ESPN Predicts Texas' Postseason Fate originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Texas Longhorns have their eyes on a third-straight College Football Playoff berth in 2025 under head coach Steve Sarkisian. Sarkisian has been to the semifinal round in 2023 and 2024 and comes into this season with a 38-17 overall record.

The No. 1-rated Texas Longhorns are coming into the first week of the season as betting underdogs when they face the reigning champion Ohio State Buckeyes on Aug. 30. Ohio State is favored by 2.5 points across the entire betting market, with the total coming in at 48 points for what could be a shootout.

Texas Longhorns football enters the 2025 season with a defense that is expected to be one of the best in the nation. Some players on this defense standout compared to the rest, including two preseason first-team All-American selections, linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and safety Michael Taaffe.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach believes Sarkisian will reach the National Championship Game and beat the Clemson Tigers for its first title since 2005.

At the time of his arrest, Bond was released after posting a $25,000 bond. He quickly filed a federal lawsuit against his accuser, alleging defamation and maintaining the sexual encounter was consensual. The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice last month by the U.S. District Court in North Texas.