A win over Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide would be a total game-changer for Steve Sarkisian's Texas Longhorns.
The biggest game on the college football slate this weekend will be the one going down in Tuscaloosa, as the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide will host the No. 11 Texas Longhorns.
This is a rematch of last year's meeting in Austin, one where Texas lost a close one in part that starting quarterback Quinn Ewers went down with an untimely shoulder injury early in the contest. Ewers will be back with a vengeance, while Steve Sarkisian looks to get the best of his former coaching mentor Nick Saban. The winner of this game could even make the College Football Playoff.
Let's discuss what it would mean for Sarkisian is his Longhorns got the best of Saban's Crimson Tide.
What will a win over Alabama mean for Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian?
It is abundantly clear what a win for Sarkisian will mean for the Texas program. Yes, it may indicate that the Longhorns are for real this season, and that they could almost think about possibly, just maybe, being back. However, I think what it would show above all else is that Sarkisian is the guy worthy of leading the Longhorns into SEC play beginning next year. They won't play Alabama annually, but still!
Admittedly, a protege beating Saban does not carry as much gravitas as it once did. Jimbo Fisher was the first to do it and Kirby Smart did it again later that season two years ago. One would think someone like Sarkisian or Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is probably next up to do it. Saban is the best coach this sport has ever seen, but he and his Alabama squad are no longer invincible either.
Ultimately, a win for Sarkisian in Tuscaloosa forever shatters his perceived glass ceiling of an 8-4 record leading a blue-blood program. If he can beat a team like Alabama in Tuscaloosa, then the Longhorns can beat anyone, anywhere on any given Saturday. This would be the biggest signature win of his coaching career up to this point. It would also give Texas momentum towards being back.
Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, but Texas might be closing in on Alabama.