Steve Sarkisian has immense relief after seeing his No. 1 Texas Longhorns escape with a big 20-17 road win over the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday afternoon.

Sarkisian has been the Longhorns' coach since 2021, elevating them to become one of the best programs in the country. Having led them to the CFP semifinals in 2024, he looks to get back on that level of success after missing out on the 2025 edition.

Texas remains undefeated to start the 2026 campaign, improving to 4-0 after beating Tennessee. The No. 14 Volunteers certainly gave the No. 1 Longhorns a tough test, which Sarkisian discussed in his postgame press conference.

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“it's a crazy deal. You give up a punt return, you give up an onside kick, and next thing you know, you're fighting to finish a game, which we were able to do. So proud of our team. It's always never easy in the Southeastern Conference going on the road against a good team like that in this environment. And what an incredible environment that Tennessee had today in Neyland Stadium. I thought the guys fighting through all that was a good win, and I think the bye is coming at a good time for us. We got to get healthy here. We're a little banged up right now,” Sarkisian said.