I know we're always talking about "Texas needs to win" in order to get better footing on the recruiting landscape these days, but to put it into sharp relief, here's what I was thinking about today.
Which one of these can Texas's current staff answer affirmatively on to a recruit:
1) We put players regularly into the 1st round of the NFL.
2) We make the playoffs ever.
3) We win national titles here.
4) We win conference titles here.
Now think about every other program that Texas is recruiting against for the elite players.
Bama, Clemson, LSU - those 3 teams can lay a claim to credibly stating all 4 of those talking points. Ohio State's current regime can credibly claim 1, 2, and 4, and arguably talk about 3 with credibility. Notre Dame and Oklahoma can easily lay claims to 1 and 2, and OU can claim 4 while ND can just offer up the "we're Notre Dame" defense, which speaks to the brand power in the vein of 4.
Who else is Texas banging heads with on the recruiting front? Oregon, North Carolina, Texas ATM, and Georgia. Maybe a little bit of Michigan and Florida mixed in. Oregon, ATM and Georgia cheat aggressively and they all put guys in the draft. Oregon played for a national title in the playoff era. Georgia regularly puts guys high in the draft, same for Florida.
Anyway, Texas needs a big year and arguably several in order to take away some of the objections they're facing right now on those 4 fronts. They also need to collect some style points on both sides of the ball while winning, because some of those other programs sure as shit are.
Win 10 games this year and win the conference title and compete to make the playoffs in 2022, and suddenly you're worrying about Bama, Clemson, OU, and Notre Dame with better credible arguments.
Meanwhile, Georgia hasn't won a national title in 40 years and counting. ATM in 82 years and counting. If Michigan can't win with Harbaugh, they ain't winning it all. Mack Brown will be dead, retired, or both by the time the 2023 class signs. Mullen isn't smuggling a national title trophy in his hunchback and will continue to be a paper tiger. LSU is a dumpster fire. Oregon has never won a national title and they're coached by a meatheaded imbecile who will continue to almost willfully lose games he shouldn't.
Sarkisian needs to narrow the field of competition and let nature take its course on Saban and Kelly by letting them die violently on the sidelines during old man fits of rage; figure out how to beat Riley regularly; and wait for the authorities to get wise to Ryan Day's pedophilia proclivities.