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.
In the wake of Texas' unbelievable comeback win over Ohio State on Saturday night, Sarkisian spent a portion of his Monday press conference arguing on behalf of the Buckeyes. In the event Ohio State finishes the season with multiple losses, Sarkisian wants the playoff selection committee to keep everything in perspective.
"I hope Ohio State doesn't get punished for playing that game Saturday night," Sarkisian said. "They played a heck of a game. It's 24-23. They lose with us scoring with 25 seconds left to go in the game. I hope, if they end up being a 9-3 team, that the committee can appreciate that they came to Austin, Texas, in September when it was 100 degrees and played us in that environment and played a heck of a game. They should not be punished."
Sarkisian even took it a step further. Not only should the Buckeyes avoid punishment, but playing a road game in Austin should also be viewed as a positive.
"Quite frankly, Ohio State should be rewarded for playing in this type of game against us," Sarkisian said.
According to Sarkisian, teams will start scheduling big non-conference games altogether if the selection committee just looks at the number of losses without diving any deeper. That wouldn't do much for the sport's entertainment value.
"If they don't reward them for playing in the game, then all of us start playing FCS and [Group of] Six," Sarkisian said. "I don't think that's the product we want in college football. ... If we want to continue those matchups, we gotta reward the teams for playing in those games."
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.
Ohio State loss cost Texas CFP berth in 2025
On Monday, Sarkisian recalled how he felt last season, when the 9-3 Longhorns finished just outside the playoff. One of those losses was a seven-point defeat at the hands of Ohio State in Columbus.
"This isn't crying over spilled milk," Sarkisian said. "I don't think we got rewarded for going to Columbus last year in Week 1. Hopefully, this year, they reward Ohio State for coming to play this game against us."
Last fall, Texas played a brutal schedule. It played five games against top-10 opponents and won three. The only two losses came on the road against Ohio State and Georgia.
In the lead-up to the final rankings, in which the Longhorns finished No. 13, Sarkisian argued that a 10-2 Texas team would be in the CFP "no questions asked."
Texas' absence from the playoff prompted Sarkisian to question whether the team should go forward with its upcoming home-and-home series with Notre Dame.
"Anything after that is up for discussion," Sarkisian said, per 247Sports.
Of course, Ohio State could avoid being in the same position by avoiding two more slip-ups this season. The Buckeyes still have tough games against Indiana, USC, Oregon and Michigan on the schedule, but losses in those types of games weren't what ultimately hurt the Longhorns.
The biggest stain on the Horns' 2025 resume was a road loss to Florida, which went 4-8 and fired Billy Napier midway through the season. That Gators team also lost to South Florida and got blown out by Kentucky and Tennessee.
If there is an unusually large crop of 10-2 teams -- and Ohio State happens to be one of them -- losing to Texas in Austin shouldn't be held against it. But a third loss would open the door for the Buckeyes to be left out, just like the Longhorns.
