Greg McElroy Has Warning for Texas Before College Football Playoff

The Longhorns could have a difficult time with the CFP committee if things don't break right down the stretch

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By most measures, Texas is ranked where it ought to be ranked--No. 3 in the nation, with a 9-1 record and arguably the best 1-2 quarterback duo in the nation, thanks to starter Quinn Ewers and his star backup, Arch Manning. Texas won its first six games via blowout (19 points was the closest game the Longhorns had, when they beat Michigan in Week 2) before a loss to Georgia knocked them from the perch of the nation's No.

1 team. They've won three straight since, but needed to squeeze out tight wins over Vanderbilt and Arkansas, sandwiched around a blowout over Florida. Texas has not played a rough-and-tumble schedule, but at No.



38 in strength of schedule, they have not entirely filled up on cream puffs. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy appeared with host Colin Cowherd on Cowherd's podcast this week to look at the College Football Playoffs standings, and Cowherd registered a high opinion of Texas's status. Could Texas MISS the playoff if they lose to Texas A&M? @colincowherd & @GregMcElroy discuss how they view Texas pic.

twitter.com/z6To3HiPNS "I still think, eye test, Texas is the best team. When I watch them, size/speed, Georgia looks like some of Nick Saban’s national championship teams.

Right or wrong?" Cowherd said. McElroy first expressed frustration with the conservative offense coach Steve Sarkisian has been using. "I love Texas’s ceiling," McElroy said.

"Why haven’t they scratched it? I think Texas’s offense is looking a lot like NFL offenses right now, where I just get so tired of the dink-and-dunk, catch-and-run. Throw it downfield. Like, you have Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes.

Throw it 40 yards downfield." Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images But McElroy had a more significant warning for the Longhorns as they head into the final two games of their season. Texas should handle Kentucky on Saturday, and if they do, they could still be looking at a must-win against Texas A&M in the finale.

It's enterily possible that texas could swing right out of the playoff picture altogether without a win over A&M. "If they were to win against Kentucky this week, which is expected, then lose to A&M next week, their best win might very well be a 6-6 Vanderbilt team," McElroy said. "And that’s not gonna be enough to unseat an Ole Miss or a Tennessee or another team in the SEC that’s 10-2 with a much stronger resume.

"I think Texas needs to play well down the stretch because next week becomes a playoff game if they don’t play well and they lose.".