Texas says ESPN’s technical difficulties are why Steve Sarkisian blew off Holly Rowe

A Texas representative stated to The Athletic’s Christopher Kamrani that ESPN experienced technical difficulties during the game, which influenced Steve Sarkisian's attitude towards Holly Rowe post the match. Texas trailed by 17 points in the fourth quarter before overcoming the deficit with 21 unanswered points, sealing the victory with a touchdown from Holly Smothers with mere seconds left after Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin was intercepted on a final Hail Mary attempt.

ESPN's Chris Fowler assigned Rowe to report from the field, and Sarkisian interrupted her as she began her first question, exclaimed "That's called Texas fight!" twice, raised the "Hook 'em Horns" sign, and proceeded towards his teammates. Rowe continued holding the microphone, followed him for a step, halted, rolled her eyes at the camera, and exited in the opposite direction.

The interview between Sarkisian and Rowe was brief. This marked the second incident where Sarkisian and the ESPN on ABC crew failed to connect during a broadcast. Laura Rutledge, a sideline reporter, noted that Sarkisian declined the interview during halftime, explaining that he had been waiting for a while due to technical issues.

She extended an apology to Sarkisian, adding that they hoped to get him out before the break. Fans expressed strong criticism of Sarkisian on social media, although a more lenient interpretation suggested that Sarkisian might have declined the interview again after experiencing technical difficulties once more. ESPN has yet to release any statement regarding the postgame interview and has not confirmed whether the equipment malfunctioned for the second time during the game.