Steve Sarkisian channels his inner Nick Saban, says Texas must be ‘careful of the rat poison’

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Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has followed Nick Saban’s lead in the past with fantastic results. 

After being fired by USC midway through the 2015 season, Sarkisian landed a job on Saban’s Alabama staff as an analyst for the 2016 season. 

Following two years as the offensive coordinator with the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL, Sarkisian returned to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. 

Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns takes the field after halftime during a game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Sept. 10, 2022, in Austin, Texas.  (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

One national championship and a 2020 Broyles Award for the top offensive coach in college football later, Sarkisian got his third opportunity to lead a program when Texas hired him prior to the 2021 season. 

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Sarkisian has praised Saban for the role Saban played in his coaching arc, and he’s following Saban’s lead again after nearly defeating the No. 1 team in the country Saturday. 

"First of all, to quote my old boss, we've got to be careful of the rat poison of people telling us how good we are, which is important," Sarkisian said Monday. "A week ago, everyone told us how bad we were. Now this week, everyone wants to tell us how good we are. We've got to be careful to quiet the noise outside of our building and focus on us."

Saban has famously used the term "rat poison" when discussing expectations for his team. 

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Texas held a lead over Alabama with 1:29 left in