Texas doesn’t have a talent problem. It has a TikTok problem.
You've heard of "DBU." Well, meet "TikTok U." That's Texas.
Do the Longhorns want to become national championships, or would they rather be content creators?
That’s the question Steve Sarkisian must ask his No. 1-ranked team this week during an open date.
Sarkisian blamed the “Hey, look at me!” nature of society after his team generated two viral moments with vulgar celebrations in a stressful 20-17 win at Tennessee, a game that came down to the final play. He’s not wrong about society. Everyone’s scrolling nowadays, seeing what
their preferred social media platform wants them to see.
Apparently, Texas uses social media for inspirations in absurdity.
Texas running back Raleek Brown said he got the idea for his crude touchdown celebration against Tennessee from TikTok, the bite-sized video scrolling platform beloved by Gen Z.
“I don’t know what (the celebration is) called,” Brown said. “Some TikTok dance.”
I’ll tell you what it’s called: More tomfoolery from a team that comes off as unserious, unfiltered and unfocused on what really matters.
Steve Sarkisian's job: Get Texas Longhorns to focus on the task, not TikTok
While celebrating in the end zone, Brown — how do I describe this in safe-for-work language? — ran his hand through his crotch, sniffed his hand, and pretended to pass out from the stench.
These apps have rotted our brains and convinced American college students that crotch odor is a flex. Brace yourselves, our future rests in their stinky hands.
Outrageous though Brown’s celebration was, it ranked second fiddle to Colin Simmons. Texas’ star pass rusher got flagged for a 15-yard penalty when he pretended to unzip his trousers and urinate after sacking Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon.
Simmons’ penalty might have taken points off the board for Texas. If not for his antics, Tennessee would’ve punted from deep inside its own territory and given Texas good field position. Instead, the Vols moved the chains on the penalty and flipped the field position.
“We live in the look-at-me society,” Sarkisian explained afterward, when asked about the penalty. “And all you guys have your Twitter accounts, and as fast as you can type something, (you do), because you want everyone to look at your account, and you get clicks. Well, that's the world that we live in.”
Fair point about society. Look around, and what do you see? Phone scrollers, everywhere. At the bar counter, on the airplane, heck, even at the beach, everyone’s head is bent forward, as the algorithms turn humans into phone zombies.
Sarkisian’s job, though, is to get his players to focus on ball instead of becoming consumed by their brand or distracted by the algorithms.
Tough to see a team like that winning the prize, unless the prize is social media virality and TikTok views.
Culture starts at top. It's on Steve Sarkisian to fix this
When you watched last year’s Indiana Hoosiers, did you see a team full of hot dogs? I don’t remember any crotch wafting or faux urinating from Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza. The Hoosiers seemed much more interested in the trophy than TikTok.
That attitude starts at the top of the organization. In this season’s opener, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti took aim at freshman Davion Chandler when he spiked the football.
“He’s not supposed to spike the ball,” Cignetti said. “Trying to look for reasons to play him, (and) he's giving me reasons not to.”
Indiana, you might recall, was one of the nation’s least penalized and most disciplined teams last season, en route to an undefeated record.
Texas lacks a quarterback like Mendoza, but its problems extend beyond Arch Manning being stubbornly average. Texas overflows with talent, but this just doesn’t look like a locked-in team, and Sarkisian doesn’t sound all that concerned about his team’s affinity for hijinks.
Two days after the Tennessee game, Sarkisian had a chance to address his team’s penalties and accountability at his weekly news conference. He offered a rambling quote. At one point in the word salad, he said, “We’re not perfect, and show me somebody who’s perfect. There’s been one of us on this planet that’s been able to be perfect.”
Who’s asking for perfection? Maybe, start by stopping the lewd celebrations.
In some of Sarkisian's more pointed comments, he called the antics "unacceptable."
"We've got to do a better job of celebrating with one another," he said. "The moment you start to demean the opponent, the flags come out."
College football players seek viral moments
I’m no prude. It’s possible I chuckled or smirked at the ridiculousness of the celebrations. Guffaws aside, Texas is fortunate its antics didn’t cost it the game.
This “Hey, look at me!” trend isn’t confined to Texas, by the way. Hours after Simmons and Brown went viral, Southern Cal’s Desman Stephens II made the Texas taunts look like the stuff of amateurs. Stephens put a vicious hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and then proceeded to celebrate, taunt the Ducks, high-five his teammates and otherwise act a fool while Moore got sent to the hospital.
OK, Mr. Stephens, here’s the attention you ordered. Enjoy your one-game suspension, and be thankful it wasn’t more.
Simmons and Brown didn’t hurt anyone while goofing off, and their celebrations don’t warrant suspensions. But, if the Longhorns continue with these stunts, that lack of discipline will catch up with them at some point.
Sarkisian and his team must look inward and consider the intent with this pricey and talented Texas roster.
Are Longhorns committed to pursuing greatness? Or, would they rather be "TikTok U."?
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's senior national college football columnist. Listen to his podcast, "College Football Unfiltered." Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas has a $50M roster and a TikTok mindset. That's a Steve Sarkisian problem
