Texas' Steve Sarkisian Taking Heat Over Late Game Strategy

What in the world was Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian thinking when calling that running play at the end of the Cotton Bowl? Sark practically handed the victory to the Buckeyes. That's what many college football and Texas Longhorns fans are asking themselves today after a terrible sequence of plays.

After Texas was able to drive the ball all the way down the field in quick fashion at the end of Friday's game to set up a first and goal, Sarkisian's boneheaded 2nd down sweep call will live in infamy with Longhorns fans. 

Texas gained no yards from the 1-yard line on first down. So, rather than try and do it again, Sarkisian called for a toss or sweep play that would result in a loss of six yards. This ultimately set up the dagger driven into the hearts of the Longhorns, as Ohio State soon advanced to the National Championship versus Notre Dame.

I mean really, WHAT are you thinking there? You just moved the ball all the way down the field after Ohio State just took the lead a minute beforehand. You have the momentum, you have the crowd going wild and the defense on their heels. And you decide to go into a shotgun formation and then toss the ball back even further, only to then get tackled for a loss. 

You can be sure it was a somber ride home for the coach and a devastating, heartbreaking one for the players, as the next play would result in an incomplete pass, and then Texas would seal their fate with quarterback Quinn Ewers fumbling - resulting in an Ohio State scoop and score - on 4th and goal. 

SARKISIAN FEELING THE HEAT?

Sarkisian's explanation after the game was even more brutal. 

"We had a plan to [run] the ball on the edge once we got down there… you know, it's one of those plays that if you block it all right then you get in the end zone… and at that point you're kind of stuck behind the 8-ball because we knew we were in four-down territory because of the score of the game," Sarkisian told reporters. 

"First and goal on the 1, and we don't score? Quite frankly, you don't deserve to win the game," Sarkisian explained after the game. Well, Steve, many Longhorns fans believe that YOU don't deserve to return next year as the head coach. 

SOCIAL MEDIA OBLITERATES SARKISIAN'S PLAY CALL

Coach Sarkisian should probably not search for his name on X this morning. He's trending for all the wrong reasons.

Passionate Longhorns fans aside, football fans like OutKick's very own Clay Travis laid into Sarkisian and compared the run toss call to Pete Carroll's Super Bowl XLIX goal line blunder. The result was an interception and the Patriots secured the victory, all while Seattle's Marshawn Lynch was right there to pummel his way through to the end zone. 

Pete Caroll never recovered in the NFL after that. It will be interesting to see if Steve Sarkisian will. 

OUTKICK FANS - WHAT DID YOU THINK OF SARKISIAN'S PLAYCALLING AT THE END OF THE GAME? TWEET ME: @TheGunzShow