College Football Playoff Picture for Four Texas Schools

When college football announced they were expanding the playoff from four teams to 12 teams a couple years ago, I was probably in the minority of fans who were not very excited about the idea. It wasn’t that I thought an expanded playoff would cheapen the regular season. Instead, I just enjoyed the exclusivity and debate that came with a four team playoff, whose constituency was decided by a committee. 

Here we are, though, in Year 2 of the 12 team playoff, and, as I suspected I would, I’ve done a 180 degree turn. I love the expanded playoff! I love the format, the first round on college campuses, but mostly, I love how we have playoff relevance for so many teams here in Texas.

The most recent AP Top 25 poll came out on Sunday morning, with four teams from the state of Texas cracking the Top 25, all of whom can have some say in the playoff field, if they keep winning. So as the calendar flips to November on Saturday, here is a state of the state, when it comes to college playoff chances for our Texas teams:

3. TEXAS A&M (8-0)

REMAINING SCHEDULE: @ #19 Missouri, vs South Carolina, vs Samford, @ #20 Texas  

The Aggies are in awesome shape right now to make the SEC title game, which is a de facto clinching of a playoff spot. It would take a monumental collapse for the Aggies to cough up a playoff spot at this point, especially with one of their out of conference wins being the 41-40 thriller in South Bend over Notre Dame. Given all the emotion surrounding last week’s trip to Baton Rouge, though, the Aggies need to keep their collective head on a swivel heading to Mizzou this weekend. 

13. TEXAS TECH (7-1)

REMAINING SCHEDULE: @ Kansas State, vs #10 BYU, vs UCF, @ West Virginia

Despite the loss to Arizona State earlier this month, Texas Tech (and the bets roster money can buy) are in decent shape for the playoff, based on their remaining schedule. The game in Lubbock against BYU in a couple weeks looms as the game of the year in the Big XII, as the winner would be in the driver’s seat for one of the spots in the Big XII title game. It’s unlikely the Big XII gets two teams in the dance, so staying on track for the conference title game is crucial. 

20. TEXAS (6-2)

REMAINING SCHEDULE: vs #9 Vanderbilt, @ #5 Georgia, vs Arkansas, vs #3 Texas A&M

Texas finishes the season with one of the toughest November schedules in the country, with three Top 10 teams, all in conference. A tough schedule represents extreme opportunity, though. Also, you could argue that Texas has the best loss of any team in the country, an ugly 14-7 loss to number one Ohio State in Week 1. However, style points have not been plentiful these last few weeks with ugly wins over Kentucky and Mississippi State. Texans might be the one team who can afford to go 9-3, and still have an argument, depending on how the three November wins look. 

22. HOUSTON (7-1)

REMAINING SCHEDULE: vs West Virginia, @ UCF, vs TCU, at Baylor

Because they started the year kind of off the radar, the Coogs are kind of paddling upstream. Their path to the playoff likely runs through the Big XII title game. Right now, the Coogs would obviously need to win out, and the best case scoreboard-watching scenario would be for BYU to win out and remain undefeated. Both Texas Tech (who beat Houston head to head) and Cincinnati (undefeated in the Big XII) are on BYU’s schedule, and if BYU and Houston both win out, there is your likely Big XII title game. 

This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.

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