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Sarkisian Advocates for Ohio State After Texas Comeback Win
Confirmed
In Short: Ohio State coach Steve Sarkisian hopes his team is rewarded, not punished, for their loss to Texas.
Sarkisian's concerns stem from his experience with the 2022 Texas team, which finished the season 9-3 but missed the College Football Playoff due to a loss to Ohio State. "This isn't crying over spilled milk," Sarkisian noted, adding that he hopes the selection committee will keep everything in perspective if Ohio State finishes the season with multiple losses.
According to reports, Sarkisian is advocating for Ohio State to avoid punishment and for the road game in Austin to be viewed as a positive. "If they don't reward them for playing in the game, then all of us start playing FCS and [Group of] Six," he said, per Eleven Warriors. Sarkisian fears that teams might start scheduling fewer big non-conference games if the selection committee only looks at the number of losses.
In the wake of Texas's comeback win, Sarkisian spent a portion of his Monday press conference arguing on behalf of the Buckeyes. "Quite frankly, Ohio State should be rewarded for playing in this type of game against us," he said, according to ESPN La Crosse 105.5. Sarkisian believes that playing a road game in Austin should also be viewed as a positive.
Sarkisian recalled how he felt last season, when the 9-3 Longhorns finished just outside the playoff. "I do want to make sure we clear something up," Sarkisian said, according to Fox News. "Sarkisian did decline the interview at the half. He had waited a long time, been very patient with some technical issues that we had. He apologized to us. We should be apologizing to him, which we did," said Laura Rutledge, the sideline reporter.
The coach's advocacy for Ohio State comes as the Buckeyes face the possibility of multiple losses at the end of the season. "Anything after that is up for discussion," Sarkisian said, according to 247Sports. He hopes that the selection committee will take into account the difficulty of the opponent and the circumstances of the game when making their decisions.
What's confirmed
- "Quite frankly, Ohio State should be rewarded for playing in this type of game against us," Sarkisian said.
- "If they don't reward them for playing in the game, then all of us start playing FCS and [Group of] Six," Sarkisian said.
What's still developing
- Sarkisian is speaking from experience because he found out firsthand what it was like to be on the losing end of this game last season.
- Steve Sarkisian knows what it's like to be dinged for a close loss against a marquee opponent, and he hopes that doesn't happen to Ohio State this year.
- Rutledge explained that Sarkisian waited for a while before the broadcast turned to him.
- Even though Texas beat Ohio State this year, putting the Longhorns in a great early position to make this year’s CFP with a massive win on their résumé, Sarkisian is still beating the drum that Saturday night’s game shouldn’t be held against the loser when it comes time to determine this year’s College Football Playoff field.