Abbott pulls for alma mater UT in College Football Playoff

Governor Greg Abbott has publicly expressed his support for his alma mater, the University of Texas (UT), in the upcoming College Football Playoff. The third-seeded Longhorns are scheduled to face off against the University of Washington (UW) in a New Year's Eve Sugar Bowl matchup. It is worth noting that Steve Sarkisian, UT's current head coach, was once part of UW's coaching staff.

According to Axios, UT consistently ranked within the Top 10 throughout much of the 2023 season. This period saw significant games including an upset victory over the perennial powerhouse University of Alabama at Austin and a loss to the University of Oklahoma (OU) in Dallas. An impressive performance in UT’s final Big XII title game allowed them to surpass undefeated Florida State University and secure a spot in the four-team College Football Playoff.

The Austin Journal reports that UT views the forthcoming Sugar Bowl as an opportunity for redemption, particularly given their defeat by UW in 2022.

Abbott completed his undergraduate studies at UT before earning his law degree from Vanderbilt University (VU) in Tennessee. He hopes that the Longhorns will join the Texas Rangers, who clinched the 2023 World Series title in early November, in bringing another championship home to Texas within a six-month span.