Heather Dinich: Texas still has a shot at the CFP, 'but they’ve got to start looking the part'

Texas entered the season as one of the top contenders for the College Football Playoff. With two losses on the year, the Longhorns still have a path to the 12-team field, but ESPN’s Heather Dinich says she needs to see more from Steve Sarkisian’s squad to believe it.

The ESPN analyst shared her thoughts on Texas’ CFP hopes during Friday’s edition of Get Up. While she’s not ready to eliminate the Longhorns from contention, Dinich emphasized that they must elevate their level of play, starting this weekend against Mississippi State.

“They sure do,” Dinich responded, regarding Texas’ CFP chances. “I mean, we talked about 70% of at-large bids going to two-loss teams, but they’ve got to run the table. They’ve got to start playing like a CFP team.

“You can’t just almost beat Kentucky in overtime and expect to edge out another two-loss team that played better down the stretch and has a stronger résumé. So yes, Texas is still in the mix, but they’ve got to start looking the part.”

Of course, that improvement starts with Arch Manning. Jordan Rodgers added his perspective later on Get Up, breaking down what the sophomore quarterback needs to do to help Texas rediscover its offensive rhythm.

“Arch has got to make the easy throws look easy, and that wasn’t the case against Kentucky,” Rodgers added. “They were terrible. Like, 179-plus yards of total offense. He probably had four or five throws that he just flat-out missed, and those were big opportunities. Because of that, everyone’s talking to Steve Sarkisian — ‘Are you going to keep calling plays?’

“Sark is still one of the best play-callers in the entire country. He just needs his quarterback to make the plays that are there, the ones that could change the game. 16 points isn’t going to get it done against Mississippi State. They actually have a pulse on offense, unlike Kentucky, the last couple of weeks.

“So Arch has got to make the easy throws look easy. A couple of weeks ago, he was making the really hard throws look easy. Just hit the layups, and this offense will be just fine. Kentucky’s a tough place to play on the road sometimes, but he’s got to be more consistent, for sure.”

Through eight games, Manning has thrown for 1,449 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions, while also adding five rushing scores. Still, he’s struggled against the stronger defenses Texas has faced. That’s a hurdle he’ll need to clear for the Longhorns to stay in playoff contention.

Time will tell if Texas can right the ship this weekend. Kickoff in Starkville is scheduled for 4:15 p.m., and the Longhorns will face ranked opponents in three of their final four games afterward. Many are calling this a must-win for Sarkisian’s group, and all eyes will be on Manning to see if he can deliver.