The odds of the Texas Longhorns making a second straight appearance in the College Football Playoffs increased on Tuesday as leadership officially announced the move from a “6+6” format to a “5+7” format ahead of the expansion to the 12-team playoffs this season.
Spurred by the demise of the Pac-12 in the latest round of realignment that left the conference with two teams, the five highest-ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams with the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and the top-ranked Group of Five team earning those spots and seven at-large bids that based on past rankings would largely feature teams from the Big Ten and SEC.