In the inaugural postseason of the 12-team College Football Playoff, No. 3 Texas football got to participate in the excitement of having a first-round home game at DKR in Austin a couple of weeks ago.
Multiple difficult matchups lie ahead in the College Football Playoff if Texas football beats Arizona State in the Peach Bowl quarterfinal
While the Longhorns didn't get a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff as an at-large bid in the five-seed, Texas probably got the advantage by playing in the first round. Instead of having to face a team like the six-seed Penn State Nittany Lions or the seven-seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second round of the Playoff this week, the Longhorns have been favored by double digits in the betting spreads vs. Clemson and the four-seed Arizona State Sun Devils in the first round and quarters.
On New Year's Day, head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns face the Big 12 Champion Arizona State in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.
The winner of the Texas-Arizona State quarterfinal game at the Peach Bowl tomorrow faces the winner of the one-seed Oregon Ducks vs. eight-seed Ohio State Buckeyes in the Playoff semifinals on Jan. 10.
Here are three teams that could be the most challenging opponents left in the Playoff for Sarkisian and the Longhorns this postseason.
Oregon
Head coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks were the only undefeated P4 conference champion entering the Playoff this postseason. Oregon defeated Penn State by one score in the Big Ten Championship Game in early December to earn a first-round bye and the No. 1 overall seed in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
Led by super senior quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Oregon's offense is well-balanced and explosive with big-time skill weapons he can throw to the ball to on the outside, like speedsters Evan Stewart and Tez Johnson. Gabriel also poses a threat to Texas's defense with his dual-threat ability to run the football.
Gabriel's heroics and his improvisational ability helped the Oklahoma Sooners defeat the Longhorns in the Red River Rivalry game in the 2023 season.
Oregon's defense boasts a deep defensive line, led by immeidately-impactful transfers like Derrick Harmon and Jamaree Caldwell at D-tackle. The Ducks' secondary is also experienced and proven. Texas has faced two-time transfer cornerback Jabbar Muhammad twice in the past three seasons.
Early hypothetical betting odds for Texas make the Longhorns a small favorite in the betting spread for a possible Playoff semis matchup vs. Oregon.