How does Texas make the 2023 College Football Playoff? Quinn Ewers, Arch Manning, the QB controversy to come, and much more

The Texas Longhorns boast a storied program in college football. However, success has been hard to find in recent years. They’ve been without a National Championship since 2005 and haven't made it to the College Football Playoff since 2009.

Nonetheless, the program, in recent years, has been fervently striving to regain its prominence in college football. The Longhorns have only recorded a 10-win season once in the last 12 years but hope to change their tides following an 8-5 season in 2022.

Going into the 2023 college football season, there is a sense of optimism in many quarters that the Longhorns can finally make a breakthrough. However, accomplishing this feat will require a series of favorable circumstances to align in their favor.

Let's take a look at the scenarios that can make the Texas Longhorns reach the playoffs in the upcoming season.

Claiming the Big 12 Title

Texas was a founding member of the Big 12 in 1994, and the program has only won the Big 12 Championships on three occasions. The program last won the title in 2019, and to reach the playoffs this season, they will have to claim the title once again.

As the Longhorns have only one year remaining in the conference before moving to the SEC, they are presented with a final opportunity to compete for a championship. This time, the chances of achieving this goal appear highly feasible and within reach.

Texas’ consistency in offense and QB controversy

To reach the College Football Playoffs for the upcoming season, the Texas Longhorns have to maintain a superb level of consistency in every offensive department. More than any other offensive position, the quarterbacks have to stand up to the task.

In his first year as a starter for the Longhorns, Quin Ewers demonstrated glimpses of potential and promise. However, he will need to elevate his performance to effectively lead the offense next season. There’s also Arch Manning who can step up in the case of injury.

However, who gets to start between the two signal-callers has been one of the most intriguing headlines in the last few months. Steve Sarkisian has already named Ewers as the starting quarterback, but there's a chance Manning takes the role later on in the season.

Improvement in defense

The Big 12 conference has often been associated with a reputation of not prioritizing defense in their style of play. And without any form of doubt, the Texas Longhorns have massively contributed to the reinforcement of this perception in the college football world.

Prior to last season, the Longhorns' defense was ranked 58th, 65th, 61st, and 99th in the previous four seasons. Ranking 28th last season doesn't seem bad, but the team has to improve on this if they want to have a chance at competing in the playoffs next season.