'Long Road': Steve Sarkisian Reveals His One Goal For Texas Longhorns in 2024

HOUSTON - The Texas Longhorns are going to be held to a high standard in 2024.

Heading into the new season, Texas is expected to be one of the top teams in the nation, with most preseason projections having them landing in the top five.

However, after elite transfer and recruiting hauls, and a successful spring football camp, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is placing his goals quite a bit higher than just a top-five ranking.

"We're going to get back to work in June," Sarkisian told the media at the Houston Touchdown Club on Wednesday. "My goal is that we're playing on January 20th. That's a long road."

January 20th, of course, is the date of the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and will be the the culmination of the new 12-team playoff format being introduced next season.

In order for the Horns to get there, however, they will first have to navigate their inaugural season in the SEC, which is set to be a major challenge in and of itself with the conference set to be as competitive as ever next season.

That move will also inevitably bring a palpable amount of outside noise and distractions to the program's doorstep - something Sarkisian recognizes and is preparing for.

"We definitely recognize it. We're excited about it. It's a great league," Sarkisian said. "At the end of the day, let's acknowledge it like we do and then, what do we need to do? What are we doing today to ensure that we put our best foot forward when the opportunities present themselves?"

The Longhorns will kick off the season on August 31 against Colorado State, before their first big test of the season in Week 2 when they head to Ann Arbor to take on the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines.