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Eli Lederman, ESPN Workers Author
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian stated Monday that he has cautioned his group in opposition to the “Notre Dame situation” and reminded his gamers that “we’re entitled to nothing” following Saturday’s 31-12 win over then-No. 10 Michigan that moved the Longhorns to No. 2 within the AP High 25.
Texas’ 19-point victory over the Wolverines at Michigan Stadium represented an early assertion victory within the Longhorns’ pursuit of a second-consecutive Faculty Soccer Playoff look this fall. Led by 246 passing yards and three touchdowns from quarterback Quinn Ewers, Texas notched its largest highway win over a top-10 opponent since 1979, handing Michigan its first dwelling loss since 2020 and this system’s first defeat because the Wolverines fell to TCU within the 2022 Faculty Soccer Playoff.
The Longhorns’ win got here hours earlier than then-No. 5 Notre Dame suffered a monumental upset Saturday afternoon, falling as a 28.5-point dwelling favourite in a 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois — seven days after the Irish’s 23-13 highway win over then-No. 20 Texas A&M.
As Texas (2-0) started preparations for a Week 3 go to from UTSA, Sarkisian directed his gamers’ consideration to Notre Dame’s stumble as a warning to the surging Longhorns.
“Human nature is human nature,” Sarkisian defined. “So what did I do that morning? I walked them by the Notre Dame situation of [the Irish] going into Faculty Station every week in the past and profitable that recreation and being anointed a top-five group and within the Faculty Soccer Playoff, then every week later dropping to Northern Illinois.”
“I confirmed them that clip of [Kanon Woodill‘s game-winning] discipline objective and I confirmed the clip of Northern Illinois storming the sphere this morning as an excellent reminder that we’re entitled to nothing,” Sarkisian continued. “We’re able to something. We have a extremely good group. However we’re entitled to nothing. We will earn the whole lot. And we have going to must earn the victory right here Saturday evening.”
Texas’ rout of Michigan helped the Longhorns leapfrog Ohio State for No. 2 within the newest AP High 25, this system’s highest rating in AP ballot since 2009. Texas’ remaining schedule contains conferences with solely two groups at present ranked contained in the AP High 25. The Longhorns will face No. 15 Oklahoma on the Cotton Bowl on Oct. 12 earlier than internet hosting No. 1 Georgia on Oct. 19 in a possible matchup of No. 1 vs No. 2 in Week 8.
Extra imminently, Texas hosts UTSA at 7 p.m. ET Saturday evening on ESPN. The Roadrunners go to Austin after struggling a 49-10 defeat to Texas State in Week 2. No totally different from the warning Sarkisian issued on Notre Dame’s upset, the Longhorns’ coach is cautious about overlooking Texas’ Week 3 opponent, as nicely.
“The worst opponents or the hardest opponents to play are those which might be wounded; which might be backed right into a nook,” Sarkisian stated. “… We will get their greatest model. We have to arrange rather well this week like now we have the earlier two weeks figuring out that we’ll get their greatest shot. We have to be sure that they get our greatest shot.”
