In a Rivalry Week that was rife with strife, Steve Sarkisian wasn’t having it for the Longhorns ahead of the SEC Championship Game.
Lest anyone wonder if college football players pay attention to proceedings around the country ahead of their games, Texas looked like it was ready to celebrate on Texas A&M’s logo following a 17-7 win in the first Lone Star Showdown since 2011. But unlike Michigan-Ohio State, NC State-North Carolina, or Florida-Florida State earlier Saturday, the Longhorns’ head coach stepped in to break up the party.
While Sarkisian may have been taking a ‘cooler heads will prevail’ approach, he also had pragmatic reasons to ease tensions after the game. Ohio State, a team that is almost certainly playoff-bound despite Saturday’s loss, may find itself missing some players who were involved in the brawl. With plenty left to play for for the Longhorns, including a possible SEC championship next Saturday in Texas’ first season in the SEC, Sarkisian will want all hands on deck against the Georgia Bulldogs.
‘Good job by Sark,’ Kirk Herbstreit said on the broadcast. ‘Off the logo, here we go, (whistles), no need for that. We can celebrate in other areas. That’s how you handle that.’
‘Police are also protecting that logo,’ Chris Fowler said. ‘Yeah take your victory. And flip it forward. And play for bigger things now.’
‘Didn’t think it’s right,’ Sarkisian said of the flag plant, per The Statesman. ‘I mean rivalries are great, but there’s a way to win it with class. We shouldn’t be on their logo. We shouldn’t be planting any flags on their logo. And whenever that day comes, I hope we’d get the same respect in return.’
Sarkisian and the Longhorns (11-1, 7-1 SEC) will play in Atlanta against Georgia on Saturday, Dec. 7 for the SEC championship.
(This story was updated to add a video.)
