Can slumping Texas Longhorns recover for a CFP berth? With 6 games left, it won't be easy
· Yahoo Sports
During each of the past two weekends, Texas football defensive tackle Hero Kanu had tried his best to calm the masses.
Following the 27-24 loss to Oklahoma, Kanu told a room of reporters that the "season is not over, guys. We've still got a bunch of games to play in the future."
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A Texas Longhorns fan reacts to a fumble recovery by Florida during the game at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026 in Austin. (Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman)MORE:Subscribe to the Statesman's Texas sports newsletter
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On Saturday, Texas lost by the same score to Florida. Like Oklahoma, Florida was unranked by the Associated Press. Kanu, though, again attempted to be optimistic - if not, a little introspective - after the game.
"Men only die when they give up, when they don't believe no more. I'm telling you, we still believe," said Kanu, a fifth-year defensive lineman. "So whatever happened today, happened today. We've got to move on."
Kanu isn't wrong. No. 19 Texas (4-2, 1-2 SEC) isn't dead. A College Football Playoff berth is still possible and a trip to the SEC championship game may even still be a possibility since every team in the conference has lost at least once in league play.
But in an era where two losses are likely the CFP cutoff line, the Longhorns are running out of reasons to believe. Starting with this Saturday's home game against Ole Miss, Texas has six dates and little room for error left in the regular season.
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What's next for Texas as it tries to rebound from slump?
UP NEXT
NO. 19 TEXAS VS. NO. 7 OLE MISS
When/where: 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Royal-Memorial Stadium.
TV/radio: ABC; 1300 AM, 98.1 FM, 105.3 FM.
Texas plummeted in the AP rankings Sunday. The Longhorns are now 19th and Ole Miss climbed to Texas' previous No. 7 slot in the poll, but Texas will still open this week as the betting favorite for this weekend's showdown.
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Ole Miss (5-1, 3-1) is one of three ranked teams left on Texas' schedule. Texas will host Mississippi State (4-2, 2-2) and then travel to No. 22 Missouri (5-2, 2-2) and No. 18 LSU (5-2, 2-2). The Longhorns close out the regular season with rivalry games against Arkansas (3-4, 1-3) and Texas A&M (4-3, 1-3).
"We don't have any College Football Playoff rankings yet," Kanu said. "We will see after Week 12 where we're at in those rankings, but we've still got more games to play."
Texas will split its remaining six games between home and the road, but going 6-0 is easier said than done. The football program has won six straight conference games in the same season only twice since 2010, and Texas was a Big 12 team for those streaks in 2013 and 2023. Since joining the SEC ahead of the 2024 season, UT's longest in-season streak in conference play has been five games.
Texas linebacker Justin Cryer (28) celebrates a defensive stop during the game against Florida at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026 in Austin. (Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman)Texas has things to fix, but not a lot of time to fix them
Like Kanu, other members of the Texas football team tried to not treat the Florida loss like a funeral. Center Connor Robertson said he felt fortunate to be playing for the Longhorns, and quarterback Arch Manning reflected that "you've got to find ways to be grateful because I've dreamed to be in this position so I'm not going to take it for granted." While speaking to media, punt returner Ryan Niblett sat with his 1-year-old daughter, Romi, on his lap and said he even viewed talking with the media as a blessing.
MORE: How the Texas Longhorns graded in their loss to Florida
The Longhorns, however, know that they have work to do. Head coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters that everything on the offense needed to be evaluated after the subpar showing against Florida, including his own play-calling and Manning's starting status. The defense was also left looking for answers after Florida converted eight third-downs in the second half and star edge rusher Colin Simmons left with a leg injury.
And although Niblett's touchdown off a 63-yard punt return gave special teams coach Jeff Banks a temporary reprieve, plenty of questions still exist with that unit, too.
"We have (six) more guaranteed games left, and we've got to make the most of those," UT linebacker Justin Cryer said. "I'm not going to let one game and one weekend determine how the rest of my senior year goes, right? Because at the end of the day, I'm still playing at the University of Texas. I'm still living a childhood dream, so I'm not going to let any person on Twitter or beat reporter dictate how I feel about going through the rest of the season. I am going to continue to play my heart out for this university and want to get this thing fixed."
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