The CFP Committee Clearly Made a Mistake Putting Alabama In Over the Texas Longhorns

The College Football Playoff committee disrespected the Texas Longhorns after putting in the Alabama Crimson Tide over them.

Oct 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) looks on before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

It's no secret that the College Football Playoff selection process is one of the most polarizing times in the sport. Between a multitude of teams competing for the final spots, with someone having to be left out, it's impossible to create the field without someone feeling like they got the short end of the stick.

The Texas Longhorns though, have a legitimate gripe about being left out of the 2025 Playoff. Despite having three losses and the precedent that no other three-loss team has made it in, those arguments failed after the Alabama Crimson Tide were kept in.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian had been beating the drum for the week leading up to the selection, and despite jeers from his actions, he just wanted his team to be looked at based off their resume. If the committee had done that, which is what they argue they use, then the Longhorns deserved to be in over the Crimson Tide.

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Nov 15, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian walks into Sanford Stadium before a game against the Georgia Bulldogs. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

When it comes to being in the mind of the CFP committee, it gets confusing. Head-to-head matters, but so strength of schedule and, of course, their record. The Longhorns and the Crimson Tide have the same record, and didn't play against one another this season, so those comparisons are out of the question.

When it comes to strength of schedule, the two teams aren't far off there either. The Crimson Tide is sixth, while the Longhorns are eighth. The strength of record between the two teams is similar as well, the Longhorns are 12th while the Crimson Tide is 10th. So now it defaults to common opponents and the quality of losses between the two teams.

With three common opponents (Vanderbilt, Oklahoma and Georgia), that's where the Longhorns have the edge. Both beat the Commodores, and while the Crimson Tide beat the Bulldogs once, they also lost just as badly as the Longhorns did against them. However, with a Red River Rivalry win, the Longhorns dominated the Sooners 23-6, while the Crimson Tide lost 23-21.

Now it turns to losses, which is where the Longhorns' advantage really becomes evident, as the Crimson Tide dropped their season opener to the Florida State Seminoles. The Longhorns have a loss to the Florida Gators, the same team that dominated the Seminoles 40-21.

With three top-10 wins, the most in college football compared to the Crimson Tide's zero, the Longhorns have every right to feel disrespected. The committee may have compared resumes, but maybe not the right ones.