Texas slid seven spots to No. 17 in the latest CFP rankings after a blowout loss at Georgia, leaving the Longhorns with slim playoff hopes and needing back-to-back wins — plus outside help — to stay in the race.
The Texas Longhorns took a major hit in the latest College Football Playoff Top 25, tumbling seven spots after a lopsided road loss to the Georgia Bulldogs.
In Tuesday night's rankings release, Texas dropped from No. 10 to No. 17 following its 35-10 defeat in Athens.
Georgia, meanwhile, climbed from No. 5 to No. 4, boosted by Alabama's loss at home to Oklahoma.
With three losses already on the books, the Longhorns' margin for error is now gone.
The best Texas can finish in the regular season is 9-3, which would require winning out - starting with Arkansas this Saturday at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium and then a Black Friday showdown in Austin against the No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies on Nov. 28.
Even if Texas closes 9-3, it will need significant help elsewhere to sneak into the 12-team playoff field.
According to ESPN's FPI, the Longhorns currently have just an 18.3 percent chance to make the postseason bracket. If they were to pull it off, it would mark the program's third straight CFP appearance, but that now sits firmly in long-shot territory.
Inside the locker room, the message is simple. Focus on what can be controlled.
"Arkansas is the most important game coming up," running back CJ Baxter said. "Everything is still in front of us, but it doesn't matter if we don't handle business today and the rest of the week and then on Saturday. So really, just Arkansas is the most important game. I said it last week. I know I say the same stuff, but that's just what we preach on, today is the most important day."
For Texas, that means turning the page quickly from the Georgia loss, tightening up the issues that have plagued the team in recent weeks, and treating the final two games as elimination matchups.
With a top-three rival coming to Austin to close the regular season, the Longhorns still have opportunities to make a statement, but their path now depends on style points, chaos above them in the rankings, and zero more missteps.
For now, Texas remains in the CFP conversation, but from the outside looking in.
College Football Playoff Top 25 Rankings
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Indiana Hoosiers
- Texas A&M Aggies
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Oregon Ducks
- Oklahoma Sooners
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- BYU Cougars
- Utah Utes
- Miami Hurricanes
- Vanderbilt Commodores
- USC Trojans
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
- Texas Longhorns
- Michigan Wolverines
- Virginia Cavaliers
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Illinois Fighting Illini
- Missouri Tigers
- Houston Cougars
- Tulane Green Wave
- Arizona State Sun Devils