Texas' Steve Sarkisian tempers hopes of future 'undefeated champions' considering modern college landscape

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian joins Colin Cowherd to break down Arch Manning’s development and expectations for the season.

The Texas Longhorns have advanced to the College Football Playoff in each of the past two seasons. 

The Longhorns are once again projected to make a run in this upcoming season's playoff, but head coach Steve Sarkisian is doing what he can to temper some of those lofty expectations. Sarkisian also threw cold water on the notion that whatever team is crowned as national champions will finish the season with a perfect 16-0 record. 

"I don't think we'll see an undefeated champion," during SEC Spring Meetings. 

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Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns speaks during SEC Football Media Days at Omni Dallas Hotel on July 17, 2024 in Dallas, Texas.  (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Sarkisian pointed to the difficulty of maintaining a fully healthy roster throughout the extended college football season. "It's so difficult to stay healthy for so long. This idea that someone is going to go 16-0 in college football? If so, put a statue up."

The 12-team playoff format debuted last season. After a team plays its full 12-game regular-season slate, they could qualify for their conference championship. Under last year's format, conference champions from the Power 4 earned a bye. The 13-0 team would then need to win a quarterfinal, semifinal, and championship game to finish at 16-0.

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Sarkisian then recalled the vast differences in the current sport's landscape and his time on the Southern California coaching staff in 2003. 

"Then we grew into a two-team playoff, and we grew