Chaos is the only friend to Texas FBS teams' College Football Playoff hopes in this week's 411

[caption id="attachment_26851" align="alignright" width="350"]Photo by John Hamilton Photo by John Hamilton[/caption] The end of the road is becoming clearer for all of the programs around the state, and it's not pretty for most of them. Four ObservationsCollege Football Playoff hopes are bleak The state of Texas’ chances of qualifying a team for the College Football Playoffs was dashed over the weekend when a late field goal helped Charlie Strong’s much maligned Longhorns sneak past previously undefeated Baylor. It was the second year in a row that Texas upset Baylor. The Bears were one of two unbeaten teams in the Big 12, along with West Virginia, but both lost conference games. Houston’s slide combined with a down year in the Big 12 means the state likely goes empty again unless chaos ensues and Texas A&M receives a bid as the second best team in the SEC. Texas A&M in great position to close strong Speaking of the Aggies, Kevin Sumlin’s program did what it needed in a 52-10 victory over New Mexico State. It wasn’t an emphatic performance from a team needing some style points to move towards the forefront of one-loss teams, but two punt return touchdowns by Christian Kirk cushioned the scoreboard enough for Texas A&M. The lack of consistency through the air must be concerning for Sumlin, but his defense and special teams are lights out. That’s the formula for success in the SEC and kudos to Texas A&M to adjusting. Only one P5 team left on the SEC schedule has a winning record and the Aggies get LSU at home to end the season. New hires proving themselves at UNT and UTSA Two Conference USA programs now sit at four wins with four games left after UTSA beat North Texas at home in a slight upset. The Roadrunners bounced back from a five overtime defeat against UTEP to beat the surging Mean Green. Both programs are now 4-4 on the season and hopeful of bowl eligibility under first-year head coaches. Frank Wilson and the Roadrunners won round one of the burgeoning rivalry. And with it clear that both programs hit home runs with the hires, it could be a contest that starts deciding CUSA West in years to come. Milestone for Texas FCS program Houston Baptist won its first ever Southland Conference game over the weekend, beating Lamar on the road. A major congratulation is due to head coach Vic Shealy and his staff. One Question Will Texas Tech become bowl eligible this season even if quarterback Patrick Mahomes is healthy enough to play the final four games? Texas Tech sits at four wins with Texas, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Baylor remaining on the schedule. One Prediction TCU only wins one of the remaining four games, leaving the Horned Frogs out of a bowl.

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