College Football Playoff Bracket Projections: Texas Longhorns Make It Back to Semifinals

The Texas Longhorns are looking to make it back to the College Football Playoff next season in the first year of the 12-team format.

Jan 1, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

AUSTIN -- The Texas Longhorns joined an exclusive club this past season, becoming one of just 15 programs to make the College Football Playoff in the four-team era.

The door to that club is officially closed as the NCAA moves to the 12-team format next season. The Longhorns now have a better chance to make it to the CFP in back-to-back years, and unsurprisingly, they're frequently included in way-too-early bracket predictions this spring.

Texas Longhorns running back CJ Baxter (4) / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA

In a recent CFP bracket projection from CBS Sports, the Longhorns earn the No. 6 seed in next year's tournament and will host No. 11 Penn State in the first round.

Here's the projected 12 teams in the CFP from CBS Sports:

1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Utah
4. Clemson
5. Oregon
6. Texas
7. Alabama
8. Ole Miss
9. Missouri
10. Notre Dame
11. Penn State
12. Boise State

The Longhorns are then projected to beat Penn State before facing No. 3 Utah in the Fiesta Bowl. CBS Sports thinks Texas will make it back to the CFP semis after taking down the Utes, which sets up a highly-anticipated matchup in Arlington.

In this scenario, the Longhorns will face No. 2 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Texas would have some home-field advantage in what would certainly be a thrilling game.

Here's the projected semifinal matchups:

• Orange Bowl: (1) Georgia vs. (5) Oregon
• Cotton Bowl: (2) Ohio State vs. (6) Texas

However, the site predicts the Longhorns to come up short of reaching the title game once again, setting up an Ohio State vs. Georgia matchup in the National Championship.