Steve Sarkisian Slams CFP Committee for Broken Selection System

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian didn't hold back about the question marks surrounding the criteria from the College Football Playoff selection committee.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian walks out of the locker room prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns are used to being the villain of college football. Not many programs in the country have the success, pedigree, and hometown fan support that the Longhorns have in Austin.

Part of being the villain of the sport is often having your points come across as amplified, whether for good or bad; it comes down to the message being pushed.

For head coach Steve Sarkisian, who took a shot at the College Football Playoff committee in an interview with USA Today, he was tired of holding back any longer and wanted a clear explanation of the parameters they use when picking the 12 teams.

For the Longhorns, it was less about sending a message, and more about finally receiving one.

Why the CFP Committee Has Become Sarkisian's Bitter Rivals

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) rushes with the ball for a touchdown against the Michigan Wolverines during the second half at Camping World Stadium. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The Longhorns entered last season with sky-high expectations, and seemingly, for the first time since Sarkisian took over at the helm, were the overwhelming favorites to bring a national champion back to campus.

A slow start and speed bumps throughout the season left the Longhorns on the outside looking in come selection Sunday. It was a tough feeling to shake, especially as the Longhorns believed their strength of schedule would get them in. Sarkisian believed that, because the committee said that was a factor, but the Longhorns, with the ninth-best strength of schedule, were left out.

They were left out in favor of James Madison and Tulane, they were two of the highest-ranked conference champions, but it wasn't those two that struck Sarkisian the wrong way. It was the inclusion of the Miami Hurricanes, who wound up playing in the national championship, but were expected to miss the playoffs entire the week leading up to it.

That decision was less about the strength of schedule, which was a criterion imposed by the committee before the season, and more about the number of losses. While that certainly matters, on the day before the selection, the Longhorns had the No. 9 strength of schedule, while the Hurricanes were down at No. 28.

Sarkisian understands wins matter, and is painfully aware that a bad loss against the Florida Gators hampered their postseason chances, but a clearer understanding of the parameters, and perhaps actually following those, would have kept Sarkisian from feeling the need to speak out against the committee.

The book on the 2025 season is over, and all the Longhorns can do now is look ahead, as they have. With a revamped roster and coaching staff, Sarkisian is doing everything in his power to keep the committee from deciding their fate once again, and for good measure, as his trust in them is non-existent.

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