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Texas Football: Primer for the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinals

By Andrew Miller

ATLANTA, GA - December 6: The National Championship trophy is displayed prior to the College Football Playoff Semifinal Head Coaches News Conference on December 6, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - December 6: The National Championship trophy is displayed prior to the College Football Playoff Semifinal Head Coaches News Conference on December 6, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /
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ARLINGTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 01: Sam Ehlinger #11 of the Texas Longhorns runs for a touchdown against Tre Brown #6 and Parnell Motley #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first quarter at AT&T Stadium on December 01, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 01: Sam Ehlinger #11 of the Texas Longhorns runs for a touchdown against Tre Brown #6 and Parnell Motley #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first quarter at AT&T Stadium on December 01, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Relevance to the Longhorns

We’re going to pause on the game previews and predictions for the College Football Playoff for a moment and reflect on what relevance these games could have on the Texas football program. The goal for the Horns next season could be the College Football Playoff and Big 12 Title since head coach Tom Herman already made it in second place in the conference standings in 2018.

To start it all off, the Cotton Bowl features two teams in Notre Dame and Clemson that could be on a similar trajectory to that of the Horns. While Texas won’t face Notre Dame or Clemson any time soon during the regular season, it can take some lessons away from the runs that both teams made this fall.

Most of the similarities and ability to relate to the College Football Playoff field that the Horns can draw comes from the Orange Bowl. Not only did the Sooners face the Horns twice this year, this could be the last time we see this year’s Heisman Trophy winner suit up in the crimson and cream. What happens to the Sooners in the Orange Bowl could determine a lot of the timeline of events during the off-season both team Red River teams.

Moreover, Texas is just a few years away from facing the Crimson Tide in a home-and-home series during the regular season. In all likelihood, Herman and Saban will still be coaching each respective program in what should boil down to a premier showdown that begins in 2022 at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on the Forty Acres.

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