What does Texas need to make the College Football Playoff?

2023-12-03 05:22

Will the Texas Longhorns' impressive season be enough for a College Football Playoff berth?

After blowing out Oklahoma State in a lopsided Big 12 Championship Game, the Texas Longhorns have a path to the College Football Playoff still. However, Steve Sarkisian's team is anything but a shoo-in for the Top 4 in the final CFP rankings.

They need some help throughout the rest of conference championship weekend to get in, in fact.

In most previous years, a 12-1 Power 5 conference champion would be a lock to make the Playoff. This hasn't been a normal season, though. Four undefeated teams came into conference championship games in the final weekend before the Top 4 is finalized, all of which were ranked ahead of Texas.

Texas needs some chaos to make it into the Playoff or they will enter the postseason as a New Year's Six lock, but with no shot to win a national championship. There are never any certainties with the Playoff, but here's what the Longhorns need to get in.

What do the Texas Longhorns need to get into the College Football Playoff?

Perhaps the easiest path for Texas and what they need the most is for the Florida State Seminoles to fall to Louisville in the ACC Championship Game. Without Jordan Travis (or possibly Tate Rodemaker too), that seems at least plausible and an FSU loss would surely drop them out and put Texas in.

Of course, some would argue that Texas is better than Florida State and should be in over the Seminoles regardless of the outcome in Charlotte. However, if FSU completes a 13-0 season as a conference champion, that's a hard case for the committee to make.

Beyond that, it would also be beneficial for Georgia to hold serve and beat Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. Though Texas has a head-to-head win over the Crimson Tide, a Bama win over the No. 1-ranked team in the country could be enough ammo for the Selection Committee to have Nick Saban's group leap ahead of the Longhorns.

Oregon has already been removed from the equation with its loss in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Texas did their part by blasting Oklahoma State. But now they need some help to get into the Playoff for the first time.