The Texas Longhorns went on the road and added to their already impressive stack of wins with a two-score win over the Missouri Tigers and were rewarded by moving up to No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Texas moves up just one spot, nestled behind the No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who upset the former No. 1 team in the country, the Miami Hurricanes, who fell to No. 7 after the loss. The Longhorns’ positioning continues to show that
the CFP Selection Committee values your best wins over your worst losses, with Texas sitting just outside the top five.
Another benefit that Texas has in its corner is the continued success of the Tennessee Volunteers, who sit just behind Miami at No. 8. The Volunteers logged an impressive win of their own over the weekend, dismantling the Kentucky Wildcats, who were one of the hottest teams in the country, riding a six-game winning streak. The Vols’ continued success further bolsters Texas’s resume, since Tennessee is among the Longhorns’ impressive array of wins.
The Longhorns have an opportunity to add another ranked win to their resume this weekend as they travel to Baton Rouge to take on the LSU Tigers. The Bayou Bengals fell to No. 21 in the CFP rankings after giving up a lead to Alabama at home. It’s been an up-and-down year for LSU under new head coach Lane Kiffin, who made the move from Ole Miss during the College Football Playoff proceedings a year ago.
It would take a lot for the Tigers to even have a prayer at a berth in this year’s playoffs, but a win over No. 6 would be a valuable first step. Lucky for them — and for the other teams around them — it has already been announced that next year’s field is expanding to 24 teams.
