Texas’ move to the Southeastern Conference has rekindled an old rivalry once so intense that national championships hung in the balance and a U.S. president made a special trip to attend. The Texas-Arkansas border clash is a feud that in its heyday was as big as any in the country.

Matthew Golden wasn’t on the last Texas football team that faced Arkansas, which, to be honest, didn’t exactly go all that well for the boys in burnt orange. But word has filtered out, and he heard a distinct rumor in the locker room.

Uncertainty surrounded the Texas program in 2021 during Sarkisian's first year. Texas is now one of the most consistent and best-positioned teams in the sport.