One day after Kirk Herbstreit predicted Texas would make the College Football Playoff on College Gameday, another ESPN personality has done the same thing.
After Week 1 of the college football season was completed on Saturday, ESPN had all of their writers select their four playoff teams. Adam Rittenberg has the Longhorns as the only Big 12 representative and the No. 3 team in the country.
Clemson, Florida, and Alabama are the other three playoff teams, with Texas facing off against Dan Mullen’s team out of the SEC. While the winner of the matchup between the Longhorns and Gators was not shown, Rittenberg did say Clemson is his national champion.
The Gators are projected to be one of the top teams in the SEC East, with a top defense and the return of starting quarterback Kyle Trask.
Florida and Texas have met three times in their respective histories but not since before World War II. The Longhorns lead the series 2-0-1, winning in 1939 and 1940 while tying in 1924.
Texas being apart of the final four would only be the second Big 12 team to ever appear. Oklahoma has made the playoff four different times, including the past three years.
UTEP will pose as Texas’ first game in the journey towards the College Football playoff. The Miners opened their season against Stephen F. Austin on Saturday, winning 24-14.
Oklahoma and Oklahoma State poise themselves as the biggest threats this season. Both the Sooners and Cowboys are expected to have dynamic offenses, thanks to quarterbacks Spencer Rattler and Spencer Sanders.
First, Texas must make their way through the Big 12 and win their first conference championship since 2009. If Tom Herman can pull it off, the Longhorns will be pushing for its first national championship since 2005.
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