Sarkisian: Preparing for the CFP 1st round is like making grandma's cookies

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Steve Sarkisian loves grandma's cookies.

The Texas head coach compared his team's approach to perhaps the biggest game in DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium history in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday to that of the secret recipe to everyone's favorite treat.

"We're going to lean into our experience of how we get prepared to play in these types of games, that it's win or go home," he said. "It's gone pretty well for us in the past, so it's kind of like grandma's cookies, I'm not going to change the ingredients on this one. I'm going to follow suit with what we've done."

The Longhorns are one of four programs in the country to host the inaugural first-round games of the expanded CFP. With the players getting a few days off last week during a schedule that effectively simulates a regular season bye week, the team will be back at it Monday afternoon like any other game week. Routines are important for consistent results, so Sarkisian doesn't want to mess with anything. It's not so much superstition as it is a proven way to get things done.

Sarkisian said they've played in plenty of big games the past two seasons, needing to run the table late last year and this year to get into conference championship games after midseason hiccups. He said the 2023 game against Texas Tech coming off a short week following Thanksgiving was a prime example of the team being in the right frame of mind for a game with that high of stakes. The Longhorns won 57-7.

The recipe for those delicious baked goods, which Sarkisian revealed his favorite was oatmeal before taking the next football-related question, just like the Longhorns' approach to postseason football, has been the same all along. To change it now wouldn't make grandma very happy.

Banks, Barron highlight AP All-Americans

The news organization announced Monday that Kelvin Banks Jr and Jahdae Barron led Texas on the Associated Press All-America Team with first-team selections.

Banks was a first-team tackle alongside Louisiana State's Will Campbell and Barron was a first-time cornerback with Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter from Colorado.

Alfred Collins' breakout season netted him a second-team selection as a defensive interior lineman with Oregon's Derrick Harmon. Sophomore Anthony Hill Jr., earned a second-team nod at linebacker with Oklahoma's Danny Stutsman and Pitt's Kyle Louis as the others.

Michael Taaffe was named a second-team defensive back.

Media members vote on the AP All-America teams, which is one reason why they sometimes vary from all-conference teams which are voted on by coaches. While Banks, Campbell and Barron were on the first-team all-SEC squad, Collins and Taaffe weren't included on the conference all-star list in any capacity.