The Texas Longhorns are right back in the College Football Playoff conversation. They pulled off an impressive 31-24 win over the Ole Miss Rebels last weekend in Austin, just one week after suffering what appeared to be a crippling loss to the Florida Gators.

Well, how their fortunes changed.

Steve Sarkisian’s team is back on the edge of the playoff bubble, and Texas has plenty of opportunities left to push itself squarely into the field. A huge road game against Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers looms later this year, along with a trip to Missouri. Those games give the Longhorns a chance to impress the playoff committee and almost certainly get in if they can finish at 10-2. With all the chaos around the sport, even a 9-3 finish might not rule Texas out.

The Longhorns must first take care of business against Mississippi State

Of course, first things first. One week after defeating Ole Miss 31-24, Texas hosts another team from the Magnolia State this week, this time welcoming Jeff Lebby and the 4-3 Mississippi State Bulldogs.

This game suddenly looks a lot more manageable for the Longhorns. Big news dropped this week that Mississippi State starting quarterback Kamario Taylor will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his toe.

That explains why the sportsbooks set the point spread at roughly three touchdowns. Texas should win this one, even in an unpredictable 2026 college football season.

The Longhorns have a number of important games to watch this week, with a big one in Los Angeles

As October winds down, Longhorn fans can start cheering for results that shape the field of playoff contenders in the most favorable way for Texas.

Two games in Los Angeles this weekend could affect the Longhorns’ chances, and one has at least a realistic chance of going Texas’ way. The first, and more important, is No. 2 Ohio State against the USC Trojans. This is an interesting one, as Texas’ resume would benefit from Ohio State being as good as it can be, given their 24-23 win over the Buckeyes in Week 2. Some Texas fans might be on the Ohio State bandwagon this year because of that.

However, with Julian Sayin out indefinitely, the Buckeyes could be vulnerable to lose (perhaps multiple times), and a second loss would likely drop them below a two-loss Texas. And if they end up right by each other in the CFP rankings, the committee has shown a willingness to honor head to head, as we saw last year with Miami and Notre Dame. Also, the committee will be impressed with Texas’ win, regardless of if Ohio State finishes 11-1, 10-2, or even 9-3.

The other game in Los Angeles features No. 7 UCLA hosting Nevada. The undefeated Bruins are playing without starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Even so, they’ve continued to move the ball and win games, as they did last week in a 28-10 victory over Michigan State.

Nevada, at 3-4, likely won’t be anything more than a speed bump for UCLA. The Bruins enter the game as 22-point favorites. But you never know in this sport. For rooting purposes, this is one where Longhorn fans should hope to see the Bruins get tripped up, either against Nevada or at some point later in the season. Every undefeated team that stumbles opens a little more room on the bubble for Texas.

SEC title game isn’t out of the picture, and Florida could help Texas

Forget an at large spot. What if a 10-2 Texas team makes it to Atlanta? It’s still in the cards.

Georgia plays Florida there this weekend, and a Gator win could do two things. Despite the Gators having the head to head over Texas, a Florida win would open the door further for the Longhorns to get into the SEC title game, with Georgia joining the fray of teams with two SEC losses. It would also make the Horns’ loss to Florida — who still has to go to Kentucky — look that much more forgivable in an at large context.

Missouri beating Arkansas and Ole Miss beating Auburn would do more window dressing for the schedule and strengthen the Longhorns’ resume in the process.

Top 10 teams have some notable matchups

The Indiana Hoosiers falling to 10-2 would be a good result for a 10-2 Texas, as the Longhorns hold the Ohio State trump card over IU, who lost the Buckeyes on Oct. 17. Indiana hosts a scrappy Minnesota team this week. A Gophers win would help.

Cincinnati just knocked Texas Tech from the unbeatens. They could do it again this week as they host undefeated Utah. A Utah loss would mean someone among BYU or Utah would fall to a two-loss team when they play next week, an ideal scenario for a number of two-loss teams, including Texas. Speaking of BYU, they host Arizona State. Not a likely spot for an upset, but not impossible with a 16.5-point spread.

The Miami Hurricanes travel to North Carolina. The Canes are 14.5-point favorites and thus in a strong spot, too. But a loss to UNC and Notre Dame could put the Canes in a shaky spot absent an ACC title.