Arch Manning breaks silence on Texas' College Football Playoff chances

Texas quarterback Arch Manning had the wind taken out of his sails on Saturday night. The Longhorns’ shrinking College Football Playoff hopes has been at the forefront of everyone's mind. Manning had a confident message after the 35-10 loss to No. 5 Georgia.

Texas entered the matchup knowing a win in Athens would all but lock up a path to the postseason. Instead, the Longhorns were overpowered on both sides of the ball, falling to 7-3 and leaving their playoff chances dependent on outside help. But the team insists its goals remain intact, if it handles business.

Manning faced relentless pressure from Georgia’s front and addressed the team’s postseason outlook head-on. He said the Longhorns are staying focused on what they can control, beginning with the game against Arkansas.

“We’re just going to go do our best to beat Arkansas,” Manning said via SI. “Learn from it. Look in the mirror. ‘How can you get better?’ You know, that’s the thing about college football — you’ve got a game next week. So learn, hopefully get better, and move forward.”

Texas must win out. This includes a decisive victory over No. 3 Texas A&M to close the regular season to have any realistic shot at becoming the first three-loss team to reach the CFP. A strong finish the players believe could put them back in the national discussion.

The Longhorns will learn their updated CFP ranking Tuesday night. Anything outside the top 20 would be a critical setback. 

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