Steve Sarkisian says Texas didn’t consider declining bowl berth despite CFP snub
By Mark Kern
Published:
Steve Sarkisian spent much of the last two weeks making his case on why Texas deserved to be one of the 12 teams in the College Football Playoff. However, on Sunday, the Longhorns found out they would not be heading back after making it to the CFP semifinals the last two seasons.
Notre Dame was another team on the outside looking in when the final bracket was revealed, and the Fighting Irish decided to turn down a bowl invite after being snubbed from the CFP. However, Sarkisian said that was never even a thought for the Longhorns as the team will be taking on Michigan in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.
“We did not,” Steve Sarkisian said when asked if Texas considered opting out of a bowl game. “We felt like if we didn’t get into the CFP being right on the cusp, we would have a really good chance to go to a really good bowl game. You think about the longstanding history and tradition of the Citrus Bowl with a really quality opponent in Michigan.”
By participating in the Citrus Bowl, Texas will also have an opportunity to have 15 bowl practices, which can be impactful for younger players.
Texas will face Michigan at 3 p.m. ET on Dec. 31.
