Calling it now - the coaching hire that nobody is talking about enough is how Steve Sarkisian backfilled the defensive staff this offseason. Texas lost both coordinators to head coaching jobs in the same year and the program didn't flinch. The new defensive coordinator came in with a track record of top-20 scoring defenses at his last stop which is exactly what Texas needs after finishing at minus-4 in turnover margin last season.
The ESPN article about Texas Tech falling without Sorsby is interesting but it misses the bigger point about stability in the SEC. Texas Tech is scrambling at QB while Texas quietly replaced two coordinators and still has the Longhorns sitting in the top 10 of every way-too-early ranking. That is not an accident. That is what happens when you build a program that can absorb staff losses without losing the identity.
Sarkisian has now cycled through three different defensive coordinators in his tenure and the defense has improved every single season. The ...