Steve Sarkisian Puts Notre Dame on Notice as Texas Rethinks Schedule

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is sending a clear warning as his team waits to see if they will make the College Football Playoff. If the committee doesn’t reward teams for playing tough opponents, Sarkisian says he is ready to change how Texas schedules games in the future. That decision could have a big impact on Notre Dame and other major programs.

Steve Sarkisian addressed the audience on Dec. 1 and revealed the reason why he is frustrated.
Our five matches have been against top 10 teams, he said. The team above us has not had its full share of two matches yet. There are others in advance of us who have played none at all.

Right now, Miami sits one spot ahead of Texas in the rankings. Miami has two losses but earned attention for beating a ranked Notre Dame team. That result has raised questions about how much the committee cares about strength of schedule. Because of this, Steve Sarkisian is thinking about making future schedules easier if the current system doesn’t reward Texas’ tough path.

Texas has major non-conference games coming up against Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Michigan. These are big matchups that fans have been waiting years to see. The Longhorns are supposed to play Ohio State again in 2026 and Michigan in 2027. They also have two games scheduled with Notre Dame in 2028 and 2029. But now, Steve Sarkisian is considering canceling or changing those games.

Sports analyst Paul Finebaum recently said Texas could even make the playoffs with three losses because the team plays such strong opponents.

At that, once the record is the only concern of the committee, we, Steve Sarkisian added, are obliged to do the things that would help us record better.

If Texas drops Notre Dame from future schedules, it could cause a big problem for the Irish. As an independent team, Notre Dame does not play in a conference, so they rely on big-name opponents to earn playoff respect. Their long rivalry with USC is already uncertain, as USC now deals with a tougher Big Ten schedule and has no future games set with Notre Dame.

Losing Texas as a future opponent would leave Notre Dame with fewer strong matchups. And with Texas arguing its case over Miami, Notre Dame may be the team in the most danger of falling out of the playoff race.

For now, Texas waits on the committee — and the future of several big-time games hangs in the balance.

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