Steve Sarkisian Considering Major Texas Longhorns Schedule Changes

With the College Football Playoff selection impending, several teams prepare to meet their postseason fates.

The odds suggest that this selection won’t go in the Texas Longhorns’ favor, but Texas players and coaches seem to remain confident that their program is of a playoff caliber.

However, as head coach Steve Sarkisian said on SEC This Morning on the SEC Network, he isn’t oblivious to the fact that their Week 1 loss could be the one that prohibits them from getting a chance at a postseason run.

Sarkisian on nonconference schedules

Nov 1, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian leads his team on to the field before a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The Longhorns opened their 2025 season with a tight 14-7 loss against the Ohio State Buckeyes, who hold the No. 1 spot on the AP Poll and possess an undefeated record of 12-0.

Without this loss, Texas would be looking at a 10-2 record and a much higher chance of making the CFP bracket.

This reality begs the question of whether scheduling tough nonconference opponents is worth the large risk associated with it. Speaking from his own personal experience this season, Sarkisian appears to think it might not be.

"At that point, if we're just staring at a record, we've got to put ourselves in a better position to get a better record,” Sarkisian said.

It is worth noting that the Longhorns would also have a much stronger case had they not lost to the unranked Florida Gators to open the conference season, complicating the situation. Their season has been marked by high highs and low lows, but Sarkisian drew emphasis on the ways in which his team has succeeded instead of the ways in which they have fallen short.

"We've got to be mindful of the fact that we've played five top-ten ranked teams," Sarkisian said. "The next closest team that's ranked ahead of us has played two. There's multiple teams in front of us that have played none."

What the committee will have to do is determine if their best wins outweigh their worst losses, which will require consideration regarding the strength of their schedule.

Sarkisian and the Longhorns, on the other hand, will be forced to make difficult decisions regarding Texas’ future scheduling.

Reconsideration of future schedules

The Longhorns are set to host the Buckeyes on Sept. 12, 2026, a game that now seems much riskier than it likely did at the time that it was scheduled. When asked if he would consider out-of-conference scheduling changes, Sarkisian responded affirmatively.

"I think we have to,” Sarkisian said. “At the end of the day, now we're going to nine conference games."

Since the conference season will be extended by one game next year, Texas’ schedule is set to be even more difficult in terms of CFP selection. Ultimately, the Longhorns’ decisions regarding their future schedules will likely be contingent on what happens next week with the selection committee.

In the meantime, they will continue to hope that they can make the 12-team bracket and have their third consecutive opportunity at a title run.