Texas fans have seen this movie before, and Athlon Sports’ latest bowl projection would send them right back to the same painful ending.
The Longhorns are coming off back-to-back College Football Playoff trips, and while they missed the field last season, the expectations are still sky-high for this fall. Athlon’s way-too-early forecast keeps Texas in the national title race, but only for so long. In the projection, the Horns earn a first-round bye, knock off Oregon in the Cotton Bowl, and then run into Georgia again in the semifinals.
That would be a familiar collision. Texas lost to the Bulldogs in the SEC Championship game, and Athlon has the same result playing out in the Sugar Bowl in Atlanta, with Georgia sending the Longhorns home before the National Championship game.
Here’s how Athlon sees the playoff opening up:
CFP First Round projected matchups
No. 5 Indiana vs.
No. 12 Boise State
No. 6 Oregon vs.
No. 11 Texas Tech
No. 7 Miami vs.
No. 10 LSU
No. 8 Oklahoma vs.
No. 9 Texas A&M
Athlon has Indiana beating Boise State, Oregon taking down Texas Tech, Miami knocking off LSU, and Oklahoma ending Texas A&M’s season.
The quarterfinals, according to the projection, would look like this:
Fiesta Bowl: No. 4 Notre Dame vs.
No. 5 Indiana
Peach Bowl: No. 2 Georgia vs.
No. 7 Miami
Cotton Bowl: No. 3 Texas vs No. 6 Oregon
Rose Bowl: No. 1 Ohio State vs.
No. 8 Oklahoma
From there, Athlon says Notre Dame beats Indiana, Georgia handles Miami, Texas defeats Oregon, and Ohio State gets by Oklahoma.
That sets up the semifinal round with Texas facing Georgia and Ohio State meeting the winner from the other side. Athlon’s final call has the Buckeyes beating Georgia for the national championship.
For Texas, the good news is obvious: a projected CFP return would be a strong sign that the program is still positioned for another run. The bad news is just as clear. Another semifinal exit would mean another season ending one step short, and another reminder of how often Georgia has been the wall standing between the Longhorns and the title game.
If that scenario plays out, it would be more than just a repeat of the SEC Championship loss. It would also be another missed chance for Steve Sarkisian to get Texas into the National Championship game, a line plenty of people believe could help define his time on the Forty Acres.
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