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Kirk Herbstreit forecasts Texas College Football Playoff chances after third loss

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh5 hours agogriffin_mcveigh
Steve Sarkisian
(Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

Playing two top-five teams in three games brought Texas into an interesting scenario. Could they still make the College Football Playoff after splitting results between Georgia and Texas A&M? This would bring Texas to 9-3 overall, a record that kept multiple SEC teams out of the 12-team field last season.

“They lose tonight,” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit said late during the Georgia-Texas broadcast. “You wonder — it will be a discussion when it comes to an at-large team, if they were to win at home against Texas A&M. So, if you look at this and say ‘Three losses, they’re done.’ I don’t know just quite yet when it comes to the CFP.”

Herbstreit began talking through the scenario by saying he and others on ESPN College GameDay agreed getting in would be possible for Texas at 9-3. After losing to Georgia, the record officially sits at 7-3, also hosting Arkansas, in addition to the Texas A&M game.

But the tune possibly changed the more Herbstreit thought about the scenario. Given the scoreline in Athens, maybe the College Football Playoff committee would reconsider. Not much went right for Texas in all four quarters, resulting in a blowout 35-10 scoreline.

“We thought if Texas competed in this game, they didn’t get blown out, it would open this discussion,” Herbstreit said. “If you were to beat Texas A&M, they’re a really good team, as we know. But you wonder if the committee looks to 35-10 and says, ‘Eeehhhh, they started out competitive and after the Anthony Hill interception, they got it to 14-10. But this game’s gotten away from them.’ You wonder if this is too big of a loss that it almost wouldn’t matter what happens.”

He also pointed out that Steve Sarkisian might be the happiest man out there for Texas A&M’s win on Saturday afternoon. On the ropes and then some vs. South Carolina in the first half, Marcel Reed helped produce an incredible comeback victory to keep the undefeated season alive in College Station. The Aggies have Samford next on the schedule, meaning they will assuredly be 11-0 and inside the top three going into Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Tuesday night will be an important one for Texas. Depending on where they fall in the CFP committee, we might get an idea of where the possibility of still making the field sits. Of course, a win against Arkansas is needed first before turning full attention to winning the Lone Star Showdown.