The first College Football Playoff rankings were released Tuesday, and as expected, the Texas Longhorns are squarely in the mix in the eyes of the CFP committee. Texas slides in at No. 5 in the initial rankings and is the No.

College Football Playoff selection committee chairman Warde Manuel pointed toward Texas football's road wins at Michigan and Vanderbilt when explaining the committee's decision to place the Longhorns at No.

Even with four games remaining, it's impossible to summarize all of the different postseason permutations that remain in play for Texas football. But this is clear: If the Longhorns win out, they'll be in the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive year,