BYU's Ranking Above Texas in Final CFP Standings Prove Committee's Inconsistency

The Texas Longhorns have officially missed the College Football Playoff, which was to be expected.

Their odds of its selection were low due to accumulating three regular-season losses and because of the strength of their schedule.

That being said, being ranked below the BYU Cougars in the CFP Top 25 feels a little less expected and maybe even a bit insulting.

BYU finishes in front of Texas

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian pauses during the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The Longhorns defeated three top-10-ranked opponents this season, but their losses against the Ohio State Buckeyes, Florida Gators, and Georgia Bulldogs ultimately kept them out of the bracket. This, in and of itself, is controversial, but it makes sense to at least some extent.

However, being ranked below a team with a schedule like that of BYU is a tough pill to swallow.

The Cougars beat just one ranked opponent this season, narrowly taking down the Utah Utes with a final score of 24-21. Utah did not beat a single ranked opponent all season long.

The rest of their victories were relatively unimpressive, especially compared to some of the other playoff-caliber teams.

They did establish a better final record than the Longhorns, finishing at 11-2. That being said, both of these losses were handed to them by the only team they played in serious playoff contention: the Texas Tech Red Raiders, by a combined 46 points.

The Red Raiders dominated the Cougars in both the regular season and in the Big 12 Championship, and their dominance in the conference helped them earn the No. 4 spot in the bracket.

This complete flop in their conference championship landed them the No. 12 spot on the CFP Top 25 rankings, one position higher than the No. 13 Longhorns.

This year’s playoff bracket has raised serious questions about the weight of the strength of certain teams' schedules when it comes to playoff selection.

The fact that the Cougars were more serious contenders for a postseason run than the Longhorns is telling, and it will probably have a lasting impact on the way in which teams plan their non-conference schedules.

At the end of the day, missing the playoffs could serve as a wakeup call for this year’s Texas team. Room for losses against unranked teams doesn’t exist, no matter how impressive a team’s wins are.

Both the Longhorns and the Cougars will play in bowl games and watch the CFP from home this season, but they could both make stronger campaigns for selection in 2026.