this game. Clearly, we're massive underdogs. Nobody's going to give us a shot. ... This is the best team in college football, and we're going to have to make sure that we put our best forward to give ourselves a chance to win the game."

In particular, Sarkisian noted the troubles the Longhorns face trying to slow Buckeyes wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka.

"They're both big physical players," Sarkisian said. "They have length, they have speed, they have playmaking ability on the ball. They have really big catch radiuses. They've got the scheme to go with it, with Coach [Chip] Kelly and Coach [Ryan] Day, and they've got a quarterback who delivers on the ball. So you add all that up, these guys are impactful players that are real issues and we're going to have a hard time guarding 'em."

The thing is, Sarkisian is absolutely right in his assessment.

Ohio State seem to have hit the level we were all waiting for them to hit all year long. They have depth and skill at every single position, and their wide receiver corps in particular makes them incredibly hard to scheme against. Quarterback Will Howard has finally reached the level the Buckeyes hoped he'd hit this season in the passing game, and his legs add a dimension that make them tough to scheme for.

Their defense is fearsome, consistent, and aggressive, and lacks any real exploitable holes at this point. The Buckeyes are playing their best football of the season, and Sarkisian is absolutely right not to give them any added motivation after their last two games. We've seen what Ohio State look like when they get angry, and Longhorns fans won't like it when the Buckeyes get angry.

Yes, he's doing some classic head games here, setting up the "nobody believes in us" storyline that is the perfect ammunition for coaches. But just because it's a trope, doesn't mean it's wrong, especially in this case.

Nobody's going to believe in the Longhorns, and given how the last two games have gone for both teams, everyone is absolutely right not to.

Home/CFB

Texas' Steve Sarkisian correct to call Ohio State 'the best team in college football' ahead of semifinal

By Sam Westmoreland | Jan 3, 2025