Steve Sarkisian Makes Case For Texas' College Football Playoff Chances

Steve Sarkisian pleads his case for the Texas Longhorns to make the College Football Playoff.

Oct 25, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on during warm ups prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns find themselves in a peculiar spot as they enter the final third of the 2025 season. Currently riding a four-game winning streak, and ranked in the top-15 of the AP Poll, but also have two losses on the season already.

For many teams around the country, two losses would be a death sentence to their hopes of making the College Football Playoff, but for the Longhorns, they get the benefit of the doubt as they have one of the most demanding schedules in the country.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian makes his case for his team and the SEC on why they should be viewed differently by the CFP committee.

Steve Sarkisian's Case for Texas

Nov 1, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Ethan Burke (91) sacks Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) on the one yard line during the second half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

"It's an interesting process that the college football committee has to go through," Sarkisian said. "I think we got a pretty good team. We've beaten, two top-10 ranked teams so far this year, we play in the toughest conference in America. We've lost on the road in a difficult environment, lost on the road to the No. 1 team in the country to start the (season)."

For the Longhorns, they have been playing some of their best football this season, led by quarterback Arch Manning, who has seemed to turn a corner over the last few weekends. Pair that with a defense that continues to be one of the best in the country, and they remain one of the most dangerous teams in the country this season. For Sarkisian, he knows what his team is and what they can be this season.

"So, but I do think we're playing better football now than we have all year, and we need to continue to do that," Sarkisian said while meeting with the media. "There's a lot of football left to be played. I always laugh at these initial CFP rankings, and what does it really look like in the end, right?

Part of that for the Longhorns is their schedule, which helps their case. They have two top-10 wins this season, while both of their losses have come on the road. One of those losses was at one of the most challenging road environments, and the other was a one-score game against the number one-ranked team in the country. For the Longhorns and their conference members, every week feels like a playoff game, given the intense competition.

"But I know our conference is really deep, it's really good, probably more deserving than three teams," Sarkisian said about last year's CFP final rankings. "I think the SEC only got three teams in last year, which is kind of laughable, quite frankly. But we'll see what happens this year."

For the Longhorns, entering their second bye week of the season at the perfect time allows them to rest and heal before facing two top-five teams in the last three weeks of the season. They still control their own destiny, and all they have to do is win.

The First CFP rankings of the 2025 season will be released on Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN