The playoff projection chatter is already settling into lazy narratives and Texas is getting the short end of the stick. everybody wants to crown Oregon and Georgia as the clear top seeds because of their 2026 recruiting hauls and returning production, but the Longhorns have quietly stacked a roster that matches up with anyone in the country. Landing 5-star CB John Meredith III is the kind of lockdown piece that changes how you project a defense, especially when you combine him with the rest of that 2027 class. Texas finished last season with the No. 3 scoring defense in the country and is returning enough of that core to stay elite on that side of the ball.
The real issue nobody is talking about is schedule strength. The Longhorns draw Alabama and Michigan in non-conference while navigating a brutal SEC slate that includes Georgia, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M on the road. Even at 10-2, there is a real chance Texas gets left out if the committee prioritizes conference champions and one-...