Rival Head Coach Surprisingly Defends Texas Longhorns' 2025 Resume After Playoff Snub

The Texas rival spoke on playoff expansion, defending both the Texas Longhorns and Vanderbilt Commodores.

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables, at right, and Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian talk before the Red River Showdown college football game between the University of Oklahoma (OU) and Texas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Among talks of playoff expansion, and the SEC's holdout in the decision-making process, Texas' name comes up frequently.

With five top-25 wins, the Longhorns stacked a resume that they believed should have resulted in a playoff berth. Instead, their 9-3 record resulted in a bowl game against Michigan in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl to end the year with what seemed like a consolatory win.

As playoff expansion talks continue, especially during the SEC spring meetings this week, Texas' snub from playoff contention has been referenced over six months after the initial drama of the situation. Surprisingly, a rival coach — who lost to Texas during the 2025 campaign — defended the Longhorns' playoff hopes in his discussion of playoff expansion.

Oklahoma Head Coach Brent Venables Defends Texas' Playoff Qualifications

Apr 18, 2026; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables watches during the Oklahoma Spring Game at Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables defended both Texas and Vanderbilt's resumes from the 2025 season on day two of SEC spring meetings, citing strength of schedule as a major consideration over blind rankings based on win-loss records.

"I’ve not been in Clark Lea’s 10–2 argument. How did that happen? And Texas at 9–3... Texas played five teams in the top 25," Venables said. "Another team played one team in the top 25. They got in; Texas didn’t."

During the 2025-26 season, Texas handily beat Oklahoma during the annual Red River Rivalry showdown in Dallas, taking down the Sooners 23-6. Even so, Oklahoma squeezed into a playoff berth after finishing the regular season with a 10-2 record, before losing in the first round to the Alabama Crimson Tide in a 34-24 contest.

Venables went on to talk about Vanderbilt and Texas, defending both schools.

"I’ve not been in Clark Lea’s 10–2 argument. How did that happen? And Texas at 9–3... Texas played five teams in the top 25. Another team played one team in the top 25. They got in; Texas didn’t." https://t.co/IrzTfbJQ4P

— George Stoia III (@GeorgeStoia) May 27, 2026

Vanderbilt also failed to make the playoffs, despite ending the regular season with a 10-2 record like most other teams that qualified for the playoffs. With two losses to Texas and Alabama, the Commodores just barely missed playoff contention and have been brought into the conversation just like the Longhorns.

Venables' argument on playoff expansion is simple: Just win.

“If you want to be in complete, total control, win your games," Venables said. "It worked in our favor in November, where we had a really challenging last four games and we took care of business.”

However, for Venables, it is apparently difficult to look at the strength of schedule of these two SEC teams that failed to make it into the playoffs and write it off as a simple failure to win. Vanderbilt also played against six teams in the top-25, with both regular-season losses coming against ranked teams.

Playoff expansion agreements are expected to be talked through during the upcoming days of meetings, with the SEC in a gridlock with other conferences regarding whether 16 or 24 team berths should be the new number. It seems that SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is set on 16, while most SEC head coaches are more concerned with the playoff committee's decision-making process.

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