It\u2019s been 165 days since the Texas Longhorns were left out of the 12-team College Football Playoff and consigned to playing the Michigan Wolverines in the Citrus Bowl.<\/p>\n
Consider head coach Steve Sarkisian still frustrated about the selection committee not considering strength of schedule as highly as the committee\u2019s principles intend, ultimately ignoring three top-10 victories for the Longhorns \u2014 on Thursday at the Houston Touchdown Club, when asked about scheduling, Sarkisian fired off a statement that instantly ignited controversy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a team in our state in another conference with a schedule that I would argue if I played with our twos and threes, we could go undefeated, and they\u2019ll probably make the CFP this year,\u201d Sarkisian said<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to ESPN\u2019s strength of schedule metric, that in-state school, Texas Tech, played the No. 46 schedule nationally, well behind the No. 9 schedule faced by Texas.<\/p>\n After playing Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Kent State, and Oregon State in its non-conference schedule last year, head coach Joey McGuire\u2019s program will face off against Abilene Christian, Oregon State, and Sam Houston in 2026.<\/p>\n In the two ensuing seasons, the Red Raiders have one opening each year in addition to schedule games against UAPB, New Mexico, Stephen F. Austin, and Wyoming.<\/p>\n Texas Tech mega booster Cody Campbell fired back at Sarkisian, calling for a series between the longtime conference opponents.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t just Campbell, either \u2014 Red Raiders general manager James Blanchard had his own thoughts on the Longhorns.<\/p>\n But with Texas scheduled to play Ohio State, Michigan, and Notre Dame in the next four years, the Longhorns have already made their commitment to playing difficult schedules every year, heightened by the SEC\u2019s move to nine conference games.<\/p>\n So why is it the responsibility of Texas to fix an obvious issue that Texas Tech created years ago by scheduling non-conference opponents that never had any chance of competing for the College Football Playoff in the future?<\/p>\n