The Texas Longhorns (5-1) are alive for another week in the College Football Playoff hunt. The team was afforded the opportunity to regroup in the bye week following a loss to the Oklahoma Sooners (6-0).
Texas received plenty of help in the playoff race. The undefeated Oregon Ducks fell to the Washington Huskies before the USC Trojans suffered their first loss of the season to Notre Dame.
The Longhorns’ playoff chances really hinge on a couple of things: Texas must win out, and another Power Five conference champion must suffer a loss. With the Pac-12 beating itself, the Washington Huskies are now the only undefeated team in the conference.
Other conferences are less likely to produce a one-loss champion. The Georgia Bulldogs stand as the SEC’s only undefeated team and could be vulnerable to an upset. The Bulldogs will face Florida, No. 20 Missouri, No. 13 Ole Miss, No. 17 Tennessee and Georgia Tech to end the year.
In the Big Ten, No. 3 Ohio State and No. 7 Penn State face a potential playoff elimination game this week.
Here’s a look at our playoff power rankings ahead of Week 8.