Texas Post-Bye Week: How Previous Games Showcase Strength in This Niche

Sarkisian is in his fifth year with the Longhorns, and Orangebloods drew attention to the fact that he has established a post-bye week record of 4-1 during his tenure. 

In 2024, Texas had two bye weeks, and they followed both with decisive conference victories. The first of these matchups was last year’s Red River Rivalry game, which involved Texas beating Oklahoma with a score of 34-3 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. The second took place at home against Florida, and the Longhorns claimed a 49-17 victory. 

Both of these wins helped fuel Texas's successful run in SEC play, which culminated in an SEC Championship appearance and selection into the College Football Playoff. 

In 2022 and 2023, respectively, the Longhorns returned after bye weeks to beat Kansas State 34-26 and Houston 31-24, both on the road. 

Their post-bye week loss during the Sarkisian era came back in 2021, when they fell short at Baylor with a final score of 31-24. They finished their 2021 season with a record of 5-7.

It’s hard to determine whether or not success coming off a bye week can determine a team’s success as the season progresses, but it certainly can’t hurt to capitalize on having fresh legs and more time to assemble a game plan.

Multiple Longhorns have been dealing with injuries in recent weeks, so this extra time could be just what the doctor ordered for this team. 

Only time will tell how strong Texas will perform after their bye weeks this season, both this upcoming one and the one that will take place between their matchups against Vanderbilt and Georgia at the beginning of November. 

Both of these post-bye week matchups will take place on the road, and winning could be crucial if the Longhorns want to extend their season into the 2025 College Football Playoff.