With the Big Ten Conference back in the fold for the college football season, the postseason could get interesting.
Prior to the conference’s decision to delay the season until spring, Ohio State was a virtual lock for the College Football Playoff. Once it appeared the Big Ten and Pac-12 would wait until the spring to play, Texas seemed to be heading back to the New Year’s Six. What about now?
The Longhorns are looking to return to the New Year’s Six or, better yet, qualify for the College Football Playoffs. While the only Big 12 team to make it into the playoff is Oklahoma, early on it feels as though analysts are starting to look toward Texas. The Sooners are still the overwhelming favorite, but the Longhorns could make a little noise. For now anyway, the Longhorns are being picked to play in one of the premier bowl games by season’s end. ESPN released their latest bowl projections.
Mark Schlabach is sticking with the Longhorns returning to the Goodyear Cotton Bowl. Setting up the battle of Sam Ehlinger vs. Kellen Mond. Tom Herman vs. Jimbo Fisher. Texas vs. Texas A&M.
Would it be great television? Absolutely. Is it going to happen? Probably not. Seems like each time a prediction has been released, an analyst picks this game and it never comes to fruition.
The pick by Kyle Bonagura feels like the more appropriate prediction: Texas vs. Georgia in the Fiesta Bowl. A rematch from the 2018-19 All State Sugar Bowl, these schools have met five times over the last 70 years. The Longhorns lead the series 4-1 and are 2-1 in bowl games. Texas beat UGA in the 2019 Sugar Bowl and the 1949 Orange Bowl. The Bulldogs lone victory in the series game in the 1984 Cotton Bowl.
Brad Crawford of 247Sports, put the Longhorns up against the Central Florida Golden Knights. Texas and UCF have matched up twice before with the Longhorns winning both matchups. The last coming in 2009 when Texas won 35-3 in Austin. That would make for an interesting bowl game, especially given how much most analysts love UCF.
| Analyst | Bowl Game | Opponent |
| Schlabach | Cotton Bowl | Texas A&M |
| Bonagura | Fiesta Bowl | Georgia |
| Crawford | Fiesta Bowl | Central Florida |