Steve Sarkisian’s Texas Longhorns officially began playing in the SEC in 2024. The move came after the school spent the previous 25+ years as a member of the Big 12.

Texas already has sky-high expectations every season, but those were amplified after moving to the SEC. Sarkisian knows the league is a different beast, and the coach recently shared his thoughts on playing in the SEC so far.

‘One of (the) biggest challenges in this league is the mental intensity needed week to week,” said Sarkisian on the SEC teleconference. “No layups in this league. The minute you don’t do that you get beat. There are some really good teams in this league probably looking back and kicking themselves maybe were not quite ready to play.”

The coach has led the Longhorns to an 8-1 record heading into Week 12. The Longhorns have gone 4-1 in SEC play, with their lone loss coming to Georgia. The Longhorns did receive a scare from Vanderbilt, only beating the Commodores by 7 points.

Since coming to Texas in 2021, Sarkisian has a 33-15 record with 1 College Football Playoff appearance.

As the coach noted, there are “no layups” in the SEC. The league has been filled with parity in 2024, and Texas has been among the league’s most consistent squads. Dominant wins over Florida, Mississippi State, and Oklahoma are on the team’s resume, as well as a non-conference win at Michigan.

The Longhorns have 3 regular season games to go. In Week 12, the team travels to Arkansas to take on the Razorbacks. Then, the team plays Kentucky at home before ending the season against Texas A&M.