Texas Longhorns Send Strong Message to Playoff Committee After Dramatic Win Over Aggies
In a stunning turn of events, No. 16-ranked Texas defeated No. 3 Texas A&M 27-17, sending shockwaves throughout the College Football Playoff picture. The victory has catapulted the Longhorns into contention for a spot in the coveted playoff field.
Coach Steve Sarkisian's bold statement to the CFP committee after the game underscores his team's determination to be recognized as one of the best in the country. "If you really look at the body of work and you look at the Southeastern Conference and what we have to go through every week, you look at the non-conference schedule we play to go to Ohio State in week one and lose by seven when we outgained them by nearly 200 yards...we got a really good football team and it'll be a disservice to our sport if this team's not a playoff team," Sarkisian said.
The Longhorns' impressive resume, which includes victories over No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 9 Vanderbilt, and now the previously undefeated Aggies, is being reevaluated by the committee. Their season has been marked by three losses to top-ranked programs, but the strength of their schedule and quality wins are beginning to gain traction.
The CFP selection committee's revised approach to measuring strength of schedule and record quality could be a major factor in Sarkisian's argument. The tweak rewards teams for facing tough opponents and reduces the sting of losses to elite programs. With this in mind, an early defeat at Ohio State is taking on less significance as Texas has accumulated high-quality wins.
The implications of Friday's victory are far-reaching, with the Longhorns' standing at 9-3 on the season now looking more solid than it did just 24 hours ago. As the CFP selection committee updates its rankings next week, Texas will be hoping to secure a spot in the playoff field alongside other top teams.
Under the current 12-team format, the committee's weekly rankings and final bracket will have a significant impact on determining which teams make the cut. With their season reaching its climax, the Longhorns are now firmly in contention for a chance to compete at the highest level.
In a stunning turn of events, No. 16-ranked Texas defeated No. 3 Texas A&M 27-17, sending shockwaves throughout the College Football Playoff picture. The victory has catapulted the Longhorns into contention for a spot in the coveted playoff field.
Coach Steve Sarkisian's bold statement to the CFP committee after the game underscores his team's determination to be recognized as one of the best in the country. "If you really look at the body of work and you look at the Southeastern Conference and what we have to go through every week, you look at the non-conference schedule we play to go to Ohio State in week one and lose by seven when we outgained them by nearly 200 yards...we got a really good football team and it'll be a disservice to our sport if this team's not a playoff team," Sarkisian said.
The Longhorns' impressive resume, which includes victories over No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 9 Vanderbilt, and now the previously undefeated Aggies, is being reevaluated by the committee. Their season has been marked by three losses to top-ranked programs, but the strength of their schedule and quality wins are beginning to gain traction.
The CFP selection committee's revised approach to measuring strength of schedule and record quality could be a major factor in Sarkisian's argument. The tweak rewards teams for facing tough opponents and reduces the sting of losses to elite programs. With this in mind, an early defeat at Ohio State is taking on less significance as Texas has accumulated high-quality wins.
The implications of Friday's victory are far-reaching, with the Longhorns' standing at 9-3 on the season now looking more solid than it did just 24 hours ago. As the CFP selection committee updates its rankings next week, Texas will be hoping to secure a spot in the playoff field alongside other top teams.
Under the current 12-team format, the committee's weekly rankings and final bracket will have a significant impact on determining which teams make the cut. With their season reaching its climax, the Longhorns are now firmly in contention for a chance to compete at the highest level.
They totally crushed those Aggies and now they're all like "Hey, we got game!" I think Coach Sarkisian is spot on about how important it is for teams to have a tough schedule, you know? Like, beating Oklahoma and Vanderbilt doesn't hurt their rep. And yeah, that Ohio State loss is gonna get old soon if the Longhorns keep racking up those Ws. The CFP committee needs to give them some love, 'cause 9-3 looks like a pretty solid record to me 
They really took this game by storm, didn't they? Texas is looking pretty solid right now, especially with that statement from Coach Sarkisian. It's clear they've got a good team and deserve some recognition. Whether or not the CFP committee agrees remains to be seen, but at least they're giving it a shot!
I mean, Sarkisian's bold statement is giving me life, like he's saying, "Hey, we may not have beat Ohio State, but we've been crushing it on our own schedule!" And yeah, three losses to top-ranked teams doesn't sound great, but the fact that they're playing such tough opponents is giving them some serious cred. I think this revised approach to measuring strength of schedule is gonna make all the difference for Texas. It's like, their resume is getting a major boost, and now they're definitely in the mix for those playoff spots. 
Their coach is speaking truth – all that non-conference schedule and a loss to Ohio State? That doesn't make them any less deserving of a spot than those other top teams. And let's be real, who hasn't lost to a top-ranked program? It's not like they didn't beat some solid opponents too 
The CFP committee is reevaluating their strength of schedule and that's good news for Texas because they've definitely been through the wringer this season 
Their schedule has been SO tough, but all those quality wins are talkin' now 
And Coach Sarkisian is straight fire 
He's not afraid to speak truth to power and make his case for the Longhorns. This win is gonna give 'em some serious momentum and I'm all about seein' Texas in the playoff field 
Go Horns!