{"id":52097,"date":"2025-11-16T18:36:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T18:36:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/52097\/"},"modified":"2025-11-16T18:36:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T18:36:14","slug":"why-texas-footballs-pursuit-of-cfp-failed-following-georgia-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/52097\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Texas football’s pursuit of CFP failed following Georgia loss"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s never wise to close the door on college football chaos, but the Texas Longhorns<\/a> almost certainly played themselves out of the College Football Playoff <\/a>picture Saturday night.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A close loss to No. 5 Georgia might have kept No. 10 Texas around the periphery of the CFP discussion, especially with No. 3\u00a0Texas A&M <\/a>coming to Royal-Memorial Stadium at the end of the season for a clash that could boost the Longhorns\u2019 resum\u00e9.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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REPORT CARD: How the Longhorns graded in ugly loss<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns receiver Ryan Niblett (21) is tackled during the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Ryan Wingo (1) drops a pass during the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian prepares to lead his team out of the tunnel ahead of the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian walks the sideline during the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Ryan Wingo (1) drops a pass during the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns kicker Mason Shipley (49) lines up a kick during the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns edge rusher Colin Simmons (1) sacks Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) during the game at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns edge rusher Colin Simmons (1) sacks Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) during the game at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe (16) breaks up a pass intended for Georgia running back Chauncey Bowens (33) during the game at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Ryan Wingo (1) drops a pass during the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Georgia<\/p>\n

Georgia players celebrate a defensive stop during the game against the Texas Longhorns at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Former<\/p>\n

Former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning walks the sideline ahead of the Texas Longhorns game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Ryan Wingo (1) drops a pass during the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) snaps the ball during the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"A<\/p>\n

A pass is thrown over Texas Longhorns receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. (0) during the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Georgia<\/p>\n

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart walks the sideline during the game against the Texas Longhorns at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns running back Quintrevion Wisner (5) runs the ball during the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns receiver Parker Livingstone (13) lises control of the ball after a hit during the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) throws a pass during the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"A<\/p>\n

A Texas Longhorns fan reacts to a Georgia touchdown during the game at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Georgia<\/p>\n

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) hands the ball off to running Nate Frazier Jr. (3) during the game against the Texas Longhorns at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"The<\/p>\n

The Texas Longhorns celebrate a touchdown by receiver Ryan Wingo (1) during the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) is sacked during the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns receiver Ryan Wingo (1) catches a pass during the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) is sacked during the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns receiver Ryan Wingo (1) catches a pass during the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns defensive back Malik Muhammad (4) misses a tackle on Georgia receiver Zachariah Branch (1) during the game at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) leaves the field after the loss to Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n

But Texas didn\u2019t lose close. Instead, the Longhorns found themselves on the wrong end of a 35-10 demolition job.<\/a> It marked Texas\u2019 third loss to Georgia in the last 13 months \u2014 one at home, one at a neutral site and now one on the road.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now holding a 7-3 record in 2025, the Longhorns\u2019 latest flop showcased a number of the flaws that have dragged them off heir perch as preseason No. 1 and into irrelevant bowl game purgatory.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Here are three reasons why Texas\u2019 pursuit of a third consecutive playoff place proved unsuccessful.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Texas football secondary fails talented defense\u00a0<\/p>\n

A rash of recent injuries has provided convenient cover for a harsh truth surrounding the Texas secondary: It\u2019s just not very good.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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In six SEC games, the Longhorns have given up an average of 250 passing yards and 7.7 yards per pass attempt. Both of those mark a dramatic change from last season\u2019s suffocating pass defense that allowed 155 yards per game and 5.5 yards per attempt to SEC opposition.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian walks the field after the loss to Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton ripped through the Longhorns at will, completing 24 of his 29 passes for 229 yards. He threw four touchdown passes. In nine games against SEC foes last year, the Longhorns gave up three TD passes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

MORE: Longhorns suffer crushing blow to their SEC and CFP hopes in 35-10 loss<\/a><\/p>\n

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An injury to Michael Taaffe<\/a>, an All-American safety last season, likely impacted the Longhorns to some degree in the two games he missed. Mississippi State\u2019s Blake Shapen and Vanderbilt\u2019s Diego Pavia both threw for more than 300 yards without\u00a0Taaffe on the field, but his return Saturday didn\u2019t come close to creating Texas\u2019 desired impact. Stockton\u2019s more modest stat line reflected the scoreboard and game script more than any improvements made by the Longhorns\u2019 back end.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Only Malik Muhammad<\/a> has achieved the kind of dominance Texas produced as a unit last year. And teams have simply just stopped throwing at the Longhorns\u2019 top corner, favoring targets elsewhere on the field.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Longhorns are average on third down and in the red zone\u00a0<\/p>\n

Texas didn’t convert on third down Saturday until the second half, needing seven attempts before successfully moving the chains.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The Longhorns are only marginally less efficient on offense than they were a season ago. But they\u2019ve taken a tumble when it comes to third-down success rate, making it more difficult to sustain drives and, by extension, score points.\u00a0They converted on 43% of their third-down attempts in 2024. This year, they\u2019re converting at a 38.5% clip.\u00a0<\/p>\n

MORE: Texas football loss to Georgia likely ends Longhorns’ 2025 national championship chase<\/a><\/p>\n

That number takes Saturday\u2019s 2-for-12 effort into account. Texas faced an average third-down distance of more than 8 yards needed against the Bulldogs \u2014 difficult circumstances to manage given the athleticism of the Georgia defense. But, even when the Longhorns put themselves in better spots to achieve third-down success, they sputtered. Texas went 0-for-3 on third-and-short.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The third-down problems are compounded by further issues with situational offense. Fans are accustomed by now to red-zone failures; UT hasn\u2019t produced a top-50 red-zone offense since coach Steve <\/a>Sarkisian<\/a>\u2019s first year on the job.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The Longhorns entered Saturday with a red-zone touchdown percentage of 61.1%, which ranked 82nd in the country. Texas managed just one TD from three red-zone trips against Georgia.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns run game has failed<\/p>\n

Before Saturday\u2019s loss, Texas was already tracking for its least-efficient rushing performance since Sarkisian took over in 2021. But\u00a0the Longhorns managed just 1.4 yards on 17 attempts against the Bulldogs, unable to generate any push against a defensive front that had been maligned and criticized leading into the\u00a0matchup.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That showing will further anchor the 3.88-yard rushing average the Longhorns began Saturday with \u2014 a mark that ranked 99th in the country and 13th in the 16-team SEC. Texas has not averaged 4 yards per rush in a single game since Week 4, with six games now separating UT from its last mildly efficient rushing effort.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s clear that the Longhorns don\u2019t have a true difference-maker at running back, nor can they field an offensive line capable of commanding quality SEC defensive fronts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also noteworthy that Texas has not been able to truly harness what was viewed as a superpower for quarterback Arch Manning<\/a>. The first-year starter has not rushed for more than 10 yards in four weeks, and hasn\u2019t accumulated more than 40 yards on the ground against a Power Four team this season.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s never wise to close the door on college football chaos, but the Texas Longhorns almost certainly played…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":52098,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[3230,265,261,782,20923,12468,9764,3232,266,3231,27,29,537,536,28],"class_list":["post-52097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-arch-manning","tag-cfp","tag-college-football","tag-georgia-bulldogs","tag-georgia-bulldogs-football","tag-michael-taaffe","tag-sec","tag-sec-conference-football","tag-sec-football","tag-steve-sarkisian","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-longhorns","tag-texas-longhorns-football","tag-texas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52097"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52097\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52098"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}