Steve Sarkisian reveals his unique pregame ritual with 89 Y/O father ahead of Cotton Bowl: "He's getting older"

Steve Sarkisian has led his Texas Longhorns team to the Cotton Bowl, where they will face the Ohio State Buckeyes for a spot in the National Championship Game against Notre Dame.

Before the game, Coach Sarkisian spoke to ESPN and revealed a unique part of his pre-game routine:

"You know I FaceTime them before every game. My dad, for the longest time, stood on the sidelines with me, and obviously, he's getting older. He's getting ready to turn 89. They're our biggest fans, our biggest supporters, so I just love touching base with them."

Sarkisian has been coaching College football for over 15 years, so these FaceTimes are likely something that his parents are familiar with.

However, they may have never received a call before a game this big. A win for Texas against a strong Ohio State team would put them into the national championship game for the first time since 2009. There is a good chance that the winner of this game will be able to defeat Notre Dame in the championship game, so a win here is very important.

Despite the increased pressure on Sarkisian to deliver, he is still keeping to his familiar routines, providing a sense of calm and normality before the chaos of what is likely to be a close affair.

Steve Sarkisian on the kicking situation

The Texas Longhorns have a strong quarterback room, with Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning playing snaps for the team this year. Something that the Longhorns have also been strong on is field goals, with Bert Auburn being very consistent.

The normally consistent Auburn struggled in the Peach Bowl, missing two field goal kicks late in the fourth quarter that would have given Texas a regulation-time win.

Sarkisian is aware of this lull in form and addressed the situation surrounding Auburn in a press conference before the game:

"We’ll monitor that thing through pregame and make a decision and go. I think that’s always the challenge of a coach. You think about some of those positions. Football is an ultimate team sport, but there are specific positions that are individualized.”

This potential doubt in Auburn could mean that Ewers and Manning (to a point) could be required to make short fourth-down conversions in a position where long field goals can be taken.

This has its own level of risk, but if it pays off, Texas will benefit by continuing the drive to bring them closer to the endzone.