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A season wrought with frustration wasn’t just about the Texas football players.
The fans felt it too. Friday’s 27-17 win over No. 3 Texas A&M provided Longhorn Nation with some release.
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The signs in the stands reflected the feelings of a fan base that came in believing the home team would find a way to squeeze into the College Football Playoff despite coming in at No. 16 in the latest rankings.
“This is absolutely a playoff team,” said coach Steve Sarkisian, who laid out his team’s case in spectacular detail, from the 14-7 season-opening loss to Ohio State to the Horns becoming the first team since the 2019 national champion LSU Tigers to beat three top-10 teams in the regular season.
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Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian celebrates a interception late in the 4th quarter against Texas A&M Aggies offense in an NCAA college football game in the Lone Star Showdown in Austin, Texas, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman
The Horns finished up at 9-3 and with a week of championship games still remaining, will need too many teams to count to lose to opponents they should beat. Frankly, they aren’t likely to get in even if they are capable of going toe to toe with any team in the country except maybe (gulp) Georgia. The odds aren’t in their favor, especially since they would have to likely climb from 16th to 10th while sitting on the sidelines.
That said, the 2025 Longhorns will still bask in the satisfaction of knocking the 11-0 Aggies out of SEC title contention and preventing them from running the table for the first time since 1992. Yep, the Horns delivered yet another dose of Battered Aggie Syndrome to a team that had to believe it would finally get the best of its fiercest rival only to be turned away yet again.
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And the fans let the Aggies have it hours after the 12th Man’s famous band marched up downtown Congress Avenue, 2,500 strong, earlier Friday.
“It’s been 5,482 days since the Aggies beat Texas,” one sign in the stands read. “11-1” read another.
Texas Longhorns defensive back Warren Roberson (24) and linebacker Liona Lefau (18) bring down Texas A&M Aggies tight end Theo Melin Öhrström (17) during the second quarter of the Lone Star Showdown, the rivalry match-up between the Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Nov. 28, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
“They answered the bell,” said Sarkisian. “They answered the bell in Round 11 and they surely answered the bell in Round 12. Around here, we call those the championship rounds.”
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Sark wasn’t the only one selling wolf tickets.
“They should let us in,” said quarterback Arch Manning. “We can beat anyone.”
Texas Longhorns running back Quintrevion Wisner (5) runs the ball during the first quarter of the Lone Star Showdown, the rivalry match-up between the Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Nov. 28, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
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It was Manning who helped keep the CFP dream alive with a pair of second-half touchdowns, including a 35-yard burst to put the Horns up double digits late. They were the truth in this 2025 regular season finale, especially in the third quarter when they outgained the Aggies 189-35 after totaling only 112 yards in the first half,
Manning’s run was his second rushing touchdown against the Aggies in as many meetings and it was the perfect prelude to two defensive highlights. Heisman contender Marcel Reed didn’t have his best night as his attempt at a second late miracle, after the South Carolina comeback, fell short as Texas defensive backs Michael Taaffe and Kobe Black intercepted him on consecutive fourth-quarter drives in the red zone.
“The best player in college football, Arch Manning!” Taaffe bellowed as his buddy was finishing up his postgame interview.
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The Horns are a good football team and they believe they made the case to prove they can be great though the 29-21 loss at Florida will likely end up being the one that keeps them out of the postseason.
The postgame conversation was more about where this team is going, not about the playoff bound Aggies or the Florida loss.
“I feel like we’re a playoff team,” said linebacker Liona Lefau. “We’ve battled our hearts out. Obviously some games didn’t go our way but we got up and kept fighting.”
Texas Fight. Texas Fought.
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But will the Horns get to fight again in the CFP?
We’ll find out soon enough.