Texas vs. Missouri Results in the Longhorns Solidifying Status as College Football Playoff Contenders

With a hard-earned road win over Missouri, the Texas Longhorns improved to 7-2 and strengthened one of the most battle-tested résumés in the country. Their path to the College Football Playoff looks more secure by the week, but just how juicy are their odds after Week 10?

What Are the Chances of Texas Making the College Football Playoff?

According to the PFN College Football Playoff Meter (FPM), the chances of Texas making the CFP are now a commanding 93.0% after entering the week at an already-strong 84.7%.

For a two-loss team, that speaks to the sheer quality of the wins on the Longhorns’ ledger, which the College Football Playoff Committee has rewarded with the No. 7 spot in their initial rankings of the season.

For Missouri, however, the 34-20 defeat was a serious blow to a postseason picture that was just starting to take shape. The Tigers fall to 6-3, and with a third loss now on the board, their at-large playoff hopes are officially on life support.

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The bigger story is the résumé Texas keeps building. The Longhorns opened the year by toppling then-No. 1 Ohio State, added a road win at Tennessee, took down Ole Miss, and have now handled Missouri in Columbia, a fourth Top 25 win that few teams in the country can match.

Arch Manning did his part, throwing for 297 yards and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead strike to Raleek Brown with just over five minutes to play.

That late surge (21 unanswered points after falling behind on a 75-yard Missouri touchdown run) was exactly what had eluded Texas in its two narrow losses.

This time, the Longhorns forced a three-and-out, got the interception from Graceson Littleton, and watched Brown slice up the middle for the clinching score before reaching the victory formation.

Remaining Texas Football Schedule

• at LSU Tigers
• vs. Arkansas Razorbacks
• at Texas A&M Aggies

First up is the toughest of the three: a trip to Baton Rouge to face No. 14 LSU at Tiger Stadium, exactly the kind of ranked road environment that has tripped Texas up before. A win for Lane Kiffin’s squad is needed to improve their chances of making the final bracket in the head coach’s first season, which has been much maligned for various reasons on and off the field.

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A home date with Arkansas (3-5) should offer some breathing room before the regular season closes at Kyle Field against Texas A&M, a rivalry game that, this year, could carry real seeding implications for the Longhorns.

That said, the Aggies haven’t exactly been the face of success this season, with Marcel Reed and Co. falling from the mountaintop to the valley floor from Week 1 to now.

Whether Texas runs the table or drops another nail-biter down the stretch, this program is a legitimate College Football Playoff contender with a résumé built to survive a slip-up. At 93.0%, the margin for error is wide, and now all eyes turn to Death Valley.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.