Note to the College Football Playoff Committee: Notre Dame Has What Texas Doesn't

Notre Dame's resume has the one thing Texas lacks. Will the College Football Playoff committee take notice in its rankings?

Nov 16, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) celebrates after the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Texas won 20-10. / Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

As Notre Dame keeps rolling along to make its case to earn a high seed in the College Football Playoff and perhaps host a home game, let's do this.

Why is Texas given top three respect by the College Football Playoff committee while Notre Dame is just starting to move up deeper into the top ten?

Yes, of course, there was that, but the Northern Illinois loss now is an obvious aberration. And yes, it's fair enough to punish the Irish for screwing up way back on September 7th, but they also have something Texas doesn't.

A great win.

Texas Longhorn Resumé: Where's the Win?

Texas is 9-1 and sits atop the SEC standings, ranked third overall in both sets of College Football Playoff rankings. But let's say this team was named - oh, I don't know - Indiana instead of Texas. And let's just say Texas isn't coming off a great season with a trip to the College Football Playoff.

It can't be third in the nation based on the resume, the performances on the field, and who the team has played, so really, what is it? Again ...

Where's the Truly Impressive Texas Win?

Texas safety Michael Taaffe and fellow Longhorns celebrate 31-12 win over Michigan at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, September 7, 2024. / Junfu Han/Detroit Free Press / USA TODAY NETWORK

Back in Week 2 of the regular season, Texas went into the Big House and pushed around then No. 10 Michigan 31-12, and everyone saw it. That was great at the time, but Michigan is 5-5. It's just a football team fighting for a bowl spot now like Virginia, and Cincinnati, and Fresno State, and ...

Oklahoma.

The Sooners were 18th in the rankings when they got whacked around by Texas 34-3 - and again, everyone saw it.

Since then, Oklahoma has won a grand total of one game - a 59-14 slaying of traditional powerhouse Maine. And now it's fighting just to be a part of the bowl game picture along with the defending national champion.

Vanderbilt was ranked when it lost to the Longhorns 27-24 in Nashville, but even with the fun, the Alabama upset, and the wonderful story, after getting rolled by South Carolina, and with LSU and Tennessee to close, it's likely to finish around .500.

Texas Should Need to Beat Texas A&M to Get Into the College Football Playoff?

Oh so you mean like Texas? Who doesn’t have any win better than Indiana. Got beat down by Georgia. At home. How come they didn’t have to “keep it close” like Indiana apparently does this weekend vs Ohio state? Because Texas made it to Playoffs last year??? https://t.co/L59HezYcMQ

— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) November 18, 2024

You remember Texas A&M. It was that team that Notre Dame beat in College Station by double-digits back in Week 1. Now it's 15th in the last round of CFP rankings. That's what a win over a College Football Playoff-ranked team looks like.

Texas doesn't have one of those.

Texas sits at 9-1 and has a a date with Kentucky this weekend before closing the year at Texas A&M on Thanksgiving weekend. When we sit and hear about how Indiana hasn't beaten anyone of substance this season, why isn't Texas given the same national tear-down?

If Texas doesn't win at College Station to close the year it will finish the year with two losses and without a win over a ranked opponent.

Sure its the almighty SEC and big-draw Longhorns, but where to keep begging the same question, where is the actual big win that says Texas needs to be a part of this first 12-team playoff?

Not All Similar Records are the Same

Texas Longhorns defensive back Andrew Mukuba (4) goes down with an injury in the fourth quarter of the Longhorns' game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Oct. 19, 2024. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In a world that screams "you are what your record says you are," that simply isn't true when it comes to schedules some face compared to others.

Texas has as many wins over teams that will finish in the CFP Top 25 that you do. What about the rest of the SEC's two-loss teams?

Georgia has two conference losses; but it tagged Texas by 15 in Austin., destroyed No. 20 Clemson to open the season, and just dominated No. 7 Tennessee.

Tennessee's two conference losses come with a win over Alabama.

Ole Miss has the most troubling losses of the group - Kentucky and LSU - but it also has a dominant 28-10 victory over Georgia and whacked No. 21 South Carolina in Columbia.

As for Notre Dame, yes again, everyone knows it has the ugliest loss of any CFP contender, but it beat Texas A&M, Louisville - who'll be dropped after the loss to Stanford, but was 19th in the second round of rankings - and took out a Georgia Tech team that gave Miami its only loss. Now it gets unbeaten Army.

It may seem far-fetched as Tuesday night again brought a No. 3 ranking for Texas in the College Football Playoff rankings, but unless the Longhorns win their two remaining regular season games, they shouldn't be guaranteed to make the 12-team tournament.

And if Notre Dame wins its last two games, even though the highest seed it can be is the five, the rankings should acknowledge just how good it has been.

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