Three teams from Texas were included in the Top 14 of the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2024 season. SMU (13) and Texas A&M (14) were the first two teams on the bubble. Texas was slotted in the 5th spot and would host a first-round playoff game if that ranking stood. 

The Longhorns are 7-1 on the season with a lone loss to Georgia. They are amongst five teams in the SEC with only one conference loss. Texas closes the season with home games against Florida and Kentucky and road trips to long-lost Southwestern Conference rivals Arkansas and Texas A&M. The Aggies are also one of the SEC teams with only one loss in conference. 

SMU is one of the surprises of the 2024 season. No transitioning G5 program had started better than 2-0 in conference play as first year power conference members. SMU is 5-0 against ACC squads and 8-1 overall. The lone loss was to undefeated BYU. The Mustangs and Texas A&M are idle in Week 11 to gear up for the final three games of their regular seasons. 

The BCS era was replaced by the College Football Playoff in 2014. The Lone Star wasn’t represented until the TCU Horned Frogs reached the final four in 2023 behind a magical run by first year head coach Sonny Dykes and Heisman finalist Max Duggan. The Frogs beat Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl to become the first Texas team to play for an FBS national title since the Longhorns in 2009. 

Texas reached the CFP semifinals last year in Steve Sarkisian’s third season as head coach. 

The four highest ranked conference champions receive a bye into the CFP quarterfinals, which take place in traditional bowl games on Dec. 31 or Jan. 1. Seeds 5-8 play home games in the first round on either Dec. 20 or Dec. 21. The highest-ranked G5 champion is also guaranteed a spot in the 12-team field.