Steve Sarkisian explains the key to Texas maintaining this year's level of success

Texas has taken three steps forward in each of their seasons under Steve Sarkisian so far. Now, coming off a leap with their best finish since the first decade of the 2000s, he understands that they have to rebuild in order to take another move up.

Sarkisian spoke about the progress by the Longhorns in his postgame press conference following the 37-31 loss to Washington in the Sugar Bowl. He said the goal now is to get their building to realize it’s going to take the same effort, if not a better one, during each day over the next year, like they did in this past one, in order to be back in the same position next fall.

“Well, I think that we have to make sure that this doesn’t just happen, right? It took 12 months of hard work,” said Sarkisian. “We have to make sure that complacency doesn’t set in – we’ve got to be mindful of that. Then we go right back to the foundation of building the team.

“Like I said in those things that I discussed? Whether it was winter conditioning, spring ball, summer workouts, training camp, Culture Wednesdays – all the things that we do. Make sure we still handle our business in the classroom. Make sure that we still handle our business in our community,” Sarkisian continued. “I think that, ultimately, you have to rebuild the character, each year, of your team.”

Texas met several milestones during Sarkisian’s third season on The 40 Acres. First, they finished with double-digit wins for the first time in five years. It was also their highest win total since the turn of the decade in 2009. Secondly, they won the Big 12 Championship for the first time since that ’09 season as well.

Finally, in the last year of the four-team version of the College Football Playoff, the Longhorns earned their first berth. That opportunity ended with last night’s loss to the Huskies in New Orleans.

Texas must now realize that their circumstances are changing. While the playoff is expanding, competition will only get more stout in the Southeastern Conference. That means, come next year, they’ll need to take it to a whole new level in terms of their work, preparation, and performance.

Sarkisian hopes they all realize it too as they reset everything and look to build toward another playoff appearance in 2024.

“We have to be mindful that it doesn’t just happen,” Sarkisian said. “It takes hard work. I think that there’s a lot of lessons to be learned that the value of that hard work that we put in is the reason that we’re in this position. So we’re going to have to get right back to it again.”