Texas Longhorns get the last laugh as rivals tank at home in first round of CFP

It still stings that the Texas Longhorns fell short of a third consecutive berth in the College Football Playoff, but first-round results certainly made it sting a little less.

As the Horns' rivals, the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas A&M Aggies, earned spots in the Playoff and both hosted first-round games, Texas was stuck at home. However, the Longhorns sure did get to enjoy hate-watching the two matchups.

Texas, of course, beat both Oklahoma and Texas A&M during the regular season, a highlight of the rollercoaster of a season. Yet, the Sooners and Aggies were in the playoffs instead of the Longhorns. Then, they blew it.

Oklahoma gave up a 17-point lead over the Alabama Crimson Tide and lost the first-round game, which the Sooners hosted in Norman. Then, in an absolute clobberfest, the Aggies failed to put up enough points to beat the Miami Hurricanes at home in Kyle Field.

Texas laughs as Texas A&M and Oklahoma lose

It didn't completely heal the wound left behind by missing the playoffs, but getting to watch Texas A&M and Oklahoma both blow their home-field advantage appearances in the first round made it at least a little bit better.

Texas upset the then-No. 3 Aggies in their final regular-season game. A couple of months earlier, they had stormed past the Sooners in the Red River Rivalry. Maybe, just maybe, the Horns should have been in the College Football Playoff over the two teams that they defeated earlier in the year.

With the loss, the Sooners dropped to 0-5 in their CFP appearances. The Saturday matchup was Texas A&M's first-ever appearance in the playoffs, and the Aggies lost 10-3 at home.

While Oklahoma and Texas A&M watched their seasons come to an end, the Longhorns were preparing for their own postseason appearance, taking on the Michigan Wolverines in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on New Year's Eve.