ESPN says Texas has ‘ample opportunities’ to impress the College Football Playoff committee this season
Most have the Texas Longhorns as the No. 1 overall team in the country in preseason polls. Steve Sarkisian’s bunch will have an opportunity right out of the gate to prove it, too.Texas opens the season August 30 at the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes. But, as ESPN’s Heather Dinich writes, the Longhorns desperately […]
Most have the Texas Longhorns as the No. 1 overall team in the country in preseason polls. Steve Sarkisian’s bunch will have an opportunity right out of the gate to prove it, too.
Texas opens the season August 30 at the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes. But, as ESPN’s Heather Dinich writes, the Longhorns desperately need to take care of business in the opener because the rest of the month isn’t exactly padding a resume.
“If Texas loses at Ohio State, there won’t be anything to separate the Longhorns as a true contender heading into October. Texas would likely have a 3-1 September start in that scenario with home wins against San Jose State, UTEP and Sam Houston,” Dinich said. “Style points will matter, but only so much against unranked, overmatched non-power opponents. That could come back to haunt it in the committee meeting room as the rankings play out – especially if some SEC opponents such as Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Arkansas don’t finish as CFP top 25 teams.”
But, the road is literally littered with opportunities for Texas to prove its worth.
“Texas has ample opportunities to impress the group with tough road wins at Ohio State, Georgia and Florida, plus its annual neutral-site game against rival Oklahoma,” Dinich said. “That’s the kind of lineup that will help separate the Longhorns from otherwise comparable teams.”
If Texas can get through this road stretch unscathed or manage just one setback, it has more than a puncher’s chance of getting into the CFP as a SEC champ or at-large bid.
“History tells us it’s better to lose early than late (See: Notre Dame vs. NIU),” Dinich said. “The Longhorns’ game at Georgia, though, comes at the most critical point in the season, when the conference standings and a guaranteed first-round CFP bye are within reach.”
Despite all the hype around Arch Manning and Texas, there are still some doubts.
“ESPN’s FPI projects Texas will win every game, and that’s not going to happen with a first-time starting quarterback – no matter what his last name is. There’s an extraordinary amount of pressure on Arch Manning, and while he could lead the Longhorns to the SEC championship, he’s going to need some margin for error along the way,” Dinich said. “Texas will have four new starting offensive linemen, and it is replacing its top three pass catchers from last season. The Longhorns are a playoff team – but there are too many questions heading into the season opener against Ohio State to declare them a preseason No. 1.”
