Texas may have Arch Manning’s name drawing plenty of attention, but are the Longhorns getting a little too much love from the CFP selection committee? Sitting at No. 7 despite suffering two losses, Steve Sarkisian’s team has somehow managed to stay firmly in the playoff conversation. And that hasn’t gone down well with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.

From defeats against unranked Florida and Oklahoma to nearly blowing a 20-point lead against Ole Miss, Smith had plenty of reasons to question Texas’ position. But what really caught his attention was the possibility that the Longhorns’ brand is doing more heavy lifting than their performances.

“Now, let’s get to whether or not they deserve it,” Smith said on First Take on November 4. “I understand the quality of their wins, but what about the quality of losses? You lost to two unranked teams: Florida and Oklahoma. Both unranked? I mean, I don’t have a problem with them being in the top 12 to 15. Number seven? Number seven? With two losses to unranked teams on your schedule?

“And in Oklahoma and Florida, the Red River rivalry is a big, big deal. You got a quarterback that blew it, that threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter, and then the game against Florida, a strip sack that ended that game. You understand? You almost blew the lead against Ole Miss after being up 20 or more. You gotta be kidding me. Seven? Seventh in the nation?” he added. 

Earlier this week, the CFP committee released its first rankings for the 2026 campaign, and, as is the case every year, they generated a lot of noise. Was Alabama ranked too high? However, many fans also took issue with the Longhorns’ positions. After Week 9, the AP Voters ranked Texas 1oth. The committee jumped Steve Sarkisian’s team to the 7th position. Stephen A. Smith sees a design in this choice.

“They’re going to do everything they can to make sure that Texas has every opportunity to be in these playoffs, because if you drop them lower and they lose another game, you definitely have to push them out. Meanwhile, at number seven, there’s an outside chance that if you lost another game, you might drop as low as 11th or 12th, but not completely out of the picture. That’s what I sense. I do not know, but that’s the impression that I get,” he said. 

Sarkisian can argue that his Longhorns have quality wins on their resume. Texas beat No. 1 Ohio State at home, a No. 14 Tennessee in Knoxville, and a No. 7 Ole Miss at home. From the committee’s standpoint, the strength of schedule is a key consideration.

But how are you going to discount the two losses? Against two unranked teams? In both matchups, Texas entered the game as a heavy favorite. Instead, we got a familiar recipe from the offense. A dominating first half followed by a lackluster second half.

Florida made the Longhorns pay in a 27-24 win. Oklahoma did the same. Both losses came due to some questionable decisions by Arch Manning. However, this is where we stand right now. Texas is the No. 7 team according to the committee.

The Longhorns are coming off a 31-3 win over Mississippi State. They are set to face No. 18 Missouri in Week 10, followed by a crucial trip to Baton Rouge to take on Lane Kiffin’s LSU.

Let’s assume that Texas beats Missouri, and Alabama beats LSU in Week 10. It will come down to Week 11 to decide Texas’ fate. Another loss, and the committee is more than likely to throw Steve Sarkisian’s team out of the top 12.

Just like last year, with three losses, Steve Sarkisian will be left lamenting another CFP miss.