The Texas Longhorns may have missed the College Football Playoff, a disappointment for Steve Sarkisian and the entire fanbase, but the program is earning high marks for a key under-the-radar move: enthusiastically accepting a bid to the Citrus Bowl against Michigan. While a 9-3 record ultimately wasn’t enough to secure one of the coveted playoff spots, Sark’s immediate and public commitment to playing the bowl game is a strategic, long-term win for the Longhorns. This is especially true when contrasted with the decisions of other frustrated teams.
Sark’s leadership in embracing the Citrus Bowl, despite the initial disappointment, provides four major advantages that are critical to a program building toward championship contention. First, the extra practices and the game itself offer a vital chance to develop backups and second-stringers (the next generation of Texas football) against a quality opponent in a neutral-site environment. With NFL prospects likely to sit out for draft protection, the bowl game becomes an invaluable, competitive developmental opportunity. Second, the extended practice period is crucial for training assistant coaches and graduate assistants who are still gaining experience. All time great coaches like Nick Saban have historically leveraged bowl preparation to refine their staff for the upcoming season.
Third, and often overlooked, the bowl experience is an essential part of the college football experience for third- and fourth-team players and walk-ons who rarely see the field. These players, who form the backbone of the program through scout team work, get to enjoy the “glitz and glamour,” swag, and magical atmosphere of the holidays and the bowl game events. This engagement ensures the entire program feels valued and rewarded for their commitment. Most importantly, the fourth benefit is protection from getting your current players poached. Remaining active in practice and game preparation is the best defense against player poaching. When players are engaged in the team schedule, they are less likely to be victimized by calls from other schools offering NIL deals or transfer opportunities, allowing Sark to protect his core talent from being pulled away from Austin.
The decision by the Notre Dame football team to withdraw their name from all bowl consideration after missing the playoff serves as the direct counterexample to Texas’s smart move. The Irish’s decision has been universally panned as immature and dumb. Notre Dame’s choice to “take my ball and go home” immediately forfeited all the developmental, celebratory, and protective benefits that Texas is now capitalizing on. By putting emotion aside and taking advantage of the bowl opportunity, the Texas Longhorns (and by extension, their head coach) are credited with making the smart, grown-up decision that secures the long-term future of the program, while Notre Dame risks negative ramifications. Furthermore, playing a tough opponent like Michigan gives the Longhorns one final opportunity to showcase their football product, putting a good taste in the mouths of potential recruits heading into the summer months.
Disclaimer: The content of this article was originally published as a YouTube video on the SMI College Football Show YouTube channel. With AI assistance, the publisher of the video created this article based on the content of that video.
