Steve Sarkisian faces growing pressure at Texas after the Longhorns suffered back-to-back losses to Oklahoma and Florida, both by 27–24. Texas entered the season with national championship aspirations but has fallen to 4–2, raising questions about Sarkisian’s decision-making and ability to live up to expectations.

Amid the disappointing run, reports suggest Texas could be exploring potential replacements, with Kentucky head coach Will Stein reportedly among the names under consideration. FOX Sports analyst Aaron Torres weighed in on the speculation, saying Texas no longer has the same appeal.

“It’s not that Texas still isn’t a desirable job; it’s do you give up your dream job where your family is, where your mom’s right down the road running the bakery, where your parents can come every single day to see their grandkids?” he said on Aaron Torres Podcast.

“Like, are you giving that all up to go to Texas? I don’t wanna say it doesn’t make any sense, but it doesn’t make any sense.”

Stein would have to weigh the chance to lead a national powerhouse against the stability and momentum he’s built in Kentucky, where his team is already performing beyond expectations. Kentucky, meanwhile, will do everything it can to retain Stein.

“The only thing that matters: do you have the right coach? Do you have competitive NIL? If you get the right coach, can you do the things that you need to keep him? And Kentucky is gonna do that,” Torres said.

Texas may have the financial resources to make a compelling offer, but Kentucky can counter with the chance to continue building a successful program. Stein’s team is 6-1 overall this season, including 4-1 in the conference, and is on a five-game winning streak.

Paul Finebaum Criticized Steve Sarkisian

Steve Sarkisian is getting a lot of heat for Texas’s back-to-back losses. ESPN’s Paul Finebaum added his criticism to the discussion, focusing on Sarkisian’s handling of Arch Manning.

Finebaum believes Sarkisian shouldn’t keep Arch Manning as the starting quarterback.

“I’m beginning to wonder if Arch Manning should even start. I know he will, and he’s capable of leading them to a win, but I blame Sarkisian for every aspect of this,” he said, per Longhorns Wire.

In six games, Manning has thrown for 1,295 yards, completing 63.9% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions.