Mack Brown Warns Steve Sarkisian Texas Loss To Oklahoma Must Spark Change

Former Texas football coach Mack Brown believes Steve Sarkisian's most painful defeat of the season might ultimately become the wake-up call that saves the Longhorns' championship aspirations.

Saturday's stunning 27-24 loss to Oklahoma knocked previously unbeaten, top-ranked Texas off its pedestal and unleashed criticism of Sarkisian, quarterback Arch Manning and an offense that hasn't consistently lived up to expectations.

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But Brown sees an opportunity buried beneath the disappointment.

"When you lose, you change," Brown said during an appearance on The Stampede Podcast.

Brown, who guided Texas to the 2005 national championship, believes defeat creates a sense of urgency that winning can sometimes hide. Coaches are forced to confront weaknesses they might otherwise tolerate while victories keep piling up.

And Texas has plenty to confront.

Despite opening the season with victories over Texas State, Ohio State, UTSA and Tennessee, the Longhorns frequently struggled to generate sustained offensive production. Those concerns became impossible to ignore against Oklahoma.

Manning threw three touchdown passes but also suffered two costly fourth-quarter interceptions. Special teams breakdowns compounded the problems, including a blocked punt returned for a touchdown.

The Sooners eventually delivered the knockout blow on Tate Sandell's 47-yard field goal as time expired.

For Brown, the response inside Texas' coaching offices matters more than the disappointment surrounding the final score.

"There's a different mentality with Sark in that staff meeting on Sunday than there was last week," Brown said.

The former Longhorns coach pointed toward Ohio State's national championship run following its devastating 2024 loss to Michigan as evidence that a late-season setback doesn't necessarily destroy championship hopes.

His message to Sarkisian is straightforward: Make the necessary corrections before another opponent exposes the same problems.

That includes getting more consistent production from Manning, improving offensive line execution and cleaning up the special teams mistakes that proved costly in Dallas.

Brown believes the Longhorns' first defeat could create exactly the urgency those changes require.

"This may be, as painful as it is," Brown said. "It may be the best thing that's ever happened."

Whether Sarkisian embraces that challenge will become clearer Saturday when Texas hosts Florida at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on ABC.

The Gators arrive following consecutive losses, giving Texas an opportunity to reestablish its identity before another demanding stretch of SEC competition.

But another sloppy performance would only intensify questions about Sarkisian's leadership and his ability to maximize a talented roster.

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Brown isn't suggesting losing to Oklahoma was acceptable.

He's suggesting what happens afterward could define the Longhorns' season.