Texas Longhorns Miss the Playoff: What’s Next for Sarkisian and the Program?
The College Football Playoff selection committee delivered a harsh verdict on Tuesday night, ranking the Texas Longhorns at No. 13 in the penultimate rankings—a position that leaves them on the outside looking in at the 12-team playoff bracket. After climbing three spots from No. 16 following their impressive victory over rival Texas A&M, the Longhorns find themselves tantalizingly close yet frustratingly far from postseason glory.
👀📈🤘 pic.twitter.com/Yv0RDpA0pC
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) December 3, 2025
With the final rankings set to be announced Sunday, December 8th, Texas faces a stark reality: they’ll be idle this weekend while conference championship games unfold, leaving them little opportunity to improve their standing. Only two teams ranked above them—No. 9 Alabama and No. 11 BYU—could potentially suffer losses in conference title games, offering slim hope at best.
The Resume That Wasn’t Quite Enough
The Longhorns’ 9-3 record tells a complicated story. Their three losses came against quality opponents—Florida, top-ranked Ohio State, and No. 4 Georgia—but in today’s playoff landscape, three losses proved too much to overcome, even with impressive wins over No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 8 Oklahoma, and a third top-10 opponent. The committee gave Texas credit for their strength of schedule, but not enough to overcome missing the SEC Championship Game.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian made his case publicly after the Texas A&M victory, telling ESPN that excluding his team would be a disservice to the sport. But those pleas couldn’t overcome the fundamental math of the playoff selection process.
Hunter Yurachek, CFP selection committee chairman regarding Texas and whether the loss at Florida is the main factor that has the Longhorns out of the top 12. pic.twitter.com/0ozY8CE5pE
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) December 3, 2025
The Sarkisian Question
The more pressing question for Longhorns fans heading into the offseason isn’t about this year’s playoff snub—it’s about who will be leading the program in 2026 and beyond.
Rumors swirled throughout the latter half of the season about Sarkisian’s potential interest in returning to the NFL. Reports in late October suggested his representatives had reached out to NFL teams, including the Tennessee Titans, about potential head coaching opportunities.
In mid-November, Sarkisian delivered an impassioned near three-minute statement emphatically denying any interest in leaving Austin. He stated unequivocally that he had no discussions with his agent, the university, other schools, or NFL teams about departing. Sarkisian pointed to his family’s deep roots in Austin—two children enrolled at the university and a young son born in the city—as evidence of his commitment.
“This is our home,” Sarkisian declared. “We came here to win championships.”
His agents at CAA issued their own statement calling the NFL reports “patently false and wildly inaccurate”—an unprecedented move that underscored the seriousness of the situation.
The Case for Stability
Despite this season’s disappointment, Sarkisian’s five-year tenure at Texas has been objectively successful. The Longhorns have appeared in two consecutive College Football Playoffs, won a Big 12 championship, and reached the SEC Championship Game in their first year in the conference. They’ve had 23 players drafted over the past two years—more than any other program in the country.
Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte has publicly backed Sarkisian throughout the rumors, expressing frustration with what he called baseless speculation. Del Conte’s support, combined with Sarkisian’s substantial contract (over $10 million annually), suggests the university remains committed to their coach.
Any potential split would come at enormous financial cost. Texas would owe Sarkisian approximately $55 million if they terminated him before 2026, while Sarkisian himself would owe between $3-4 million to the university if he departed early.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Regardless of Sarkisian’s future, the Longhorns face critical decisions in the coming months. The transfer portal era means coaching uncertainty can rapidly destabilize a roster, and Texas must work to retain key players while navigating another active portal period.
Quarterback Arch Manning’s development will be paramount. After taking over as starter this season, Manning showed flashes of the talent that made him the most hyped recruit in recent memory, but also endured growing pains. His continued progression will be essential for a program expecting to compete for SEC championships.
Missing the playoff stings, especially for a program that has tasted postseason success the past two years. But this disappointment also presents an opportunity for honest evaluation. Can Texas consistently compete in the brutal SEC, where every week presents championship-caliber competition? Can they develop the depth needed to sustain success over a grueling conference schedule?
And perhaps most importantly, can Sarkisian—who has built an impressive program but hasn’t yet delivered the ultimate prize—elevate the Longhorns to that final level?
For now, Sarkisian insists he’s committed to seeing that journey through in Austin. Whether that commitment survives the offseason—or whether Texas’s expectations ultimately exceed reality—remains to be seen. One thing is certain: the months ahead will be crucial in determining the future of Texas football.
MORE ON THE LONGHORNS MISSING OUT ON THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF BRACKET FURTHER DOWN THIS POST IN SPORTS.
The Georgetown Police Department said it recovered the body of 18-year-old Kenley Bommarito Tuesday from Lake Georgetown by using an underwater sonar after he was reported missing from a campsite.
Authorities in Taylor are searching for two children granted custody by the state.
Police in Round Rock took a man into custody after a standoff at a CVS store yesterday.
It was a busy day Tuesday for Round Rock police. Another suspect was taken into custody in connection with a series of burglaries.
A Williamson County judge is expected Wednesday to find a Georgetown man not guilty by reason of insanity in the fatal baseball-bat beating of a boy who lived next door, according to the district attorney and the man’s lawyers.
A Cedar Park man accused of shooting and injuring three officers while holding his family hostage for more than 16 hours back in 2020 was found guilty Tuesday.
A month-long string of overnight break-ins has ended with the arrest of a 39-year-old man. Police say Andrew David Kendall targeted bars, stores, and ATMs across the Austin area more than a dozen times between November 3 and November 22. Following an ATM theft at the Crown and Anchor Pub, detectives tracked Kendall to Leander, where he was taken into custody. (KXAN-TV)
A woman has received a 40-year prison sentence in a drunken driving crash that killed two of her children and seriously injured a third in Williamson County, officials said Tuesday. (Austin American-Statesman)
Austin authorities said Tuesday that an ongoing probe into the weekend falling death of Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera continues to suggest the 19-year-old did not die by homicide, but also cautioned they have not reached any conclusions. (Austin American-Statesman)
Liberty Hill ISD has been named in a new class-action lawsuit aiming to stop Texas public school districts from having to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
To prevent a $19.7 million deficit from growing, the Austin school district must sell the old Brooke and Rosedale campuses this year. If the sales fall through, officials will be forced to find new savings only months after shuttering 10 schools to address enrollment and budget strains. (Austin American-Statesman)
New footage from the Austin Independent School District shows Waymo vehicles repeatedly illegally passing stopped school buses with flashing stop signs and red lights.
The incidents were captured between August 22 and November 14.
Recent sweeps of homeless encampments by the City of Austin cost nearly $900,000.
Ben Thompson of Community Impact has more:
Austin's ramped up enforcement of public encampments this fall cost ~$840K over 3 weeks
— Ben Thompson (@BThompson_CI) December 2, 2025
City crews visited 669 sites & cleared almost 1.5M lbs of debris
Of over 1,200 people visited:
-181 moved into shelter
-109 returned to camp
-87 connected to services
-Dozens cited, arrested https://t.co/hCj5dr2lge pic.twitter.com/6RiKVspV7d
City leaders held a ribbon-cutting on Tuesday for the North Austin Reservoir and Pump Station Improvements Project.
Travis County Commissioners Court met Tuesday with a packed agenda.
✅ Overall Structure of the Meeting
- The session was a voting session — the Court considered a variety of items on the agenda.
- Many items were handled under “Consent” — meaning they were approved without separate discussion.
- Several items were discussed before a vote.
- Some items required no action, and a handful were set for a postponed consideration or deferred to executive session (closed-door).
📄 Consent Agenda — Items Approved Without Discussion
A large number of agenda items were approved under the consent agenda. According to the published agenda summary, those included items numbered: 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14 (a–e), 17, 18, 21, 22 (a–e), 23, 24, 25 (a–d), 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 (a), 44, 45, 49 (a–b), 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, and 56. These likely covered routine administrative, procedural, or non-controversial county business (common for consent-type items), though the publicly-available summary does not list the detailed descriptions of each item.
🗣️ Items That Were Discussed
The Court had discussion on several agenda items before voting — specifically items numbered 1, 2, 5, 11, 19, 46, 47, 48, and 55.
⏸️ Postponed or Deferred Items / Executive Session
- Some items (28, 57, 58, 60) were designated as Executive Session Items — meaning they were to be discussed in closed session, not publicly.
- A number of items required no action (4 a–b, 9, 15, 16, 20, 33, 43, and 59).
- Some items were postponed — to be taken up at a later date.
⚠️ What We Don’t Know from the Public Summary
The publicly-available agenda summary does not include the full text of each agenda item, so the summary doesn’t reveal what the specific issues under each agenda number actually were (e.g., contract approvals, budget decisions, land use, personnel, etc.).
Because of that, even though we know which items were consent, discussed, postponed, or deferred to executive session, we don’t — at least from the summary — know the content or subject matter of those items.
To get the full context, watch yesterday’s session:
PODCAST
Austin’s nearly 200 years old, and in a state full of tall tales, it’s no surprise that this city is swirling with myths and legends. But can you tell the truth from fiction? Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by producers Elissa Castles and Eva Ruth Moravec to see who can do just that the best — in a game of Two Truths and a Lie. Play along to see how well you know Austin’s history, and remember, in this weird city, truth is always stranger than fiction!
Paseo, a new mixed-use tower in the Rainey neighborhood of downtown is open.
Austin Business Journal takes a look inside.
A reminder from Travis County officials…
WEATHER
TUESDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
Central Texas Winter weather outlook for 2025-2026: Is it going to snow?
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has requested the suspension of tax exemption for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
Camp Mystic in Kerr County announced that it will reopen its Cypress Lake property for Summer 2026 and outlined extensive new safety upgrades. (FOX 7 Austin)
Texas earmarked $1.4 billion to help fund flood prevention projects. But after learning that so many communities turned down the money, two lawmakers who approved the program acknowledged it was flawed. (Texas Tribune)
Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina launched his bid to run as a Republican for South Texas’ 28th Congressional District on Tuesday, kicking off his campaign to flip a key battleground district red.
This is my why…
— Judge Tano Tijerina (@JudgeTano) December 2, 2025
For our community, for our values and to show DC what real South Texans are about. This South Texan is coming! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/uhNtzNZyBP
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, appears to be inching closer to a U.S. Senate bid, scheduling a “special announcement” for Monday.
Clock It with Crockett https://t.co/ZAqfpbwOJQ
— Jasmine Crockett (@JasmineForUS) December 3, 2025
Current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is a candidate for the U.S. Senate.
Fact! https://t.co/pWPWHZL2yX
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) December 2, 2025
The state Comptroller’s office announced Tuesday that it is removing women- and minority-owned businesses from a program created to expand opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups.
Texas Department of Public Safety officials in South Texas announced the recent discovery of nearly two dozen illegal immigrants in a semi tractor-trailer during a recent routine traffic stop.
Texas DPS officials are also offering reward money leading to the arrest of a child predator.
A complaint from a resident in Harris County about a stolen vehicle led to the discovery of eight cars reported missing.
Matthew and Eleanor speak with K-12 education reporter Jaden Edison and early learning advocate David Feigen about the shortage of affordable child care in Texas and how the school voucher program may or might not help.
Get an inside look at the determined and dedicated work of the APD Sex Crimes Unit.
(Episode from November 10, 2025)
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will open the state’s newest state park, Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, to guests with reservations on New Year’s Day. (Texas Tribune)
Texas billionaires Michael and Susan Dell pledged $6.25 billion Tuesday to provide 25 million American children under 10 an incentive to claim the new investment accounts for children created as part of President Donald Trump’s tax and spending legislation.
Officials in Cooke County say a bison was killed and decapitated. They are searching for those responsible.
SPORTS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: For the Texas Longhorns, it just wasn’t quite enough.
Texas climbed three spots into the No. 13 slot in the College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday. Only the top 12 get in the playoff bracket.
Texas Tech came in at No. 4 in the latest rankings, likely cementing a first-round bye in the process.
Texas A&M is at No. 7, as their loss to in-state rival Texas saw them drop four places in the rankings.
The Aggies will likely now host a playoff game on campus instead of skipping the first round like the Red Raiders.
Texas Football SNUBBED by CFP Committee? | LIVE | 12/3/25
can’t wait to show out with y’all on Wednesday 🤘#HookEm | @TheCorralUT pic.twitter.com/0MJZVK9uL7
— Texas Men’s Basketball (@TexasMBB) December 2, 2025
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: After a holiday break, the Texas Longhorns are back on the court tonight hosting Virginia.
Last night, a win on the road for the Aggies.
Rashaun Agee scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead Texas A&M to an 81-73 victory over Pittsburgh on Tuesday night in the ACC/SEC Challenge.
NBA: Harrison Barnes scored 31 points, De’Aaron Fox had 29 and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Memphis Grizzlies 126-119 on Tuesday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
ON THE SCHEDULE
All three Texas teams play tonight.
NHL: Not the desired outcome…but they’ll take it.
Vladislav Gavrikov buried the rebound of Artemi Panarin’s shot at 1:09 of OT for the game-winner as the Rangers rallied for a 3-2 overtime win over the Dallas Stars. (Yahoo! Sports)
ON THE SCHEDULE
Dallas is at New Jersey tonight.
MLB: The Houston Astros are said to be signing pitcher Ryan Weiss.
The Astros are signing Ryan Weiss per multiple reports.
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) December 2, 2025
Weiss had a 3.16 ERA with 305 strikeouts in 270 1/3 innings over his last two years with the Hanwha Eagles in the KBO. pic.twitter.com/jcsqi9FQi9
The crew from The Daytripper talk Christmas in Texas.
