Leaving the Longhorns out would punish ambition and weaken the sport.
Texas has played the kind of schedule the College Football Playoff claims to reward. The Longhorns have tested themselves in and out of conference, beaten multiple top opponents, and survived the grind of what is now the strongest league in the country. If the committee wants to preserve any trust in its own standards, Texas belongs in the playoff race. Steve Sarkisian said as much this week, and he is right.
The case is direct. Texas owns three wins over top 10 opponents, including head to head victories over two teams ranked ahead of the Longhorns in the current playoff standings. Texas A&M and Oklahoma both sit above Texas, even though Texas beat them on the field. That alone should raise questions about the consistency of the process. If games matter, then these games should matter most.
Their conference record strengthens the argument. Texas carries a 6–2 mark in the SEC, the nation’s deepest and most punishing league. Every Saturday in that conference is a fistfight. Texas not only held steady, it built one of the best resumes in the country during the stretch. The committee often praises teams that handle the toughest roads. Texas did exactly that.
Some point to the losses, but that misses the point. Two of Texas’s three defeats came against top five programs. Ohio State and Georgia overwhelm most of the teams they play. Texas showed up for those challenges instead of hiding behind a softer schedule. That is what fans say they want. That is what the sport needs. If the committee turns around and punishes Texas for scheduling tough, it undermines its own message.
And that is the danger. If Texas gets knocked for a non conference trip to Ohio State, there is no reason for Texas or anyone else to schedule matchups like that again. Athletic directors will hear the message. Coaches will, too. A tight loss to a heavyweight should not cost more than a safe win over an overmatched opponent. If Texas pays a price for that game, fans lose. The sport loses.
Texas also compares well to several teams ahead of it. Some lack marquee wins. Some played softer schedules. Some benefit from preseason expectations that stuck longer than they should have. Texas has the wins. Texas has the resume. Texas has direct victories over two teams ranked above it. The committee says head to head results matter. It says strength of schedule matters. It says tough wins matter. Texas checks every box.
Leaving Texas out would not only be unfair. It would send the sport backward. College football needs programs willing to take risks, schedule tough, and play anyone. It needs brands that elevate the entire landscape by embracing strong opponents. If Texas gets punished for doing everything the right way, fewer teams will follow that path.
This is the committee’s easiest decision. Reward the team that played real opponents. Reward the team that won real games. Reward the team that proved itself on the field. Texas earned its place in the playoff race, and the committee should make that clear.
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