Texas' impressive wins against ranked opponents and strong defensive showings position them for a significant playoff climb. Can they conquer Georgia and Texas A&M?
The Texas Longhorns are the No. 11 ranked team in the country per the College Football Playoff rankings. They have plenty of potential to move up the polls.
The Longhorns have played three playoff-ranked teams in 2025 in No. 1 Ohio State, No. 12 Oklahoma and No. 16 Vanderbilt. They went 2-1 against those teams with a seven-point loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Texas' lone ranked loss was impressive on one side of the ball. It held Ohio State to 206 yards in the 14-7 road defeat. In the context of the season, it gives the impression Texas has a high upside should it make the playoff.
The above data points brought Texas up to No. 11 in the playoff rankings, but the team could make a significant statement in its last three games. Texas plays No. 5 Georgia on the road before it takes on No. 3 Texas A&M in Austin.
The best-case scenario is Texas finishes the season with a 10-2 overall record, with a 4-1 record against CFP Top 25 teams. Should Texas win out, it would have beaten No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 5 Georgia, No. 12 Oklahoma and No. 16 Vanderbilt with a lone ranked loss to No. 1 Ohio State by one score on the road.
Put simply, the above resume is going to be tough for most teams to match. It's uncertain anyone will be able to top it.
Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Caden Curry (92) pressures Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) during the second half of the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. Ohio State won 14-7.Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesThe Longhorns would almost certainly vault ahead of No. 10 Notre Dame, who simply has not had the resume-building wins other playoff teams have. Then there's Oregon, whose signature win is against a Penn State team that moved on from its head coach James Franklin. 10-2 Texas might pass the Ducks even if Oregon gets to 11-1.
It goes without saying that a Texas team with four Top 10 wins at the time of the game, should Texas add victories over Georgia and Texas A&M to Oklahoma and Vanderbilt, should leap-frog a one-loss BYU or Texas Tech. It's uncertain if 8-1 Texas Tech will knock off undefeated BYU, but should both have a loss, Texas probably jumps both to get as high as No. 7 in the rankings.
Then there's the Top 6. Texas would likely pass Georgia should they win the tiebreaker in Athens. Ole Miss, Alabama and Texas A&M would still be vying for a spot in the SEC Championship. Barring an Ole Miss SEC title, Texas could move past the Rebels.
Realistically, barring chaos, it's difficult to see Texas finishing ranked higher than No. 5. Even so, that it's within the realm of possibility speaks to the opportunity ahead for a Texas team that underperformed early in the year. The Longhorns will look to win out to stake their claim at home field advantage in the College Football Playoff first round.