Texas is squarely in the hunt for a College Football Playoff bid heading into conference championship Saturday. And the Longhorns will also play for a title in their first SEC season.
After moving over from the Big 12, the Longhorns went 11-1 in the regular season, with the lone loss coming against Georgia earlier in the year.
Texas will get a chance to avenge that loss Saturday in the SEC title game, where the Longhorns will face the Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The SEC title game is important for both teams’ respective CFP hopes, so let’s take a look at the playoff scenarios for Texas heading into Saturday’s game.
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Is Texas in the College Football Playoff?
Yes, even before the SEC championship game in Atlanta kicks off, Texas is essentially assured of a spot in the 12-team field. In the committee’s penultimate rankings ahead of Championship Saturday, Texas checked in as the No. 2 overall seed behind Oregon.
That means that if the season were to end this week, the Longhorns would receive a first-round bye. But let’s take a look at what Texas’ CFP future might hold with a win or a loss in the title game.
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Texas playoff scenarios
Texas wins SEC championship game
- With a win in Atlanta, Texas will be guaranteed a playoff spot, in addition to a first-round bye.
- The Longhorns could even climb as high as No. 1 overall, depending on what happens with Oregon in the Big Ten title game.
With Texas’ current No. 2 ranking, the Longhorns are already in great shape to earn a bid regardless of what happens Saturday.
With a victory over Georgia, the committee could consider moving Texas over Oregon. But that may depend on what happens in the Big Ten title game Saturday night. If the Ducks lose to Penn State, Texas reaching the No. 1 spot seems plausible. If Oregon beats the Nittany Lions, the Ducks could retain that spot, depending on how the game goes.
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Texas loses SEC championship game
- With a Texas loss to Georgia on Saturday, the Longhorns are almost certainly still in the College Football Playoff.
- A loss likely puts Texas between No. 5 and No. 8, and the Longhorns would still get to host a first-round home game.
Even if the Longhorns still can’t get past the Dawgs, a bid is still on the table for Texas. It just will come without a first-round bye.
With a loss, the Longhorns can still comfortably host a home first-round playoff game, landing somewhere between the No. 5 seed and the No. 8 seed.
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College Football Playoff bracket 2024
Texas may have the least stressful CFP outlook of any team going into conference championship Saturday.
No matter the result against Georgia in the SEC title game, the Longhorns are all but locked into the 12-team playoff field. Still, Texas would obviously prefer to have a first-round bye, and a win Saturday should put the Longhorns firmly in the top four.
