Longhorns Country

ESPN Reveals How Longhorns Can Make College Football Playoff

Can the Texas Longhorns finally break through to the College Football Playoff in 2023?

Matt Galatzan

In this story:

The Texas Longhorns are one of the most historic programs in the history of college football, sitting with the fifth most wins all-time with 936, two ahead of their arch-rival Oklahoma Sooners.

But unlike the other teams in the top-6 of all-time wins, Michigan (989), Ohio State (953), Alabama (953), Notre Dame (938), and Oklahoma (934), Texas has yet to make the College Football Playoff. 

And with high expectations heading into the 2023 season, ESPN believes that the Longhorns can finally break through... assuming they can answer a few question marks.

Chief among those questions is how they will replace arguably the best running back duo in the country, Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson.

The Longhorns have the talent to contend for a Big 12 championship but will have a few key issues to solve. First, there's the matter of replacing Doak Walker Award winner Bijan Robinson and running back Roschon Johnson. Then there's the matter of the QB position, where Quinn Ewers showed some flashes in his first year as a starter but also had plenty of struggles. Will he be able to hold off all-everything recruit Arch Manning? With the addition of Adonai Mitchell from Georgia to pair with Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington, who could have a big year, the passing game has a chance to be stellar -- with tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders as a budding superstar. The offensive line returns all five starters and will be a key. So if the defense can come together by Week 2 when the Horns travel to Alabama, there's a chance for a huge statement that could set the tone for the rest of the season. 

There is no denying the Longhorns have the talent to be successful in 2023. 

And if they can finally break through and live up to that potential in Year 3 under Steve Sarkisian, the sky is the limit. 

You can follow Matt Galatzan on Twitter @MattGalatzan

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.

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