ESPN bounces Texas football from CFB Playoff predictor post-OU loss

The latest version of ESPN’s College Football Playoff predictor bounced Texas football from their list of contenders following the Oct. 10 loss to Oklahoma.

There was a lot more craziness provided for college football fans in Week 6 of the 2020 season. A good number of upsets, and wild finishes including that of the Texas football loss to the Oklahoma Sooners in four overtimes in the annual Red River Rivalry game, helped to provide for a ton of shakeups to both major polls and the College Football Playoff picture yet again.

Some of the most notable upsets of Week 6 of the 2020 college football season included the No. 4 Florida Gators falling short to the No. 21 Texas A&M Aggies, No. 17 LSU Tigers losing to the Mizzou Tigers, and Texas losing to Oklahoma in Red River. While Oklahoma was about a field goal favorite heading into Red River on Oct. 10, they were ranked lower than the Longhorns.

Texas came into the weekend with a No. 22 ranking in the AP Poll. They were obviously bounced from both major polls after their second straight loss. Texas received the same number of votes as LSU and the Houston Cougars in the AP Poll (five). And they had the same number of votes as the Cal Golden Bears and Houston in the Coaches Poll (seven).

Moreover, with the loss to Oklahoma, Texas is effectively eliminated from College Football Playoff contention. And they are definitely facing an uphill battle in the race to land a spot in the Big 12 Championships Game. There is also a lot of pressure falling on the shoulders of head coach Tom Herman with the two-game losing streak mounting over the weekend.

Herman and the Longhorns fell short to Oklahoma in a crazy back and forth in overtime, and another massive comeback at the end of the fourth quarter, by the final score of 53-45. Their two losses on the season now are to Oklahoma and the TCU Horned Frogs. And the two wins on the season now came over the Texas Tech Red Raiders and UTEP Miners.

After this demoralizing loss to Oklahoma in overtime, the latest ESPN College Football Playoff predictor effectively eliminated the Longhorns from their list of contenders. Texas went from having around a four or five percent chance to make the Playoff, to now well under one percent.

The lone team from the Big 12 at this point that is alive in the College Football Playoff predictor from ESPN is the undefeated and No. 7 ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Pokes have a six percent chance to make the Playoff and less than a one percent chance to win the National Championship in ESPN’s predictor.

Up next for the Longhorns is a bye week, for the first time since Big 12 play began back on Sep. 26 against Texas Tech. Then they take on the Baylor Bears at home at DKR on Oct. 24. Texas rounds out the month of October, on Halloween night, against Oklahoma State on the road on Oct. 31.