Texas Longhorns Rank No. 5 in CFP Poll, Earn 1st Round Home Game vs. Clemson Tigers

The Texas Longhorns final College Football Playoff ranking and their opponent have been revealed.

Dec 7, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian reacts after losing in overtime against the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns fell in agonizing fashion to the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship over the weekend, leaving them in anticipation of their ultimate College Football Playoff fate.

That said, things are still shaping up nicely for the Longhorns.

Not only were the Longhorns a virtual lock heading into Atlanta, but they still held the inside track at hosting a home playoff game despite the loss.

On Sunday morning, the CFP committee released their final rankings, locking in the matchups for the first round, and setting the first-ever 12-team playoff bracket in stone.

Fortunately for the Longhorns, they landed pretty much where we expected, coming in at No. 5 in the overall CFP Rankings, and earning their home playoff game in Round 1

You can see the 12 teams that made the bracket here:

No. 1 - Oregon Ducks
No. 2 - Georgia Bulldogs
No. 3 - Boise State Broncos
No. 4 - Arizona State Sun Devils
No. 5 - Texas Longhorns
No. 6 - Penn State Nittany Lions
No. 7 - Notre Dame Fighting Irish
No. 8 - Ohio State Buckeyes
No. 9 - Tennessee Volunteers
No. 10 - Indiana Hoosiers
No. 11 - SMU Mustangs
No. 12 - Clemson Tigers
First Team OUT - Alabama Crimson Tide
Second Team OUT - Miami Hurricanes

So how will the matchups shake out?

With the way the playoffs are formatted, the four highest-ranked conference champions get the top four spots in the final rankings, and as a result, earn first-round byes. Then the rest of the field falls in behind that and plays in Round 1.

Those games will also be played at the home stadium (or stadium of choice) for the higher-ranked team in each matchup.

And due to those stipulations, the now No. 5 ranked Longhorns will take on the No. 12 ranked Clemson Tigers in Austin in their first-round playoff matchup.

Not only that, but should the Longhorns win their Round 1 matchup, they would go on to face the ___ in round 2

You can see the full slate of the first two rounds of the CFP here:

Round 1 (Dec. 20-21)

No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State - Saturday, Dec. 21: 7 p.m. on ESPN/ABC
No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas - Saturday, Dec. 21: 3 p.m. on TNT/Max
No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame - Friday, Dec. 20: 7 p.m. on ESPN/ABC
No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State - Saturday, Dec. 21: 11 a.m. on TNT/Max

BYES: No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Boise State, No. 4 Arizona State

Quarterfinals (Dec. 31-Jan. 1)

No. 1 Oregon vs. winner of Tennessee/Ohio State @ Rose Bowl - Wed. Jan. 1, 4 p.m. on ESPN/ABC
No. 2 Georgia vs. winner of Notre Dame/Indiana @ Sugar Bowl - Wed., Jan. 1, 7:45 p.m. on ESPN/ABC
No. 3 Boise State vs. winner of Penn State/SMU at Fiesta Bowl - Tues. Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN/ABC
No. 4 Arizona State vs. winner of Texas/Clemson at Peach Bowl - Wed. Jan. 1, 12 p.m. on ESPN/ABC

Semifinals (Dec. 31-Jan. 1)

Orange Bowl: Thursday, Jan. 9, 6:30 p.m.
Cotton Bowl: Friday, Jan. 10, 6:30 p.m.

Finals (Jan. 9-10)

7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia

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