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The Texas Longhorns are one of the heavy favorites in the 2026 College Football Playoff race. They entered last season as a favorite as well after earning the No. 1 spot in the preseason poll. They now rank second in ESPN’s College Football FPI.
After an underwhelming 2025 season that ended just short of the College Football Playoff, Texas has reloaded its roster. The Longhorns return Arch Manning and have surrounded him with more talent, including Auburn transfer Cam Coleman. Is it now or never for Texas?
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Paul Finebaum believes so. During an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up, he said there is only one acceptable outcome for Texas this season: a national championship game appearance.
“You don’t get to this point with one of the most celebrated players in modern college football history and lay an egg like Texas did last year. Remember, they lost that Ohio State game, and then they dropped the game to Florida a couple weeks later, which really knocked them out of the CFP. They lost to Georgia later on,” Finebaum said.
“But they not only have Arch Manning, they have so many amazing players that they picked up in the portal. They have one of the best rosters, if not the best, in all of college football. Certainly the best in the SEC. They have to get to the title game.”
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Finebaum’s assessment is understandable, though there are legitimate reasons for hesitation. Texas has repeatedly fallen short, including in multiple College Football Playoff appearances. Were those rosters as talented as this one? Probably not.
Still, Texas hired Steve Sarkisian to restore the program to the top of college football. He has delivered several impressive seasons, but he has yet to reach the standard the program expects.
The 2026 season could represent his best opportunity in the foreseeable future to accomplish that goal. Two years ago, Texas stood on the doorstep of a national championship appearance before Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer made one of the most memorable defensive plays of the season.
At a minimum, many expected Texas to return to that stage last year. Now, the Longhorns must capitalize on their loaded roster and meet the lofty expectations Finebaum laid out.
Is this finally the year for the Texas Longhorns?
