Texas football may not have been included in the top 12 of Sunday’s College Football Playoff final selection show, but the Longhorns’ season isn’t quite over yet.
The lack of a playoff seed resulted in the extended invitation to a final game against No. 18 Michigan in Orlando’s Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, with a New Year’s Eve kickoff slated at 2 p.m. CT.
“I just know, for us, this is an opportunity to play another game against a really good team in a great bowl game, and we’re going to cherish it,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said after the selection show. “We’re going to put our best foot forward and try to go win this game.”
Texas has one more opportunity to secure its 10th win of the year after going 9-3 in the regular season with losses to No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Georgia and unranked Florida. Beyond another potential win, however, is the opportunity to play young and developing players in a highly competitive setting against the Wolverines.
“It raises the competitive level for some of our younger players and an opportunity to play them and to get them in the game, but also some players that have been developing as the season has gone on,” Sarkisian said. “Can we continue that growth to really springboard us into 2026?”
Sarkisian doesn’t yet have a list of players that may or may not play on New Year’s Eve, with some heading to the NFL Draft and others considering the transfer portal. Damage control over the looming end of the season will be done first thing tomorrow morning.
“I’m sure it’ll take a little bit of time to get to the final number of who may and who may not play — but that’s okay,” Sarkisian said. “We’ve got a really young football team. We’ve got a lot of good, young players that are chomping at the bit for their opportunity to play.”
In Sarkisian’s eyes, missing the playoffs is a reflection of the adjustments that need to be made within the CFP committee — and the system itself. With teams like No. 11 Notre Dame rejecting a bowl game invitation and online backlash over the “snubs” of bubble teams in favor of G6 conference champions Tulane and James Madison, the controversy over the 12-team playoff bracket is stronger than ever.
“I think we can all agree we’ve got a flawed system right now that needs to be revamped, needs to be looked at from a lot of different angles,” Sarkisian said. “Where it goes from here, I don’t think anybody really knows.”
Still, refusing the bowl game was never a point of contention with Texas.
“For the younger players to get such a quality opponent in such a great bowl game, I think is going to be a great experience for them, (so) that hopefully next year the goal is to be in the playoffs,” Sarkisian said. “But if we’re not going to be in the playoffs, let’s be in the game that’s closest to the playoffs that gives enough feel and energy and competitive spirit, so they have an idea of what they can look forward to next December.”
