Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns host the game of the week in Week 2, as Nick Saban and the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide head to Austin.

It’s expected to be a contender for the game of the year, and excitement is high heading into the nonconference showdown.

But, on Monday, Sarkisian tried to downplay the game’s importance to the Longhorns. He said it will be a great atmosphere, but mentioned that it won’t really impact the Longhorns’ 2022 goals:

“My goal is to be in Dallas (for the Big 12 Championship Game) on Dec. 3,” Sarkisian said. “This game has no impact on that. We don’t impact them going to the SEC Championship (Game). But it’s an awesome opportunity. Great setting for college football.”

It almost sounds like Sarkisian is trying to downplay the potential impact of a loss for the Longhorns before the game even starts.

Alabama enters the game as a heavy favorite, expected to win by more than 2 touchdowns. We’ll see if Sarkisian and the Longhorns can pull off a massive upset, though.