The newest member of the SEC is the conference’s only hope in this week’s College Football Playoff Semifinals. The No. 5 Texas Longhorns are the highest remaining seed in the playoff, so much for byes for conference champions and the only SEC team left in the CFB Playoff…The Horns avoided an epic collapse and overcame a sensational performance by Cam Skattebo in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl to reach the CFB Playoff Semifinals. This week, they host, err, travel to Arlington to take on the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. The Buckeyes are the lowest-ranked team left in the playoff but have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 83-38. The task won’t be easy, but not much has been for the SEC this bowl season. Let’s take a quick look at the Horns and their lackluster brethren.
Tired: Horns Down.
Wired: Horns Up
In Bevo, we Trust
Can Bevo bring the Longhorns luck against the Buckeyes? After not being allowed to travel (again) to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl, Bevo will be on the sidelines along with the Minister of Culture in support of the team Friday night. The key to the Horns’ success is going to be fully embracing the “All Gas, No Brakes” mentality that Steve Sarkisian has brought to Austin. Texas slammed on the gas early in Atlanta. Quinn Ewers completed two big passes (23 yards and 54 yards, respectively) to drive 77 yards in two plays to put the Horns up 7-3. The Texas defense responded by forcing the Sun Devils to go three-and-out on their next drive. Silas Bolden then took the punt back for a touchdown to put the Horns up 14-3. The route looked on…or so we thought.
Texas has a bad habit all season. Fast starts, followed by long lulls from their offense. The quick start in Atlanta quickly turned into the “What will Skattebo do next show?” The Horns were finally able to put Arizona State away in double overtime. This sort of performance will not work against the Buckeyes; ask Tennessee or Oregon. Ohio State is firing on all cylinders, and the best bet for the Longhorns may be to try to outscore them rather than try to stop them. Texas has arguably the best receiving and running back room in the SEC. It will be up to Sarkisian and Ewers to find the complication to keep the Horns humming.
It Just Means More…Disappointment
No one mourns the wicked, and no, we’re not talking about Elphaba and Glinda. Many in the media and on social media are taking victory laps, declaring that the SEC’s dominance in college football is over. The criticism isn’t unwarranted: only one SEC team remains in the CFB Playoff Semifinals, and the conference ended the bowl season with an underwhelming 8-6 record, including some abysmal showings in Florida. But let’s not be too quick to bury the conference. Consider this: the Big Ten is on the verge of winning back-to-back national championships for the first time in over 60 years. Yes, 60 years.
The scrutiny on the SEC isn’t just about this season—it’s about history. Since 2003, the SEC has won an astonishing 14 national championships, with victories spread across multiple programs: Florida and Auburn (1), LSU and Georgia (2), and Alabama (8). This era of dominance cemented the SEC’s reputation as the gold standard in college football, encapsulated by the slogan “It Just Means More.” In comparison, the big and mighty Big Ten has two national championships (Ohio State and Michigan) in that time frame. That legacy, however, is now being challenged.
Change is inevitable. The retirement of Nick Saban looms large, and the rise of NIL deals and the Transfer Portal have disrupted the traditional balance of power in college football. The SEC isn’t immune to these shifts, and its coaches must now adapt to the evolving landscape to reclaim the mantle of dominance.
This conference defied gravity for years, establishing itself as a juggernaut in the sport. And while the current setbacks might seem like the end of an era, history suggests the SEC won’t stay down for long. Given time, the conference will find their chance to fly.
SEC Betting Lines: CFB Semifinals
Everything’s bigger in Texas. Let’s hope that, for the sake of the SEC, that also means the number of points for the Longhorns compared to the Buckeyes. Can we really stand another Big Ten National Champion or (gulp) Notre Dame? Your CFB Playoff Semifinals betting lines and game totals are courtesy of FanDuel. Check the links for insights from your favorite Last Word on College Football writers.
| Matchup | Bowl | Date | Time | Date | Line | Total |
| SEC CFB Playoff Semifinal Games | ||||||
| No. 5 Texas vs. No. 8 Ohio State | Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic |
Fri., Jan 10 | 7:30 PM | ESPN | #GoBucks -6 | 53.5 |
| Other CFB Playoff Semifinal Action | ||||||
| No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame | Capital One Orange Bowl | Thurs., Jan 9 | 7:30 PM | ESPN | #GoIrish -2 | 45.5 |
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