Jan 1, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian lifts the trophy after defeating the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

ESPN Bowl Projections Bode Well for Texas Longhorns

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Aug 18, 2025 3:30 PM ET

The Texas Longhorns have not won a national championship since 2005, and haven't made it to the big game since 2009.

Heading into the 2025 season, the hope is that at least one of those droughts, but preferably both, will come to an end.

The Longhorns not only have plenty of College Football Playoff experience under their belts - having made it to the semifinals in each of the past two seasons - but have the personnel to win it all. Arch Manning takes over an extremely talented, albeit inexperienced, offense, while many key players from last year's SEC-best defense return for another shot at championship glory. Steve Sarkisian has also proven himself to be one of the sport's top coaches.

Numerous analysts have placed championship expectations on the Longhorns, and now two more have added their names to the list.

ESPN Analysts Pick Texas Longhorns to go to National Championship Game

In their preseason bowl projections, ESPN's Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach both predicted the Texas to go to the national championship game, with the latter stating he also expects it to win the title. They both predicted similar paths for the top-seeded Longhorns, having them defeat No. 8 Oregon in the quarterfinals (Cotton Bowl for Bonagura/Sugar Bowl for Schlabach) and Georgia (No. 5/No. 4) in the semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl.

Where they differ substantially is in the national championship game. Bonagura has the Longhorns besting Penn State in Miami, while Schlabach has them taking down Clemson.

"The Georgia-Texas matchup in the Fiesta Bowl would be a rematch of last year's SEC championship game, which the Bulldogs won 22-19 in overtime," Schlabach wrote. "The Longhorns also lost to the Bulldogs at home during the regular season in 2024, and they might have to once again figure out a way to get past them to win the SEC. Texas plays at Georgia on Nov. 15 in one of the league's most anticipated games.

"I have Clemson and Texas meeting in the national championship game, and I'll go with the Longhorns to win it all. That's putting a lot on Arch Manning in his first season as a starter, and the Texas offensive line is going to have to do a better job of protecting the quarterback than it did in big contests last season."

As mentioned, this is far from the Longhorns' first national championship prediction, and it's far from the last they'll receive as well. For now, the best way to manage such expectations is to take it one week at a time, starting with their highly-anticipated opener against No. 3 Ohio State on Aug. 30.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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