Two things needed to happen for Texas football to earn a Big 12 Championship berth.

Step one: Beat Baylor.

Texas took care of business on Friday. The Longhorns came from behind for the first time this season to bury the Bears 38-27. In the game, junior running back Bijan Robinson plowed through Baylor’s defense, rushing for 179 yards. Junior linebacker Jaylan Ford sealed the game with his interception in the fourth quarter — his sixth consecutive game creating a turnover.

With the win, Texas improved to 6-3 in conference play and 8-4 on the season, guaranteeing at least third place in the conference.

Step two: Kansas needed to beat Kansas State in the Sunflower Showdown. 

Going into Saturday, Kansas State had one more conference win than Texas, but the Longhorns narrowly scraped by the Wildcats in Manhattan 34-27, keeping Texas in the Big 12 Championship race. Because Texas held the head-to-head tiebreaker, a Kansas State loss to its in-state rival would have put the Longhorns on a trip to Arlington this coming Saturday.

With the implications spelled out, Texas players, coaches and fans gathered as Kansas fans on Saturday night hoping for a miracle. However, backup Wildcat quarterback Will Howard and All-American running back Deuce Vaughn picked apart the Jayhawks’ defense, topping Kansas 47-27.

While head coach Steve Sarkisian said after Friday’s game that he considered his 8-4 bowl-contending season a success, he said that he never wants to put his fate into someone else’s hands again.

“I think it was a lesson learned for us,” Sarkisian said Monday. “You want to control your own fate and we didn’t do that. We did it to ourselves.”

Texas had a chance to win all four of the games that mar its record. Combined, the Longhorns lost to Alabama, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and TCU by 18 points. In two of those games, Texas led by double digits at halftime.

Against TCU, Texas held the Horned Frogs to three points at the half. At the time, TCU was ranked third in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision in scoring offense and fourth in total offense. Texas’ defense accumulated 14 tackles for loss, five sacks and a fumble recovery touchdown, courtesy of Ford and junior defensive back Jahdae Barron.

However, Texas’ offense didn’t score a single touchdown.

“Against TCU, I just wish we would have played better,” Sarkisian said. “I wish I had done a better job of preparing ourselves to play.”

With a bowl game on the horizon, Sarkisian has begun looking forward to next season. His goals include focusing on the passing game and being more efficient on third down, among making it to a Big 12 Championship. To start planning, Sarkisian will meet with every player on his roster to discuss their plans for next season and whether or not they will participate in the bowl game.

Sarkisian said that he hates that his players have to make the choice between being healthy for the NFL Draft and playing a last game with your team.

“You’ve done well enough in the regular season to earn the right to play in a bowl game and have that experience,” Sarkisian said. “To get forced with a decision like that, I hate it for them.”

While he has some regrets about the season, and learned Saturday that he never wants to put his team’s fate into another program’s hands again, he said he loves coaching and is proud of the strides the team has made this season.

“I walk in our building every day with a sense of ‘I can’t wait to get to work again,’” Sarkisian said. “I’m so fortunate and blessed to have this opportunity. I do not take it lightly for a second.”