Texas might be fighting for its College Football Playoff life Saturday when it hosts Ole Miss. Just two weeks after ranking No. 1 in the polls, back-to-back losses to unranked teams have pushed the Longhorns into fight-or-flight mode. While outside perspective on The Forty Acres focuses on coach Steve Sarkisian's performance and quarterback Arch Manning's starting spot, internal sentiment differs.
Two days before the second half of the season kicks off, the Longhorns' athletic director evaluated the football program's current state. "Phenomenal," Chris Del Conte told CBS Sports on Thursday. The rest of college football might see things differently.
The No. 19 Longhorns (4-2, 1-2 SEC) have struggled to score, and Manning has taken the brunt of the fallout, as Sarkisian has promised to "evaluate everything" after last week's 27-24 home loss to Florida. Backup KJ Lacey Jr. has received more first-team reps in practices over the last two weeks, but Sarkisian is expected to start Manning against No. 7 Ole Miss (5-1, 3-1). Texas was among the five teams ranked in the AP poll's top seven to lose last week, the most ever.
Del Conte pointed that out while defending Sarkisian. "We all expect to win every single game," Del Conte said. Things happen within a game." He added: "Rome is not burning.
Expectations should be high. They're high for us, too. That's why you come to University of Texas.
But the noise is a lot greater outside than it is in our building, than it is on the Forty Acres." Del Conte has backed his coach through a slide before, penning a letter to fans in 2021 asking them not to "splinter or pull apart" during a five-game losing streak. Things aren't that dire in Austin today, but the context is very different. Texas missed the College Football Playoff in 2025 after starting the season No. 1 in the polls.
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