DALLAS — For Texas, the road to a possible berth in the Big 12 championship game runs through Oklahoma State and Kansas State and Kansas.
The operative word in that sentence is “road.”
As encouraging as things look now for No. 20 Texas (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) with a healthy Quinn Ewers and Bijan Robinson delivering 100-yard rushing games on command, there’s still something to prove.
In true road games under Steve Sarkisian, Texas is 1-5 including a blown 14-point lead at Lubbock this season in an overtime loss to Texas Tech. The Longhorns have lost four straight on the road, dating back to a win at TCU in 2021.
Next up to break the streak is a trip to No. 11 Oklahoma State (5-1, 2-1) and claustrophobic Boone Pickens Stadium for the Cowboys’ sold-out homecoming game.
The meeting could double as an elimination game for the Big 12 title game.
“Could be. They all could be from here on out,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said at his Monday press conference. “But, you know, I don’t really have to think about it because it won’t do me any good anyway. Doesn’t give me an advantage.”
If Texas wants a chance at AT&T Stadium, it needs to find a way to finish away from Royal-Memorial Stadium. The Longhorns already have a neutral-site win over out-manned Oklahoma to their credit this year.
“I don’t want to continue to keep losing away games,” said Robinson, who leads the Big 12 in rushing at 111.4 yards per game. “It’s a tough feeling, and we need to go out anywhere we go and just execute and not worry about the external factors, the crowd, the hype behind anything.
“We just need to go over there and just focus on us and go deliver a great performance.”
Texas is favored at Oklahoma State, probably more because of the uncertain status of Cowboys quarterback Spencer Sanders (shoulder) than a belief that the Longhorns are now a road juggernaut.
The loss at Tech notwithstanding, Sarkisian sees a different Texas team, one better equipped to handle stress. He pointed to the 24-21 win over Iowa State as an example of a game Texas might have lost last season.
“It starts with maturity,” Sarkisian said. “Then you can have poise and composure. I think poise and composure is really important on the road. You’re in an environment, the crowd’s not cheering for you, they’re cheering against you.
“When adversity strikes on the road, that doesn’t have to mean it’s adversity for the next quarter. It can be for that one play and then you’ve got to have the ability to move on to the next. I do think it takes mental intensity.”
Sarkisian said Texas hasn’t changed anything specifically about its road routine this season — from travel plans to team hotels and meals.
He’s also not satisfied with the way his team is playing this year, despite the success so far. Sarkisian said Texas had “a come to Jesus meeting” on Monday after the Iowa State game.
He still sees signs of change.
“This team has felt different to me from the very beginning and continues to show to me, even when we’re not at our best we have the maturity to kind of settle ourselves down and play good enough to win,” Sarkisian said.
“We’re going to need to play better than we played Saturday, that’s for sure, to go get this win. I do think that we’ve got the maturity — even this [Monday] morning in our meeting — to have the approach needed throughout the week to ensure that we play better Saturday.”
