Steve Sarkisian previews Texas’ Week 2 game vs. Michigan, talks importance of culture | SC with SVP

happy to welcome back to the show the Texas head football coach Steve sarkeesian Sark and the Longhorns have a big one Saturday at noon in an arbor against Michigan game day will be there in advance of the noon game you can see on Fox SAR I know it's a really busy week I'm sure you'd rather be doing a little film work but I'm grateful for you spend a little time with us on our show tonight well Scott I appreciate you having me on man it's uh awesome always a pleasure to be with you last year's your guys go down to Tuscaloosa week two and you beat Alabama and I understand that the team isn't all the same but there's certainly enough carryover that I wonder how much does that translate how much does a week two Road game against a big- Time opponent in a huge atmosphere uh sort of stay in the in the DNA and come with you as you head north to an arbor I think it's helpful um you know we've got 46 guys I was counting today that were on that trip with us last year that'll be with us this year in an arbor uh and I think it you know it goes to the prepar a side of it what does it take uh not only from a physical standpoint but a mental standpoint from a camaraderie standpoint you got to have the ability to play as a team and you get in these types of environments and it's going to have to take a team effort Saturday that was a night game down in teatown they're playing Dixie Land delight and all that stuff it's a noon game in an arbor which I'm not saying it won't be a hyped atmosphere I'm sure it will be but I'm guessing you if if I'm playing a game like this I'd rather kick it at noon is do it have any impact at all in terms of how you look at it it doesn't you know I I think of it like from this perspective when you when you really think about this this is the first time in the regular season of all of the history of college football that Texas has played in Michigan in the regular season that's nuts and only the second time check this out only the second time in the history of the schools history of ever playing one another the other time is the 2005 Rose Bowl so I don't think it really matters what time we kick off I just think it's going to be a great environment it's going to be a great day for college football I couldn't agree more I mean these are some of the you know biggest of Big Boy programs and they're sharing the field for 60 minutes so that's great fun in the big picture Shar for you guys this is just one of a of a rugged schedule as you transition to the SEC a lot was made of the fact you got to play Georgia after you play uh OU and obviously that's one of the the great rivalry games uh each year in the Red River Showdown but in terms of how you're looking at the totality your schedule from week one till as as far as it goes does being in the SEC at all Impact what you're trying to do week to week and how you go about it no it it really doesn't you know we feel like we built a roster and a team um that has great depth that's got physicality that's got size that has speed that that we can go compete in the SEC but I also really value these games early in the season because I do think these types of game serve as a really good barometer for us of kind of where we're at um what we need to do to continue to move forward naturally we we'd love to come out Victorious Saturday but this game's not going to Define us either you know we could come out on top and we still got a bunch of football to go left to be played we we could we could not find a way to win and that that doesn't mean thaty The Season's at a loss you know we got to get back in the horse and continue to ride and and get into that southeastern conference schedule but I think the beauty of it all is now with the 12 college football playoff you know you're not really going to get punished for playing these types of games anymore and I think it's going to be great for the sport as we move forward that I think more people are going to schedule these types of games early in the season that makes a ton of sense just like basketball right you always see the big time basketball teams play each other early because it's not like losing is going to be uh an Eliminator uh you're going to have plenty of Runway to get where you want to go um in in the in the big picture from you guys in terms of where your program is and where you're trying to go you you take a massive step last year clearly you get back to a playoff and now there's really only one more wrong on the ladder but often times in life s that last rungs the hardest one right cuz there's so little room to get better what's that process like for you dayto day week to week in terms of getting from where you are to where you want to get well I try not to forget where we came from right and and what what it took to get to the point where we're at now and that's building this culture that that we've created um that's recruiting the types of players that we've recruited not only the the physical attributes but the character that they possess um that's developing the leadership on our team that's having staff continuity we've got the same coordinators on our staff since the day we've arrived um so I think all those things we want to continue to build upon but but your spot on you know Scott I've been in that national championship game four times I've won two and I've lost two and and to get to the Pinnacle of our sport that that that final climb that final rung is is the most difficult one but I think if you can you know stay true to who you are continue to find the areas of where you can improve um and find a way to lean into your culture to win some of those tight games that you're going to have to win right nobody goes through a season unscathed uh where where they don't have to win you know close ball games and so we're going to have to do that as well this season I think that's where our cultures really got to kick in you used that word a number of times and I I wrote it down and underline it culture it's a buzz word in the sport but I I wonder in the age of portal and nil how how hard you have to work to protect it I was talking to coach locks at Maryland who I know you know well and he was talking about like yeah you want to get guys that are differen makers right and no one's going to be able to outspend the pockets at at at Texas but how do you balance sarc bringing in somebody CU like these are young people right and if somebody gets this amount and then somebody that's been there is like well I only got that that's a whole new thing to manage with young people they're not Pros in a sense but in the in another way they kind of are so what I'm asking is is how do you balance keep the balance of culture with the new era where we are clearly all in well we pour into it you know we do we do weekly activities you know that are dedicated at to culture building and we do that for the entire summer of June and July we do it all season long throughout training camp we do it we do a culture activity every Friday and we just try to get players engaged with one another we try to we try to get them to know one another we try to get them to have some empathy for one another and really what we're trying to create is a sense of love and connection um because I I think that you know love is the most powerful tool that we have um and to your point in this day and age of of transactional sport of of of nil and transfers and so on and so forth man if we can do something uniquely different than than most and and creating love in an environment in our in our team room and in our locker room and in our culture and that that to me that that is one of the most powerful things that we have going for us and so we don't back off of it we're probably really bullish about it um and I I appreciate the guys on our team the leaders on our team for the way that they've uh not only um adopted it and bought into the idea of culture but in my opinion they've our culture is better than I could have ever imagined and U super grateful for those guys for the time and effort that they're spending on it everything you're saying has value and it matters and I I buy into it as well but ultimately what your what your fan base would love is they'd love a dub on Saturday andn Arbor and I know that you and your guys heading north would love that uh every bit as much so great to visit with you and I hope somewhere down the road this year or wherever we can do it again all right you too Scott appreciate you guys hook him might turn how work a lot counting down the good times staring down the clock some Hallelujah [Music]