Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian stated that mental fatigue contributed to the team's College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Ohio State, a sentiment he raised on a recent podcast.
"I felt like the year we played Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, we were tired, and not necessarily physically tired," Sarkisian said. "We were mentally fatigued as well. That’s a long season. We had so many big games. So I think managing it this time around, how we manage their energy level, is as important as how we manage their legs and the physicality."
Every team faces physical and mental exhaustion by the end of a college football season, and it is the coach's responsibility to prepare players for these challenges. The effectiveness of this preparation is particularly scrutinized when discussing a team's performance in the pivotal College Football Playoff.
2026 Schedule Outlook
The Longhorns are heading into the 2026 season with high expectations, bolstered by the return of star quarterback Arch Manning for his second year as a starter. The team is projected to have a strong defense, a highly-rated recruiting class, and a roster considered by some services to be among the most talented in the nation, based on recruiting rankings. Texas finished their 2025 season with victories over rivals Texas A&M and Michigan, aiming to carry that momentum forward.
However, Texas faces a demanding schedule in 2026, which includes home games against Ohio State and Ole Miss, road games at Tennessee and LSU, the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma, and a trip to Texas A&M. This challenging slate means the Longhorns could potentially improve significantly from the previous year and still finish with a 9-3 record, even with solid performances.
Sarkisian's comments on fatigue come as the team prepares for what is anticipated to be one of their toughest schedules in recent seasons. The coach emphasized that managing player energy levels and mental state will be crucial for the team's success in their quest for a national championship. He suggested that the team's previous experience with fatigue in a high-stakes game provides lessons for the upcoming season. The team's travel schedule for the end of the 2025 season, which included games primarily within Texas or in Atlanta, was noted in contrast to the more demanding travel faced by opponents like Ohio State, who played in Los Angeles and then traveled to Texas for the semifinal game.