Can the Longhorns make the College Football Playoff? Late-night results could help the Horns

Hayden Victoria

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Can the Longhorns make the College Football Playoff? Late-night results could help the Horns image

Championship Saturday is almost over, and the Texas Longhorns still have a slim chance to rise in the College Football Playoff rankings. The No. 13 Longhorns entered the weekend needing assistance from several title games, and as we approach halftime in multiple matchups, the results are still looking favorable for them.

Texas Longhorns' CFP resume depends on late-night games

Ohio State leads Indiana 10–6 at halftime in the Big Ten Championship, while Duke holds a 14–7 advantage over Virginia in the ACC title game. Both results, if they have, could indirectly aid Texas’s resume before Sunday’s final playoff selection show.

Texas improved to 10–3 after closing the regular season with a strong SEC slate, winning six of its last seven games, three against CFP top-15 opponents and two versus top-10 teams. The Longhorns’ case hinges on other programs faltering in their final auditions.

Georgia defeated Alabama in the SEC Championship. The committee is expected to rank three-loss Texas ahead of a three-loss Crimson Tide. Social chatter is now fully underway. 

Elsewhere, Texas Tech ended any chance of BYU jumping into the playoff discussion, cruising past the Cougars 34–7 at AT&T Stadium. The two-loss Cougars are projected to fall behind Texas in Sunday’s final ranking.

An Ohio State victory over Indiana may confuse some fans, but it would boost Texas’ strength of schedule after the Buckeyes’ early-season win over the Longhorns. That August loss, 14–7, carried no SEC implications and remains one of the few blemishes on Texas’ record.

A Blue Devils win would secure their conference bid, keeping Virginia, ranked No. 16, from bumping a higher-ranked team like Texas out of the five-spot hierarchy reserved for top conference champions.

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Staff Writer