The University of Texas (UT) Longhorns, newly minted as the Big XII Conference champion, have secured one of the much sought-after four spots in the College Football Playoff (CFP). The prestigious tournament will ultimately determine the national champion. Led by Steve Sarkisian, the Longhorns received news of their postseason participation a day after their decisive 49-21 victory over Oklahoma State University (OSU) Cowboys, marking their final conference crown before they transition to the elite Southeastern Conference (SEC) next year.
A cryptic message on Twitter from UT confirmed this development. "The mission continues," read a tweet from UT dated Dec. 3.
A press release dated Dec. 2 further detailed the Longhorn's performance. According to this announcement, sophomore quarterback Quinn Ewers demonstrated exceptional skill with his passing ability which accounted for 452 yards and four touchdowns leading to UT's fourth Big XII trophy overall and first since 2009. In that memorable year, UT reached the national championship game only to concede defeat in a tough match against then-emerging powerhouse University of Alabama with a scoreline of 37-21.
Austin's NBC affiliate KXAN News reported further insights into this journey from Sarkisian himself. The coach, who has previously spent time with the University of Washington (UW), is set to face off against his former school in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on New Year’s Day 2024. "As much as we look at this season, it has been a process from Day 1," said Sarkisian to KXAN News. He added: "These guys know that we’ve been talking about being champions since the summer, and they never backed off that idea and never blinked."
According to Dallas-Fort Worth CBS station KTVT News, although CFP has been operational for nearly a decade now, this is UT's inaugural berth in the competition. UT, whose only defeat in 2023 came at the hands of the University of Oklahoma (OU) in the Red River Shootout, managed to pip undefeated Florida State for its duel with UW. Alabama and the University of Michigan (UM) complete the remaining two spots in the CFP lineup. The national championship game is scheduled to take place at NRG Stadium in Houston on Jan. 8.