Urban Meyer and FOX Colleagues Call Out Steve Sarkisian for Texas Athlete's Vulgar Celebration: "Reflection of Your Coach"

Texas walked out of Neyland Stadium with a huge 20-17 win over No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday. But instead of only talking about the No. 1 Longhorns surviving their first SEC road game, much of the discussion afterward centered on Colin Simmons’ controversial celebration.

After the Texas defensive star appeared to urinate on the field during his celebration, Steve Sarkisian brushed it off as a “bad football play,” essentially suggesting there was little he could do about it after the fact. But the hosts of The Triple Option podcast, including Urban Meyer, were far less forgiving and put the responsibility directly on the Texas head coach.

“Colin Simmons… marking his spot at Neyland Stadium. Grow the f— up,” Rob Stone said on the Triple Option podcast.

The studio hosts quickly shifted the focus away from Simmons and toward Sarkisian’s handling of the situation. Three-time national champion Urban Meyer has a history of taking a hard line on player discipline. During his time at Ohio State, he suspended star running back Carlos Hyde for the first three games of the 2013 season after an off-field incident and also suspended star cornerback Bradley Roby for the season opener that year.

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That history helps explain why Meyer was so direct about Simmons.

“If I’m the head coach and I see that kid do that, he’s out. I’m suspending him,” Meyer said.

For Meyer, the issue was bigger than one celebration. He believes allowing a player to remain on the field without immediate consequences sends a message about the standards being enforced within the program.

Stone then turned his attention directly toward the Texas sideline.

“That’s on you too, Sark. Like, get your business in order,” Stone said. “We talked about it. You guys are kind of running around right now, and you are not displaying yourself as a No. 1-ranked team in the nation.”

Former Heisman winner Mark Ingram II also backed up that sentiment, calling the explicit display a direct “reflection of your coach.” The crew’s argument was that moments like this ultimately become part of the identity surrounding a program.

That puts Sarkisian in an interesting position. He has spent years building Texas into one of the biggest programs in the country, and the Longhorns entered this season with the expectations that come with being ranked No. 1.

At the same time, punishing Simmons heavily would come with an obvious on-field consequence. The defensive star was a major reason Texas escaped Knoxville with the victory, putting together what was arguably the best performance of his college career with a Texas-record five sacks. However, he also put the team in a difficult position with a costly penalty during a crucial third down.

A suspension or significant reduction in playing time would directly affect the Longhorns’ defense during a crucial stretch of the season, especially with Texas facing one of the toughest schedules in the country.

Sarkisian therefore has to decide how to address the incident without allowing it to become a bigger distraction around the team.

Simmons did not try to avoid the controversy after the game. He apologized for the celebration and admitted that he got caught up in the moment.

“I also do want to say I apologize for the celebration,” Simmons said. “I was definitely in that mode, feeling myself, but you know it happens.”

That apology, combined with Sarkisian’s initial response, gives Texas a chance to put the incident behind it. However, Meyer and the Triple Option crew clearly believe Sarkisian should have made it a lesson for the rest of the team.

Meyer has spent years coaching at the highest level of college football, including leading the 2007 Florida team that dealt with several off-field disciplinary issues. His argument is that when a player crosses the line, the head coach has to decide where that line is and how it will be enforced, regardless of how good the player is.

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