In this week's interview edition of The Flagship Podcast, we talk to former USC and NFL quarterback and host of The Sean Salisbury Show (6-10 am CT weekdays on 790 in Houston) about his friend Steve Sarkisian's hire at Texas.

Salisbury, who left USC after the 1985 season as the school's all-time leader in pass completions (346) and yards gained (4,481) before a 10-year pro career in the NFL with a CFL Grey Cup Championship mixed in (1988), talks about his initial reaction when he heard Sarkisian had been hired at Texas.

Salisbury talks about how things might've come too easily for Sarkisian as a head coach at Washington and USC before being humbled and how working his way back up after stints in the NFL (with the Atlanta Falcons) and under Nick Saban at Alabama have primed him for this opportunity at Texas.

Having been a head coach at a blueblood program like USC and having been the offensive play-caller for a national championship team at Alabama, Sarkisian knows the expectations at a place like Texas, Salisbury said.

"Sark knows eight wins isn't good enough and that if it's nine wins, those wins better include a win over Oklahoma and not another loss to TCU," Salisbury said.

Salisbury said Sarkisian knows at places like Texas, USC and Alabama, "it's not enough just to win the conference title. It's about getting to the Final Four and having a chance to win it all." 

Salisbury even provides a timetable for Sarkisian to reach the College Football Playoff.

As a former NFL quarterback who continues to coach young quarterbacks through the Let It Rip QB School, Salisbury breaks down why Sarkisian is such a special play-caller and why his matchups with OU's Lincoln Riley should become legendary.

Salisbury talks about what Texas quarterbacks Casey Thompson and Hudson Card are having to digest right now in spring football in terms of the volume of Sarkisian's offense and how they should be approaching things.

"If your offensive coordinator or play caller missed a game, because of an illness or emergency, could you as the quarterback be able to call the game?" Salisbury said. "If the answer is no, you're not studying hard enough."

This is a can't-miss interview edition of The Flagship Podcast.

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