Longhorns earn spot in College Football Playoff as No. 3 Seed

Following the 49-21 drubbing the No. 7 Texas Longhorns (12-1, 8-1) gave the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Big 12 Championship on Saturday, the wait began. The College Football Playoff Committee had work to do and decisions to be made in sorting out what the final peformances in conference championship games meant for the Top 8 teams that played.

Alabama defeated top-ranked Georgia. Michigan handled the Iowa Hawkeyes and Washington held on to beat Oregon on Friday night. The Florida State Seminoles struggled, but stayed undefeated on the season after beating the Louisville Cardinals.

Only four teams get in, but who?

Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns learned their fate on Sunday morning and that fate includes their first appearance in the College Football Playoff.

Texas lost a lone game to Oklahoma, but at the end of the day, the win over Nick Saban and Alabama in Tuscaloosa in Week 2 carried enough weight for the CFP Committee to put the Longhorns in the Top 4. The Longhorns join Michigan (#1, 13-0), Washington (#2, 13-0) and Alabama (#4, 12-1) as the College Football Playoff teams this season. Undefeated Florida State rang in at #5 with Georgia holding the sixth spot.

Texas, the third seed, will have a rematch of last year’s Alamo Bowl and will face the Washington Huskies in the Sugar Bowl on January 1 at 7:45 PM. Should the Longhorns win, they would advance to the national championship game and play the winner of Michigan – Alabama.