Sep 15, 2026Sports208 words2 min read

Sarkisian: Ohio State Should Not Be Punished for Playing Texas

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Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has said Ohio State should be rewarded, not punished, for playing his team this season.

Ohio State lost a game against Texas earlier in the year.

Sarkisian believes the College Football Playoff committee should still value that game highly.

He thinks a tough loss against a strong team should help Ohio State's ranking ahead of the playoff.

The playoff committee chooses which college football teams get to compete for the national title.

Sarkisian argued that playing a difficult opponent shows a team's strength, even in defeat.

In a separate story, Texas quarterback Arch Manning has faced backlash after laughing at an AI-generated video.

The video featured Sarkisian and ESPN reporter Holly Rowe.

AI, or artificial intelligence, is technology that can create realistic fake videos or images.

Manning's reaction to the video was seen by some fans and online users as disrespectful.

This caused criticism directed at the young quarterback on social media.

Both stories connect to Texas football and involve Sarkisian, who leads the program.

The debate about rankings shows how coaches often try to influence how the playoff committee views their team's performance.

Meanwhile, the AI video controversy highlights how new technology is affecting sports culture and public reactions to athletes.

Vocabulary8 words

committee: a group of people who make important decisions
ranking: a position on a list showing how good a team is
artificial intelligence: computer technology that can act or create like a human
backlash: strong negative reaction from many people
playoff: a series of games to find the best team
quarterback: a key player who leads the offense in football
opponent: the team or person you compete against
controversy: public disagreement or argument about something

1. What does Sarkisian believe the playoff committee should do?

2. Why did Arch Manning face backlash?

3. True or False: The playoff committee decides which teams compete for the national title.

1. Reward Ohio State for playing Texas 2. He laughed at an AI video of Sarkisian and Holly Rowe 3. True

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has said Ohio State should be _____, not punished, for playing his team this season.

Ohio State lost a game against Texas earlier in the _____.

Sarkisian believes the College Football Playoff _____ should still value that game highly.

He thinks a tough loss against a strong team should help Ohio State's _____ ahead of the playoff.

The playoff committee chooses which college football teams get to compete for the national _____.

In a separate story, Texas quarterback Arch Manning has faced _____ after laughing at an AI-generated video.

The video featured Sarkisian and ESPN reporter Holly _____.

AI, or artificial intelligence, is technology that can create realistic fake _____ or images.

Manning's reaction to the video was seen by some fans as _____.

Do you think teams should be rewarded for losing to a strong opponent? Why or why not?
How do you think AI videos might affect athletes' public image in the future?
Should players be criticized for reactions to videos online? Why or why not?
What role do committees play in deciding sports rankings, and is this fair?