Texas Longhorns receiver Ryan Wingo (5) runs the ball during the College Football Playoff semifinal game against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium on Friday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns Set to Play in Two Must Watch Games in 2025

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Harrison Reno | Last updated May 17, 2025 12:00 PM ET

As the Texas Longhorns look to continue their resurgence from mediocrity to once again national title contenders, there is only one thing left for them to do in that quest. After making it to the College Football Playoff semifinal two years in a row, the next logical step for the Longhorns would be to get over the hump and make their first appearance in the national championship game.

Along their road to making it back to the CFP, they will have go through a regular season schedule that will see them play in two of the nation's "best games to watch" in 2025 according to a recent article from ESPN.

ESPN listed the top-10 best games to watch, of which the Longhorns' first appearance on the list came at No. 4, which will be their third matchup in the past year with the Georgia Bulldogs listed.

"Texas went 0-2 against Georgia and 13-1 against everyone else in 2024. The Longhorns' first-ever trip to Athens should pack major stakes for the SEC title, CFP seeding and, if Arch Manning (or Gunner Stockton?) lives up to hype, the Heisman," ESPN writes.

Revenge will be on the mind of the Longhorns as they look to beat the Bulldogs in Athens. But even if Georgia manages to get the better of the Longhorns again, it could once again be the first of multiple meetings between the two SEC foes.

With that potentially being the first of at least two meetings, it doesn't exactly make the November game a "must-win" for Texas. However, depending on how the No. 1 game from ESPN goes, it could become that.

Of course, it's the season opener against Ohio State.

"Two of the richest programs in the country, playing in a rematch of a down-to-the-wire CFP semifinal, with two former all-world recruits at quarterback -- Texas' Manning and, potentially, Ohio State's Julian Sayin (if he can hold off Lincoln Kienholz)," ESPN writes. "Is it even possible to have a bigger opening-week showdown?"

A rematch of last season's CFP semifinal will give both a season-opening test that could certainly be just the beginning of the victor's path to a national title.

Texas and Ohio State will kick off from Columbus on Aug. 30.

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

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