Sitting at 9-1 overall and as the No. 3 team in the country, many believe that the Texas football team is a virtual lock to make the College Football Playoff, but Greg McElroy is not so sure, as he laid out a scenario in which the Longhorns miss out.
“I think based on Texas’ resume, there is that Texas does not have a Power 5 win over a team above .500 in the event in which they lose to Texas A&M next weekend,” Greg McElroy said, via Always College Football. “Which means Texas is currently sitting at No. 3, but if they lose to Texas A&M, we have already seen the committee use precedent of dropping teams eight plus spots. Georgia, after they lost to Ole Miss, they dropped nine spots. BYU, they’ve dropped eight spots. These are things that have happened already. I think Texas has to win out to guarantee themselves a playoff spot. Sounds crazy to many to think a team that’s ranked No. 3 is potentially in playoff mode the next two weeks, but that’s where I think the world is.”
It is a good point by McElroy, as Texas football does not have a win over one of the top teams in the country. They have dominated teams like Michigan, Oklahoma, and Florida, but those three are having down years for their standards. The biggest game on Texas’ schedule was against Georgia, and they got dominated in a 30-15 loss.
Texas will close the season with two games against Kentucky at home, and then the last regular season game will be against Texas A&M on the road. Winning those two games would make the Longhorns a virtual lock to make the playoff, and a win on the road over Texas A&M would especially be a big win for their resume.
The good news is also that Texas is currently in first place in the SEC, so they have a great chance of playing in the SEC Championship game. Making that game, and potentially winning it against a team like Texas A&M, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama or Ole Miss would give the Longhorns another resume-building win. Not only would that secure a spot in the playoff, but it would help maximize Texas’ seed in the postseason. It will be interesting to see how Texas fares in these big games that loom for them in the coming weeks.
