SEC football coach predicts major change after missing College Football Playoff

College football is a billion-dollar enterprise, flawed with a myriad of issues. From a rampant transfer portal to player tampering to an ever-growing playoff system, the sport cannot seem to decide what it wants to prioritize to correct its course.

One important discussion about the future of college football centers on conference scheduling and the number of conference games that are appropriate for a season.

The Big 12 was first to move to a nine-game conference schedule in 2012. This occurred after Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri and Texas A&M left the league in an earlier wave of conference expansion.

The Big 10 adopted a nine-game conference schedule in 2016, two years after it added Maryland and Rutgers. The move was made to strengthen its position in the eyes of the College Football Playoff committee.

The SEC and ACC are the final two conferences to adopt the nine-game conference schedule model. When the SEC announced its move to nine games, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey made it a requirement for each program to play one of its three non-conference games against another Power Four team or Notre Dame each season.

While the requirement should strengthen the resumes of programs that reach the College Football Playoff, the selection committee has not clarified what it consistently looks for from teams on the outside looking in.

Texas felt it had a compelling enough résumé and was left out of the 2025 College Football Playoff. Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian voiced his frustration with the process in a press conference ahead of their bowl game.

In Orlando, coach Sarkisian was asked if he expects fewer big-time non conference games in the future:

"Speaking on behalf of I'm sure every coach in the country, tell us what the criteria is and then stick to the criteria. If we're not going to value strength of schedule then… pic.twitter.com/yQ0Gajhw2g
— Cory Mose (@Cory_Mose) December 17, 2025

"Speaking on behalf of I'm sure every coach in the country, tell us what the criteria is and stick to the criteria," Sarkisian said. "If we're not going to value strength of schedule, then surely that's going to adjust what we do moving forward."

To Sarkisian's credit, Texas' strength of schedule wound up as one of the strongest nationally in 2025.

The Longhorns finished the regular season 9-3 (6-2) with victories over College Football Playoff participants Oklahoma (No. 8) and Texas A&M (No. 7), along with a win over No. 14 Vanderbilt (10-2, 6-2).

Two of the losses were against College Football Playoff participants in Ohio State (No. 2) and Georgia (No. 3), while the third was to Florida (4-8, 2-6). All of their losses in 2025 were on the road.

The Longhorns will face Michigan (9-3, 7-2) in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31 (3 p.m. EST, ABC). The Wolverines will be coached by Biff Poggi following their firing of Sherrone Moore.