The Texas Longhorns just made things very interesting.
After Friday night’s upset win over No. 3 Texas A&M, the No.
16 Longhorns have officially shaken up the College Football Playoff conversation. And while the path to the postseason still looks narrow, the resume they’ve built this year is turning heads-including those of some high-profile analysts.
Let’s start with the facts. Texas now owns a 3-2 record against top-10 opponents.
That’s not just respectable-it’s rarefied air. Their two losses came on the road against No.
1 Ohio State and No. 4 Georgia, arguably the two most complete teams in the country.
But their wins? Those came against No.
14 Vanderbilt, No. 8 Oklahoma, and most recently, No.
3 Texas A&M. That’s three top-tier victories, capped by one of the biggest statement wins of the season.
Former Heisman winner Tim Tebow weighed in on Saturday morning, and he didn’t mince words: “There’s a real argument,” he said on SportsCenter. “They lost to the No. 1 team in the country.
They played five top-10 teams. When they played them, they’re 3-2, and the two losses are on the road.”
Tebow’s take is built around two key pillars: strength of schedule and current form. And he’s not wrong.
Texas didn’t tiptoe through the season-they charged headfirst into one of the toughest slates in the country. They’ve been tested, and more often than not, they’ve answered the bell.
Of course, the elephant in the room is the number three. As in, three losses.
No team has ever made the College Football Playoff with that many, and Texas’ early-season stumble against Florida still looms large. That game wasn’t just a loss-it was a missed opportunity, and in a playoff race this tight, every slip matters.
Still, there’s a growing sentiment-both among analysts and fans-that Texas shouldn’t be penalized for playing a brutal schedule. Their one-score loss to Ohio State in Week 1 showed they could hang with the nation’s best. And now, with a win over a top-three opponent to close the regular season, the Longhorns are peaking at the right time.
But here’s the reality: Texas doesn’t control its own destiny. With teams like Michigan, Vanderbilt, Utah, and Miami still ahead of them in the rankings-and only Michigan taking a loss this weekend-the Longhorns need help. The committee will have to decide how much weight to give Texas’ quality wins versus their three-loss record.
If recent performance matters-and it often does-then Texas just gave the committee something to think long and hard about. Their win over Texas A&M wasn’t just a rivalry victory; it was a playoff-caliber performance. And if the committee is paying attention to how teams are playing right now, Texas might have done enough to earn a seat at the table.
The final decision rests with the playoff committee. But one thing is clear: Texas isn’t just knocking on the door-they just kicked it open.