WATCH: Steve Sarkisian’s weekly press conference

For the first time in more than two decades, the No. 8 Texas Longhorns and the Houston Cougars will square off, sharing a conference for the first time since the Southwest Conference disbanded in 1996.

There’s an old rivalry rekindled, with new stakes, as Texas has said that the likelihood of playing in-state Big 12 teams following the SEC move is low. For the Cougars, it means they have one more shot to get a win over the Longhorns for the first time in three decades, sending them out with a loss. On the other sideline, Texas is coming off of a tough loss to the Oklahoma Sooners heading into the bye week, using the time to get healthy and to square itself away for the next sprint in the Big 12.

The Cougars’ last-second win over the West Virginia Mountaineers does Texas a big favor in the race for Arlington, so Texas needs to take care of its own business for the rest of the year to get a shot at a rematch. But that march starts with a Houston team licking its chops to ruin the Longhorns’ season in their last matchup.

Steve Sarkisian addresses the media ahead of the conference showdown.