What more from Texas (12-1, 8-1 Big 12) in a season that started with a 34-24 victory at Alabama and concluded with a 49-21 thumping of Oklahoma State for the Big 12 title is required of the College Football Playoff selection committee?
Before the four-team CFP field is announced on Sunday (11 a.m., ESPN), we’ll break it down for the 13 members of the committee by offering them five reasons why the Longhorns are unquestionably among the top four teams in college football this season.
1. Elite quarterback play
Quinn Ewers completed 24 of 38 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers in the victory over the Crimson Tide. Ewers had an answer ready for Texas every time it needed one against the Crimson Tide.
Ewers responded with a 3-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that included a 50-yard connection to tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders after Alabama had taken a 16–13 lead early in the fourth quarter. With 11:08 remaining in the game, the Tide had narrowed the Texas advantage to 27-24. However, Ewers responded by going 4-of-5 passing on a 7-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, which was finished by a 39-yard touchdown throw to Adonai Mitchell, giving the Longhorns the cushion they needed.
In the Big 12 championship game on Saturday, Ewers completed 15 of his first 16 throws and all 12 of his initial passes as Texas quickly took a 28-7 lead and easily defeated Oklahoma State. With one interception, Ewers completed 35 of 46 passes for 452 yards and four touchdowns, setting a record for the championship game.
“I felt Quinn was really good today,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian remarked.
The two highest-rated interior defensive lineman in FBS, T’Vondre Sweat (Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year) and Byron Murphy (Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year), lead the Texas defence, according to Pro Football Focus. Prior to this Saturday’s Big 12 championship game, the Longhorns had the top national rankings in run defence, red zone defence, and third-down defence.
2. A championship defense that dominates the line of scrimmage
The two highest-rated interior defensive lineman in FBS, T’Vondre Sweat (Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year) and Byron Murphy (Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year), lead the Texas defence, according to Pro Football Focus. Prior to this Saturday’s Big 12 championship game, the Longhorns had the top national rankings in run defence, red zone defence, and third-down defence.
On Saturday, Texas took on Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon, the top rusher in the country. Gordon recorded 20 touchdowns on the run and 1,580 yards rushing going into the title game. Gordon has gained 163.4 yards per game on average on 25 carries in the nine games prior to the Cowboys starting him.
The Cowboys managed just 31 yards running as a team on 18 runs (1.7 yards per attempt), while Texas only managed to limit Gordon to 34 yards rushing on 13 carries (2.6 yards per carry). Even though the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year missed the end zone, Sweat scored additional points on a 2-yard touchdown reception.
3. Top-end skill talent
Adonai Mitchell, Ja’Tavion Sanders, the first-team All Big-12 tight end, and Xavier Worthy, the top three pass-catchers for Texas, are all projected to be first-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draught. Based on their performances in the team’s biggest games this season, all three seem to flourish under Sarkisian’s big-play offence.
Worthy had five receptions for 75 yards against Alabama, which included a deep-strike touchdown ball from Ewers that went for 44 yards. Sanders had five receptions for 114 yards, while Mitchell had three for 78 yards, including touchdown receptions of 39 and seven yards on deep balls.
Worthy finished with six catches for 86 yards on Saturday, including a 54-yard catch-and-run. Sanders had eight catches for 105 yards and a score, Mitchell had six catches for 109 yards and a touchdown.
Mitchell, who leads the team with 10 touchdown receptions this season and has 51 grabs for 813 yards this season, won back-to-back national crowns at Georgia before moving to Texas. All four College Football Playoff games he participated in saw him catch a touchdown pass, including the game-winning play in the closing minutes against Ohio State in the previous year’s semifinal.
4. Elite special teams
With a 74-yard score versus BYU, Worthy leads the country in punt return average (17.9). One of the most lethal kick returners in the nation, Keilan Robinson once returned a kick 95 yards for a touchdown against Texas Tech.
Kicker Bert Auburn has converted 28 of his 34 field goals (82.4%), including a 54-yard long field goal. During the second half of the season, he connected on 19 consecutive field goals, setting a school and Big 12 record.
With a punting average of 45.5 yards per attempt, including 13 dropped inside the opponent’s 20, Ryan Sanborn is one of the top punters in the country.
Two punts have been blocked by Texas (Kitan Crawford against Oklahoma and Michael Taaffe against Texas Tech), while T’Vondre Sweat stopped an extra point against Iowa State that defensive back Austin Jordan recovered 82 yards for two points.
5. The strength of schedule and resume
The Longhorns defeated Alabama by double figures while visiting Tuscaloosa at night.
Prior to the Crimson Tide’s matchup with Texas, Alabama was 52-1 versus opponents at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Longhorns, playing in Tuscaloosa at night, defeated Alabama by a double-digit margin.
The Longhorns’ lone defeat was in a furious rivalry game when Oklahoma prevailed 34-30 thanks to a last-second touchdown. Alabama is aware of how challenging intense rivalry matches can be. In order to defeat Auburn last week, the Crimson Tide had to score on fourth-and-goal from the 31.
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