In one of the most astonishing turns of events, Texas and SMU are significantly favored to secure spots in the high-stakes College Football Playoff. As the season hurtles towards its climax, two Texas-based institutions are looking at the thrilling prospect of facing off in a heart-stopping playoff encounter, a development that could electrify the football world and make history in the process.
The Longhorns and the Mustangs have put together impressive campaigns, defying expectations and generating an immense groundswell of enthusiasm among fans and pundits alike. If recent trends hold true, a Texas-SMU showdown in the playoffs could materialize, marking the first time the two programs meet each other at this level. This prospect is nothing short of extraordinary given the stature and respective histories of the two institutions.
There are multiple pathways for this scenario to become a reality. The most likely situation would involve the following: Texas claim a Big 12 Conference title; SMU cinch the Group of Five conference title, making them eligible for a New Year's Six bowl in all likelihood. However, to break into the playoffs, SMU would have to become the highest-ranked champion from the 'Group of Five' conferences before the final College Football Playoff rankings are made public.
For various reasons, no team outside of the Power Five conferences has been chosen for the playoffs since the current system was adopted in the 2014 season. Despite their success in impressing poll voters and increasing the stature of their program to unforeseen heights, their 'Group of Five' standing prevents SMU from having realistic odds of landing a regular playoff spot. Nevertheless, given this season's exceptional performance, the Mustangs could be significantly boosted should multiple teams ahead of them struggle.
Another factor favoring this clash could be other pivotal matchups in Week 14, when the Longhorns will clash with top-ten opponents, Baylor for a double-overtime thriller in an appetizer to Iowa-Nebraska/Purdue for likely losers USC and North Carolina before Rivalry Weekend play Oregon Wisconsin when Georgia/Texas have either no competition play. Results might shake up the final BCS ranking by narrowing field open competitors over 16 playoff berths.