The College Football Playoff committee made a significant announcement on Sunday. Texas has been designated as the No. 5 seed in the 12-team playoff. This means that the 11-2 Longhorns will host the 10-3 Clemson Tigers in a first-round playoff game. The game is scheduled to take place at Royal-Memorial Stadium at 3 p.m. on Dec. 21 and will be televised on TNT.

Texas' Path to the Playoffs and Beyond

Texas entered the playoff picture with an impressive 11-2 record. However, their hopes of a first-round bye were dashed when they suffered an overtime loss to Georgia in Saturday's SEC championship game. Had Texas won that game, they would have earned the luxury of a first-round bye in this year's expanded playoff. Instead, Georgia secured the No. 2 seed and the extra time off awarded to the SEC champion.Now, as the No. 5 seed, Texas faces a tough challenge against Clemson. The winner of this game will advance to play the 11-2 Arizona State in the CFP quarterfinals at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. This is a crucial moment for Texas as they look to continue their playoff journey and potentially claim the college football championship.The CFP schedule works in a specific way. The highest-ranked conference champions receive first-round byes and are seeded first through fourth. If the Group of Five champion is not in the top 12 teams in the final poll, it takes the No. 12 spot. After that, the seven at-large teams make up seeds Nos. 5-12. No. 5 will host No. 12, No. 6 will host No. 11, No. 7 will host No. 10, and No. 8 will host No. 9. These teams play in the first round of the CFP on Dec. 20-21, with higher-seeded teams playing on their home field or a field of their choosing.First-round winners on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day will face teams that had a bye. These games include the Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl. There will be no "reseeding" in the CFP.The four winners will then play in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9 and the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10. The season concludes in Atlanta on Monday, Jan. 20, with the national championship game.

Top-12 Seeds in the CFP

The top-12 seeds in the CFP are as follows:Oregon (13-0) - With an undefeated record, Oregon has established itself as a strong contender in the playoff. Their consistent performance throughout the season has earned them the top seed.Georgia (11-2) - Despite losing to Texas in the SEC championship game, Georgia's overall record and reputation make them a formidable team. They secured the No. 2 seed and will have a bye in the first round.Boise State (12-1) - Boise State has had an outstanding season, winning 12 games and only losing one. They are one of the top teams in the Group of Five and will be a tough opponent for any team in the playoff.Arizona State (11-2) - Arizona State has also had a successful season, winning 11 games and only losing two. They will face the winner of the Texas-Clemson game in the quarterfinals and will be looking to advance to the next round.Texas (11-2) - As mentioned earlier, Texas is the No. 5 seed in the playoff. They will host Clemson in the first round and will be looking to prove themselves on their home field.Penn State (11-2) - Penn State has had a strong season and will be one of the at-large teams in the playoff. They will face a tough opponent in the first round and will be looking to make a deep run.Notre Dame (11-1) - Notre Dame has had a great season and will be a dangerous opponent in the playoff. Their record and reputation make them a team to watch.Ohio State (10-2) - Ohio State has had a solid season and will be one of the at-large teams in the playoff. They will face a challenging opponent in the first round and will be looking to make a statement.Tennessee (10-2) - Tennessee has had a successful season and will be one of the at-large teams in the playoff. They will face a tough opponent in the first round and will be looking to advance.Indiana (11-1) - Indiana has had an impressive season and will be one of the at-large teams in the playoff. They will face a challenging opponent in the first round and will be looking to make a name for themselves.SMU (11-2) - SMU has had a great season and will be one of the at-large teams in the playoff. They were knocked out by Clemson in the ACC championship game but will still be a force to be reckoned with in the playoff.Clemson (10-3) - Clemson has had a mixed season but still managed to secure a spot in the playoff. They will face Texas in the first round and will be looking to bounce back from their loss to SMU.Since conference champions can skip the line when it comes to seeding, the CFP rankings do not mirror the seeds. The CFP committee ranked Oregon, Georgia, Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, Indiana, Boise State, SMU, Alabama, and Arizona State in that order. Clemson, which knocked off SMU in the ACC championship game, was ranked 16th.Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Get access to all of our best content with this tremendous offer.We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsroom.