When Steve Sarkisian ditched Red River showdown to pick greatest rivalry of college football

Steve Sarkisian took over as the head coach of the Texas Longhorns in 2021. During his four-season stint with the program, he led them to one Big 12 championship and to their second playoff appearance as a member of the SEC Conference last year.

As the head coach of the Longhorns, fans expect Steve Sarkisian to consider the Red River Rivalry against the Oklahoma Sooners as the top rivalry. However, he surprised the Longhorns fanbase by naming a different rivalry as the greatest in college football.

In March of last year, Sarkisian appeared on the 'Bussin with the Boys' podcast, where he said he believed that the rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan, also known as 'The Game,' is the greatest rivalry in college football.

"Facts," Sarkisian said when questioned about the Ohio State vs Michigan rivalry. "Honestly, before you said that I was like man the Iron Bowl (Alabama vs Auburn rivalry), that was a pretty good rivalry. That would probably be the second (best)." (Timestamp: 16:50).

Sarkisian quickly clarified that he considers the Red River Rivalry as the top rivalry on his list, followed by the others mentioned. He also stated that the USC vs. UCLA rivalry is more intense than the Ohio State vs. Michigan rivalry due to the close proximity of the two schools.

"Probably because of proximity," Sarkisian said. "You know, the mileage, the proximity, how tight, how close the schools are." (Timestamp: 17:00)

Since taking over the program in 2021, Steve Sarkisian has a 2-2 record in the Red River Rivalry showdown against the Oklahoma Sooners. After a 30-34 loss in 2023, he secured a dominant 34-3 victory in October of last year.

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Steve Sarkisian signs new contract extension with the Texas Longhorns

Sarkisian declined two coaching offers in order to continue as the head coach of the Texas Longhorns. According to The Athletic, he finalized a new contract extension with the program, adding another year to his current deal, along with a $10.4 million salary increase.

After leading the Longhorns to a Big 12 title and a playoff spot where they lost in the semifinals to Washington, Sarkisian was awarded his first contract extension, which ran through the 2030 season. His salary was also doubled from $5.6 million to $10.3 million in the first year.

His new extension runs through the 2031 season. However, details of his new salary have not yet been disclosed to the public. It will be interesting to see if Sarkisian can win his first national championship with the program next season.