After the US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 Rankings were released Sunday, the Texas Longhorns chances of making the college football playoffs are dim. But is that a blessing in disguise? Would it benefit Texas to miss the CFP?
Obviously, from the fans to the players to the coaches, missing the playoffs would be a huge disappointment. For a program like Texas, making the CFP is the minimum marker of a successful season. Anything short is a huge disappointment, as it should be.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut could the disappointment of missing the CFP be of benefit to the program next year? Could the sting of 2025 be weaponized into a springboard for 2026?
Here are five benefits to missing the playoffs for the Texas Longhorns:
Arch Manning Development
We've all seen it with our own eyes how much Manning has improved this year. The quarterback who stumbled around the Swamp in an October loss to the Florida Gators isn't the QB that rallied the Longhorns in the second half against Texas A&M.
Manning is more confident, more accurate, more deliberate. He's becoming the quarterback the national college football media thought he would be out of the gate. In hindsight, that was unrealistic. But it's hard not to love the star he's becoming.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIf Texas plays in a bowl game, Manning can focus on one single opponent, while also focusing on his own development. Bowl practices are like training camp. Playoff practices are more focused on the opponent and on the here and now.
Focus on Recruiting
It is hard to nitpick Texas recruiting. After all, the Longhorns had the No. 1 recruiting class last year. But everything evolves, especially recruiting. Texas has lost to Georgia three years in a row because the Horns were beaten on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.
Texas NIL fund is famously rich. But it's not like Georgia, or other big SEC programs, are far behind. Is UGA coach Kirby Smart and staff allocating funds better? Texas lost a huge recruiting battle this summer for one of the best offensive linemen in the 2026 class in Felix Ojo. UT rarely pays over market value for players. But should they be spending more on the lines?
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAt one point this summer, lost nine big recruiting battles in a row. It is a huge reason Texas isn't ranked higher in the 2026 recruiting rankings. Texas is currently around 7th, depending on the service you subscribe to. Two of those recruiting losses were to Georgia and two were to the Aggies.
Occasionally, Texas will open up the NIL bank for a rare talent, like they did with Justus Terry last year. Terry said after he signed with the Horns it was a "straight-up better NIL packaged" offered by Texas than (ironically) Georgia. Terry should be great at Texas, but he's not a lineman. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and company need to do a deep dive on recruiting a little smarter.
Work the Transfer Portal
Texas has done a good job with the portal over the past couple of years, but they could be doing better. Players like Jack Endries from Cal and Emmett Mosley V from Stanford have made key contributions on offense. Travis Shaw of North Carolina and Hero Kanu of Ohio State solidified the defensive line.
Oct 25, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive linemen Hero Kanu (93) reacts during the first quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn ImagesBut the offensive line needs help. While it stabilized some towards the end of the season, reinforcements are still needed. Texas could also use another running back that can break big plays. There are spots all over the field that need help. If Sark and the coaching staff aren't preparing for a possible run of four games in the CFP, they can focus on one or two more portal prospects that could tip the scales in Texas' favor next season.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDeflects Media Attention in 2026
Texas was the hot team in the preseason. The Longhorns were ranked No. 1 in both polls before the season began. Arch Manning was set to be the greatest quarterback since Johnny Unitas and UT would win every game by 50. Reality wrote a different story. Manning needed some time to grow into the role of starting University of Texas quarterback.
AUSTIN, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 01: Actor Matthew McConaughey speaks with Paul Finebaum prior to the game between the Vanderbilt Commodores and the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 01, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)Parts of the team, like the offensive line, weren't up to the standard the Horns have reached over the past few years. If Texas just goes to a bowl game, the media crunch won't be as heavy next preseason. The Longhorns won't be the media darlings. It will be some other team ESPN falls in love with and Texas can fully focus on themselves.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementChange in Texas Football Mindset
After Georgia's win over the Longhorns, Kirby Smart hinted that Texas wasn't physical enough. He inferred that Texas players were in it for NIL money and not to work hard. While that is mostly bluster for a rival coach, there is some truth to it.
The Longhorns play much better when they have an edge, when they are angry and when they feel disrespected. There were a lot of times in the last few weeks we've seen the fire, the passion and the emotion of a team that will do anything to win.
That attitude needs to be applied from the start of the season. It is human nature to think you're the best team if the entire country is telling you that you're the best team. Texas players heard a lot of praise in the preseason. Did that make them content? Just a little contentment can take away that edge and cost you close games.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIf the Horns enter 2026 feeling disrespected because they were left out of the playoff and aren't the preseason media darlings, then that is actually a good thing for the mindset of the team.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Five benefits to missing the CFP for Texas Football
AdvertisementAdvertisement
