In the College Football Playoff era, a tough schedule is not just a smart move but essential. The Texas Longhorns know this all too well and consistently rise to the challenge of more formidable non-conference opponents. And in 2025? They are keeping the tradition, and analysts believe these matchups are game-changers.
Texas Longhorns: Non-Conference Games to Strengthen Playoff Bid
On a recent episode of Texas at the Voice of College, hosts Matthew Miller and Gerald tackled the big question: Should Texas schedule challenging out-of-conference games? Their answer was yes. They believe these high-stakes matchups build a stronger team and boost playoff chances.
“Having those hard out-of-conference games and winning them is something that the College Football Playoff committee has proven, time to time, that they’re going to reward, right?”
Gerald continues, “Alabama didn’t have that this year, so they didn’t get their Mulligan. That means they had a smaller margin. You have more margin to make it into the 12, or what eventually becomes a 14 or 16-team field, if you have a marquee non-conference game and you can get a win.”
The Longhorns’ non-conference schedule includes a trip to Ohio State Buckeyes (Aug. 30). They’ll host San Jose State Spartans (Sep. 6), UTEP Miners (Sep. 13), and Sam Houston Bearkats on Sep. 20—a date they moved up from Sep. 27 to give Texas a bye week before it begins SEC. The Horns will open their SEC schedule with a showdown at Florida on Oct. 4.
Texas and Mississippi State are the only SEC teams kicking off 2025 with four consecutive non-conference games.
KEEP READING: Ranking Every Texas Longhorns Game in 2025
The open week before the game at the Swamp will allow coach Steve Sarkisian to fine-tune his squad for the rigors of the SEC. It’ll be a new-look Longhorns this fall after Quinn Ewers led the offense for the last three seasons. Arch Manning is taking over the starting quarterback job, and around him are new faces at the tight end, offensive line, and wide receiver. But that doesn’t mean they’re new to the program.
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