As hard as Saturday's 27-24 loss to rival Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout was to swallow, one expert thinks it could be the best thing to happen to Steve Sarkisian's 2026 Texas Longhorns. Former coach Mack Brown thinks it could be a blessing in disguise.
The Longhorns entire season has been thrown into doubt thanks to UT's second half collapse to the Sooners. Quarterback Arch Manning and coach Steve Sarkisian have come under heavy fire from national analysts and a large contingent of Texas fans. But Brown says losing forces change, and that could be the best thing that could happen,
"When you lose, you change," Brown said on the Stampede Podcast. "My conversations with the coaches when you're winning with an open date is, 'I'm a little concerned
here. We ought to look at that. This should get better.' After you lose, I'd walk in and say, 'I'm going to fire you if we don't get this fixed. Get it fixed and get it fixed now. I'm tired of it. I'm not putting up with it anymore. I told you to fix it and you didn't fix it."
Losing forces immediate change. That's why Texas' loss to Oklahoma could end up being the best thing for the Longhorns.#HookEm pic.twitter.com/Jblz1YxA7y
— THE STAMPEDE (@TheStampedeUT) October 13, 2026
Brown says the urgency caused by a big loss will make everyone from the coaching staff to the players will can make the team better than before.
"There's a different mentality with Sark in that staff meeting on Sunday than there was last week," Brown said.
Before the loss to OU, the Longhorns were the No. 1 team in the nation and undefeated. But there were warning signs all over the offense. Texas played one great quarter against Ohio State.
UT struggled against lowly UTSA and again had one really good quarter against Tennessee. But winning covers the cracks. After the Red River loss, those cracks are wide open and have to be fixed for UT to go on and have success.
"Now they're looking hard again at what you do," he said. "Ohio State changed after the lost to Michigan (in 2024) and won a national championship."
Buckeyes coach has said that the loss to the Wolverines in the final 2024 regular season game was a blessing in disguise. A month later, OSU won the title.
"This may be, as painful as it is," Brown continued. "It may be the best thing that's ever happened. Because it's going to force change and it's going to force change immediately."
It will be a busy week on the Forty Acres as Sark tries to get the season back on track against the Florida Gators Saturday at 11am CT at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium.
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Former Longhorns coach Mack Brown: 'Losing forces immediate change'
