Paul Finebaum delivered a surprising take on Wednesday’s episode of First Take. The longtime ESPN analyst said he believes the Texas Longhorns could still earn a playoff berth even if they finish with three losses, calling them the “wild card” in the SEC race.
Finebaum based his reasoning on Texas’ strength of schedule and close defeat to top-ranked Ohio State in Week 1.
“Yes, if of course they do what Heather [Dinich] alluded to and beat Texas A&M at the end of the season,” Finebaum said. “That would be one of the best wins of the year. And I know you don’t get in the Playoff because you have good losses, but tell me who has a better loss than Texas? A seven-point game at Ohio State in the opening weekend. We thought it was terrible, but in the end, it may have been a pretty decent performance.”
Finebaum said Texas’ resume could “dwarf anyone else” with three losses because of their high-end competition. “The one glaring error for them they lost at Florida that is going to haunt them otherwise in the SEC,” he added.
Ranked No. 10, Texas travels to No. 5 Georgia on Saturday before closing against Arkansas and No. 3 Texas A&M. Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning has fueled the surge with consecutive 300-yard outings, while their defense allows just 78.2 rushing yards per game.
If Texas can win out, Finebaum’s prediction may not be far-fetched. Even with potentially three losses, the Longhorns’ resume could make them one of the most compelling cases in the 12-team playoff era.
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