Steve Sarkisian lays down blueprint for Texas to upend Alabama in 2023

Steve Sarkisian believes he knows what it will take for Texas to upend Alabama this season.

After being close but no cigar vs. them a year ago, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian knows exactly what the Longhorns must do to defeat his former employer in the Alabama Crimson Tide this fall.

Sarkisian has every reason to be optimistic. Texas is a sexy pick to win the Big 12 during its final season in the conference. The Longhorns have a five-star quarterback under center in Quinn Ewers and so much depth around him. Going 11-1, winning the Big 12 and making the College Football Playoff are certainly within the realm of possibility. But what if they can beat Alabama?

Sarkisian knows it comes down to his team being locked in and playing a full 60 minutes of ball.

"“We have to embrace the moment and understand what that moment is. And we gotta play good football. Thought we played them well a year ago, we didn’t play well enough. And so the key to drill, when we go there we have to play better than we did last time, and I think we can.”"

But even beyond that, it is about being mentally tough and fighting through some major adversity.

"“I think we’ll have the mental fortitude to go do it. The mental toughness to go do it and the physical toughness to go do it because this is going to be a physical football game. They’re a big, physical football team that will be very well coached and we just have to make sure that they get our best shot.”"

Given how close they were to pulling the upset off a season ago, you can say Texas is this close to being back. The Longhorns don’t have to beat Alabama to do so, but making the playoff is a must.

Steve Sarkisian reveals Texas’ plan to avenge last year’s narrow loss to Alabama

Right this instant, I am a believer Texas will make the final four-team College Football Playoff and be all the way back. Joining them in the national semifinals will either be Alabama, Georgia or LSU out of the SEC, Michigan, Ohio State or Penn State out of the Big Ten and either Clemson or Florida State out of the ACC. I feel Texas has the easiest pathway to its conference title bout besides UGA.

While Texas can accomplish everything it wants to and then some this season, even with a loss to Texas, it seems like a mental hurdle of a program for a lot of teams. If you can beat Alabama, you can do anything. Maybe Georgia has become that in the last two years, but up until recently were the Dawgs able to get the best of the Tide. Keep in mind how well Texas has been recruiting, too.

Ultimately, if Texas wins that game, then that will be gravy for the Longhorns the rest of the way. Alabama is not as dominant of a program that it once was, but it is still an unquestioned top-four one in the sport, along with Georgia, Michigan and Ohio State. Texas wants to join those programs’ ranks, but in order to do so, it will have to slay the dragon when the opportunity presents itself.

Sarkisian saying Texas can beat Alabama and Texas beating Alabama are two different constructs.

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