Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt recently released a video explaining why the Texas Longhorns are ranked No.11in the initial playoff rankings, and why they could still make the playoffs regardless of whether or not they win out in 2025.
He explains that the committee is still fairly high on the Longhorns because one of their losses in 2025 was against Ohio State, the best team in America and No. 1 in the playoff rankings, in Columbus during the first week of the season. Despite it being a loss, it's still a pretty valuable game to have on Texas' resume'.
"The biggest takeaway from these rankings is Texas at 11."@joelklatt with more on whether Texas is alive in the playoff race, and if they could be in. pic.twitter.com/9QA22ZR4S0
— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) November 5, 2025
He goes on to say that it's the playoff committee's goal to ensure that teams that schedule tough non-conference games are rewarded and should be encouraged to do so. This undoubtedly increases parity in the sport, so 12-0 teams that play "cupcake" schedules aren't able to leapfrog 10-2 teams that play better opponents.
The main point that Klatt makes is that he believes a 9-3 Texas team doesn't just have a good chance to make the playoffs; he believes that they'd be in at 9-3. Basically, he's saying that because of the "ammunition" that Texas has left on its schedule in Georgia and Texas A&M, being able to go 1-1 in those games would get the Longhorns in. He doesn't believe that Steve Sarkisian and Co. have to win out to make the playoffs.
This is a pretty bold statement, but one that could ring true based on how the College Football Playoff Committee views Texas after the 2025 season.