Eleven months after his firing at USC, Alabama head coach Nick Saban brought on Sarkisian as an offensive analyst for the Crimson Tide. It was only a few months before he was back coaching, though. He took over as offensive coordinator on an interim basis after Lane Kiffin left for a job at Florida Atlantic.

The Texas Longhorns have officially earned the top spot in the preseason college football Coaches Poll for the first time in program history.