Though the Longhorns are in a great spot record-wise at 7-2 (4-1 in SEC), their path to a potential college football playoff berth could be pretty tricky going forward. Texas' finally three opponents most likely hold the key to whether or not they'll be able to punch their ticket for the postseason.
According to CBS Sports' Danny Kanell, there's one realistic scenario left that could result in the Longhorns making it to the playoffs this season.
He believes that it's going to be incredibly hard for Texas to beat the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens following the Longhorns' bye week this weekend, and if they actually do end up falling to 7-3, they absolutely have to win out after that.
They play Arkansas the week after at home in Austin, which should be a favorable matchup for the 'Horns, and then it's the most important game the year on November 28th. Texas A&M.
Kanell goes on to explain that if the Longhorns can beat Texas A&M to close out the season, the playoff committee may be inclined to give Texas a bump due to recency bias.
It's possible that the committee could view a 9-3 Texas squad as "more deserving" than some 10-2 teams because the Longhorns would've defeated an excellent Texas A&M team to close out the year, along with playing some pretty tough teams in their 2025 non-conference slate like Ohio State.
To be 100% honest, it may come down to the way in which they beat Texas A&M, if they do. Yes, it would look great if the Longhorns beat the Aggies, but if they're able to win by 14+ points it'll look even better to the postseason decision-makers.
Texas certainly has the defense to limit Marcel Reed and A&M's offensive unit, but Arch Manning will need to continue playing at a high level if they're going to have a real chance at winning big on November 28th.