College Football Powerhouse Predicted to Win CFP After Change in Format

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 5:34 PM ET

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has two College Football Playoff appearances under his belt.

Last season, Texas reached the semifinal of the inaugural 12-team format, losing to the Ohio State Buckeyes 28-14.

However, a new prediction from On3's Ari Wasserman, with straight seeding, has the Longhorns winning the national championship.

Straight seeding will be used for the 2025 playoff, meaning teams will be ranked based on the CFP committee's final rankings.

The top-five conference champions are still guaranteed spots in the playoff, even if they are not ranked inside the top 12.

The Longhorns have not won a national title since 2005.

Texas was the No. 1 overall seed in the playoff prediction. It had the Longhorns taking on the No. 8-seeded Oregon Ducks after a first-round bye.

Then, Texas faced Ohio State in a rematch of last season's semifinal. The Longhorns beat the Clemson Tigers to win the national championship in Wasserman's latest prediction.

Before last season, Texas reached the playoff in 2023 when it still used four teams. The Longhorns made it to the semifinal and lost to the Washington Huskies 37-31.

With the CFP very far away, Texas must first focus on its season opener with Ohio State. ESPN's Joe Fortenbaugh predicted that the Buckeyes would beat the Longhorns.

He was not riding the Texas hype train and named the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs as problems on the Longhorns' 2025 schedule. Texas will play the Gators and Bulldogs on the road this upcoming season.

Ohio State and Texas face off in Columbus on August 30 at Noon ET on Fox.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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