Longhorns Projected to Make CFB Playoff By Analyst; Where Do They Rank?

In his latest predictions, sports reporter and analyst Brad Crawford puts Texas as a top five seed set to make it to the first round of the College Football Playoffs.

Texas Longhorns defensive lineman T'Vondre Sweat (93) watches Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) before a snap during the Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff semifinals game at the Caesars Superdome on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. / Aaron E. Martinez / USA TODAY NETWORK

College football is going to look a little different for not only the Texas Longhorns this season but for everyone in contention for a spot in the new 12-team College Football Playoffs bracket, expanding from its original four-team format in years past.

This revised setup will give the four highest-ranked conference champions the top four seeds in the playoffs and also a bye week to pass the first round and go straight to the quarterfinals, with the combined eight remaining teams being assigned to a bowl game that will determine the four semifinalists.

Texas has been named the No. 4 ranked team in the preseason AP Poll, released on Aug. 12, and is already projected to be the No. 5 seed in the first round of playoffs according to 247Sports and CBSSports reporter Brad Crawford. He matched Texas with possible No. 12 seed Liberty University, a team coming out of Conference USA. The Longhorns would host the game at Darrell K. Royal Stadium thanks to the updated format giving home-field advantage to the higher-seeded opponent.

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— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) August 15, 2024

Crawford also has No. 1 seeded Georgia winning the SEC Championship to receive a bye week alongside Ohio State, Florida State, and Oklahoma, predicting each of them to win its respected conference championship game.

Texas, Georgia, and Alabama are the only SEC teams ranked within the preseason AP Poll top five, but Crawford has Alabama sitting as a No. 9 seed, the lowest of the three, in the playoffs. Analysts have favored Georgia and Texas to meet again after the regular season, whether it be the SEC Championship or in the CFP bracket, while Texas could miss out on playing Alabama altogether. If Texas were to go all the way and secure the SEC title, the program would head to New Orleans for the second year in a row for the annual Sugar Bowl.

Similar to Crawford's thoughts, Jerry Palm of CBSSports also has Texas as the No. 5 seed and puts the team up against No. 12 seed Boise State of the Mountain West Conference. He predicts the winner of the matchup to face Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl at the end of the year.

Others, like JD PicKell from On3, have the Longhorns coming in as the No. 8 seed with a home matchup against projected No. 9 seed Notre Dame. PicKell also placed Georgia as the No. 1 seed and winner of the SEC but has Oregon, Miami, and Utah taking the other top three.

Wherever Texas may land, it's nearly guaranteed that Steve Sarkisian will see his program in the playoffs, it's only a matter of who they will face come December.