SEC Powerhouse Can Make the College Football Playoff With 3 Losses, Says David Pollack

David Pollack makes a shocking prediction about a potential 3 loss SEC team and the College Football Playoff.

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The College Football Playoff race could be headed toward a debate that reaches well beyond the SEC: How many quality wins does it take to overcome three losses?

David Pollack believes Texas could provide the answer.

In a clip shared on X on November 13, the college football analyst made the case that the Longhorns could finish 9-3 and still earn a playoff invitation. His confidence centers on the victories Texas has already collected.

“I feel very confident saying they’re going to get in,” Pollack said.

Texas Could Make The Playoff With Three Losses@TexasFootball @Wes_nship @BrentRollinsPhD pic.twitter.com/NhoQqt51MU

— David Pollack (@davidpollack47) November 13, 2026

Why Texas Has a Compelling Playoff Argument

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The Longhorns enter Saturday’s trip to LSU at 7-2 and No. 6 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings. They moved up one position following a 34-20 road victory over Missouri.

Their résumé includes victories over Tennessee, Ole Miss, Ohio State, and Missouri. All four remain in the committee’s top 25, with Tennessee ranked eighth, Ole Miss 19th, Ohio State 20th, and Missouri 22nd.

Texas also holds a strong out of conference win over the Ohio State Buckeyes who held the No. 1 ranking at the time of the matchup.

The losses remain part of the evaluation. But the combination of competitive defeats and multiple ranked victories helps explain why Texas is positioned comfortably inside the top 10 entering the final stretch.

The Bigger Question for the Playoff Bubble

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Pollack’s prediction would have consequences for contenders across the country.

A three-loss Texas selection would intensify the argument over whether beating stronger opponents should outweigh finishing with a better record against a less demanding schedule.

The committee’s published evaluation process leaves room for that discussion. It considers a team’s complete body of work, with strength of schedule, head-to-head results, and performance against common opponents among the factors used to separate comparable teams.

That does not guarantee Texas a berth at 9-3. November rankings are a snapshot, and the Longhorns’ position will depend on their own results and what happens elsewhere.

It also makes the performance of their previous opponents relevant. Ranked victories can gain or lose value as the season progresses.

For teams competing near the playoff cutoff, the concern is straightforward: A better record might not settle the comparison if Texas finishes with a stronger collection of wins.

Texas Still Has Work to Do

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The remaining schedule includes Saturday’s visit to LSU, a home game against Arkansas on November 21, and a road rivalry matchup with Texas A&M on November 27.

Winning all three would remove the three-loss scenario from the discussion. Dropping one would leave Texas asking the committee to reward the strength of its overall résumé.

Pollack believes that résumé could be enough.

For the rest of the playoff hopefuls, that possibility makes Texas more than another SEC contender to watch. The Longhorns could become the central test of how much weight the committee places on quality wins when the final spots are decided.