Colin Simmons didn’t leave much room for interpretation Thursday in Tampa.
As Texas wrapped up SEC Media Days, the Longhorns’ star edge rusher and Dallas native was asked a simple what-if: if Texas had squeezed into the College Football Playoff last season, would it have won the national title? Simmons didn’t blink.
“Hell yeah, of course,” said Simmons, a first-team All-SEC selection and a second-team All-American pick in 2025. “If we would’ve made the playoffs, I definitely feel like that chip that we had on our shoulders, we would have took it, and we would’ve ran with it.”
It was a bold answer, especially with Arch Manning drawing most of the spotlight at the event. But Simmons may have delivered the most pointed quote of the day from anyone wearing burnt orange.
The backdrop is straightforward. Texas finished last season with nine wins and three regular-season losses, which left the Longhorns on the outside looking in when Selection Sunday arrived. There had been some chatter that Manning and Texas might still sneak into the field as the bracket took shape, but the door never opened.
Instead, Texas closed the year by beating Michigan in the Citrus Bowl to finish with double-digit wins.
Simmons, though, made it clear he believes that team would have been built for more if given the chance to play in the playoff.
Asked Collin Simmons if Texas had been able to squeak into the playoff last year, would they have won it all: "Hell yeah, of course. If we would've made the playoffs, I definitely feel like that chip that we had on our shoulders, we would have took it, and we would've ran with…
- 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 23, 2026
For now, it’s all hypothetical. But Texas is back in the kind of conversation that comes with big expectations, and Simmons’ answer only added to that buzz as the Longhorns head into another season with title hopes hanging over them.
There’s also the possibility that Simmons gets to back up his confidence on the field this time around, with Texas pushing toward a Playoff berth and a shot at the 2026 national championship.
Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about Texas’s chances to not only make the Playoff but win the whole thing in January:
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