What are the Texas Longhorns saying about the first CFP reveal? Mum's the word | Golden

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian arrives to Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium before the Longhorns take on Mississippi State in Austin on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman) It's been a season of streaks in Austin. The Texas Longhorns won two straight, then lost two straight and just won two more to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.Now comes the real test. Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian during a timeout against Mississippi Rebels in the fourth quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin on Saturday Oct. 24, 2026. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman) The No. 10 Horns (6-2, 3-2 SEC) are battered but not beaten. For you faithful readers who have hung in there with me over the years, this is the last week I'll be mentioning the venerable weekly voting of my valued national media colleagues since the CFP selection committee will take us through the rest of the regular season, starting with Tuesday night's first CFP rankings reveal.UP NEXTNO. 10 TEXAS VS. NO. 19 MISSOURIWhen/where:   11 a.m. Saturday in Columbia, Mo.TV/radio:   ESPN; 1300 AM, 98.1 FM, 105.3 FM (Spanish).Sign up for Ced's CornerSign up for Cedric Golden's newsletter for hot takes and expert analysis each Tuesday on Texas Longhorns football and beyond delivered straight to your inbox.  It's called Ced's Corner, from the NSMA's 2025 Texas Sportswriter of the Year.As for the Longhorns, who I had at No. 8 in my personal rankings, they somehow control their own destiny because they have beaten two top-10 teams and another that was 14th. Head coach Steve Sarkisian will step off the team bus heading a team held together by Ace bandages, gauze and a boatload of grit that has the Horns still in the playoff mix.So, I had to ask Sarkisian what he thought about this first reveal and his team's mentality going into its latest gut check."I haven't and I won't," Sarkisian said Monday. "I don't really know why we do it this early. I feel like the CFP, this is tough when you go so early and you put rankings out. Sometimes you can pigeonhole yourself. It's like, and I felt like that happened a little bit last year, with the whole Notre Dame-Miami thing, I'm not sure what rankings matter now, right? It's who you are at the end, but I'm sure we'll all watch." Young fans as Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) for his autograph as the Longhorns take on Mississippi State at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman) Quarterback Arch Manning talked about putting his body on the line for that extra yard and how 333-pound defensive tackle Maraad Watson energized the Longhorns with his touchdown, but when it came to discussions of where the Horns fit in the national scope, he wasn't too hyped about it."We're trying to go 1-0 this week," Manning said. "The playoffs don't start for another month-and-a-half; we're not worried about that."Beyond all the pomp and circumstance, Longhorn Nation could ill afford the ending of this current win streak knowing that a showdown at LSU is looming Nov. 14. The slippery part is avoiding playing down to a lesser opponent like it did against Oklahoma and Florida in back-to-back weeks because another loss to an unranked team could effectively destroy any chance of getting into the 12-team tournament. I don't mean the Tigers, who opened as a 3½-point underdogs, but unranked clubs like historical rivals Arkansas and Texas A&M that could make their seasons by knocking the Horns out of playoff contention. Texas defensive lineman Maraad Watson (88) returns a fumble for a touchdown during the game against Mississippi State at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026 in Austin. (Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman) A must-win for Texas in Columbia A loss Saturday at Missouri won't end Texas' playoff hopes, but the Longhorns will be well served to not go down that road. The series has been one-sided in favor of the burnt orange with Texas holding a 12-2 advantage dating back to 1979. The two losses were 17-5 in 2011 and 37-29 in 1997. We remember the 2011 game for the day when running back Fozzy Whittaker blew out his knee on that horrible turf at Faurot Field. Missouri also lost its running back Henry Josey with a knee injury the same day.This is the first meeting since the Horns took a 33-16 win in the 2017 Texas Bowl, a game remembered for then coach Tom Herman mocking Missouri quarterback's "secure the bag" celebration."The last time a top-10 Texas team visited Columbia is considered the last great season in program history. That was 2009, when the No. 2 Horns rolled the Tigers 41-7 behind a pair of touchdown passes from Colt McCoy to his roommate Jordan Shipley. The Horns memorably lost to Alabama in the BCS national championship game and haven't been on that big of a stage since.Those were also known as the good old days.Sign up for the Daily Briefing from the Austin American-Statesman. Start your day with the must-read headlines from Austin's most trusted news source.This article originally published at What are the Texas Longhorns saying about the first CFP reveal? Mum's the word | Golden.