Oklahoma’s last-second 27-24 stunner over No. 1 Texas on Saturday was the kind of rivalry chaos college football lives for. The Longhorns blew a 10-point lead, the Sooners walked off with a field goal, and a game that looked like it should have been in Texas’ pocket turned into a brutal reminder that rankings don’t matter much when these two meet.
Still, the loss doesn’t slam the door on Texas’ College Football Playoff hopes. Not even close.
The CBS Sports College Football Playoff Forecaster still gives the Longhorns a 66.8% chance to make the field, even after the defeat to Oklahoma. That’s because Texas can still survive with a third loss and remain in the at-large conversation. A three-loss team has never made the 12-team playoff, but Texas would be the likeliest program to break that ground if it finishes 9-3.
The schedule leaves plenty of room for more drama. Four of Texas’ next five opponents are projected to be ranked in the Week 7 AP poll, and six of the final seven have spent time inside the top 16 this season. If the Longhorns don’t clean things up fast, Saturday may not be their last stumble.
But Texas also has something most teams can’t match: that Week 2 win over No. 5 Ohio State. That result still carries major weight and isn’t fading anytime soon.
At 10-2, Texas would almost certainly be safe. The CBS Sports CFP Forecaster gives a two-loss Longhorns team a 100% chance to make the playoff.
That would put Texas in a much stronger position than last year’s Vanderbilt team, which missed the 12-team field as a 2-loss SEC squad. Texas would bring a better win portfolio, with multiple victories over teams that should be in the CFP committee’s rankings if the Longhorns get to 10-2.
Even after the Oklahoma loss, Texas’ overall resume still looks strong. The Longhorns came into Week 6 with a big lead in the CBS Sports 138 resume ranking, and a neutral-site loss to an Oklahoma team that should land inside the top 40 next week won’t knock them far.
With the Ohio State win and the road victory at Tennessee in Week 4, Texas has built a resume with some real shine on it. After all the Week 6 results are sorted out, the Longhorns should still sit with a top-five resume.
That matters because the road ahead is loaded. If Texas takes more losses to teams like No.
9 Ole Miss, No. 17 Mississippi State, No.
14 Missouri or No. 14 LSU, those defeats won’t automatically wreck the profile.
The quality of the schedule gives the Longhorns a cushion other teams simply don’t have.
At 9-3, things get trickier, but Texas would still have a strong argument. If every SEC team ended up 9-3, only Oklahoma would rate ahead of Texas in season-long resume score. And even that scenario is complicated, since it would be a surprise if the Sooners reached Selection Sunday with only three losses.
The committee could get a real test if it has to compare a three-loss Texas team with a two-loss Big Ten team or a two-loss SEC team that played a much softer schedule. Based on the landscape heading into Week 6, Texas would rank ahead of possible two-loss Big Ten teams like UCLA, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Northwestern in a merit-based resume evaluation. Ohio State and Oregon, both with two losses, would sit slightly ahead of Texas.
Texas would also have a credible case against potential two-loss SEC teams such as Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia because of the gap in schedule strength. The SEC’s nine-game league schedule makes life tougher, but it also gives teams with three losses something to lean on.
For Texas, the foundation is already there. The Longhorns can afford the Oklahoma loss and still walk out of Week 6 with a playoff-caliber resume intact.
In Other News...
Ohio State Fans Have A Cheaper Way To Watch Todays Game
For Ohio State fans trying to follow todays game without leaning on cable, the options are more crowded than ever, but also a little more manageable if price is the main concern. The latest rundown of college football streaming services points viewers toward a handful of familiar platforms, including DIRECTV MySports, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo and Fox One, each offering a different mix of live channels, trial periods and monthly costs.
What makes this weeks viewing puzzle interesting is that the cheapest route is not always the most obvious one, especially when channel access can vary by service. For Buckeyes fans, the real challenge is matching the broadcast with a package that actually carries it, which is why the best value option may depend less on name recognition and more on which platform gives the easiest path to the game without forcing viewers into a pricier bundle. [Read more 🡒]
Former Michigan Star Just Reignited The Debate Ohio State Fans Love
Jake Butt briefly reopened one of the most familiar arguments in college football when he suggested in an interview that Michigans 2023 national championship carries an asterisk because of how the sign-stealing scandal has colored public perception. The former Wolverines tight end later took to social media to clarify that he believes those championships were real and earned, but the initial remark was enough to stir up a debate Ohio State fans never seem to tire of revisiting.
For Buckeyes followers, the timing only adds another layer to a rivalry that already lives on edge, especially with Michigan now trying to steady itself through coaching changes and uneven play since Jim Harbaughs departure. Even as Butt walked back the sharper edge of his comment, the larger issue remains unresolved: how much the scandal has damaged the way outsiders view a title that the program still claims as legitimate. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Freshman RBs Shrinking Role Now Carries A Bigger Concern
Legend Beys role in Ohio States backfield has already been sliding, and the freshman running back has not appeared in the last two games after seeing only limited action earlier in the season. For a program that keeps a close eye on the development and availability of every scholarship player, a young runner disappearing from the rotation is notable on its own, especially when the Buckeyes are trying to sort out depth behind the established options.
The bigger concern is what has been happening away from the field. Bey was reportedly cited for speeding and allegedly evicted from his apartment for nonpayment of rent, adding another layer of uncertainty around a player whose playing time has already been shrinking. It is still unclear whether those off-field matters are tied to his reduced role, and the coaching staff has not confirmed any connection, leaving the situation open as one more item to monitor around the Buckeyes. [Read more 🡒]