Texas is alone at the top of the AP Top 25 after pulling off the kind of comeback that jolts the whole sport.
The Longhorns moved to No. 1 in the Associated Press rankings after their 24-23 win over then-No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday night.
Texas erased a 20-point deficit with three fourth-quarter touchdowns, handing the Buckeyes a loss that made them the first No. 1 team since 1988 to blow a 20-point lead. For Texas, it’s the earliest the program has been ranked No. 1 in a regular-season poll since 1965.
Ohio State fell all the way to No. 6 at 1-1, while the rest of the top five now belongs to No. 2 Georgia, No.
3 Notre Dame, No. 4 Indiana and No.
5 Miami. Every one of those teams received at least one first-place vote, along with No.
7 LSU. Miami actually drew more first-place votes than anyone except Texas, even while sitting fifth in the rankings.
The Buckeyes weren’t the only Big Ten team to take a hit. Oregon dropped from No. 6 to No. 21 after a stunning road loss to Oklahoma State, a dramatic slide for a team that opened the season at No. 2.
The new top 25 also sets up a heavyweight matchup in Oxford next weekend, where No. 7 LSU visits No. 8 Ole Miss in Lane Kiffin’s return to his former home.
SEC teams are crowding the top of the poll, and the league now owns six of the top 10 spots. It’s a strong early showing for a conference that opened Week 1 with a 16-0 record and then picked up nonconference wins over Ohio State, Arizona State, Georgia Tech, Minnesota and Kansas in Week 2. The only real setbacks mentioned were Oklahoma’s loss to Michigan and Utah’s 43-10 rout of Arkansas.
That depth gives the SEC a big early edge, though conference play is going to start trimming the list soon enough. The loser of LSU-Ole Miss is likely to fall out of the top 10, but the league’s opening run still leaves it in position to chase last season’s five College Football Playoff teams. Overall, the SEC has nine teams in the Top 25, ahead of the Big Ten’s seven and the ACC’s four.
There are other ranked games worth watching in Week 3, too.
On Friday night, No. 22 Houston heads to Lubbock to face No.
13 Texas Tech. Houston blasted Southern 77-6, while Texas Tech had more trouble than expected putting away Oregon State.
The Red Raiders won this matchup last season 35-11, but this one is expected to be tighter. Texas Tech came into the year as the popular pick to win the Big 12, but a Houston win would put the Cougars in a strong spot.
Then on Saturday afternoon, No. 16 SMU meets No.
23 Louisville in a game that could matter a lot in the ACC race. Miami looks like the conference’s best bet right now, but this matchup could help identify a second playoff contender.
SMU survived a wild one at Florida State, while Louisville dropped a close game to Ole Miss. Another loss for the Cardinals before September ends would sting.
In Other News...
Texas Quieted One Big Sarkisian Concern Against Ohio State
For much of Steve Sarkisians tenure, Texas has lived with a familiar annoyance in the red zone, where the offense has sometimes moved the ball efficiently only to come away needing too many field goals. That backdrop made the latest showing against Oklahoma State worth watching closely, especially for a Longhorns attack that wants to turn yardage into finishing power when the field gets tight.
The encouraging part was not just the spacing or the play design, but the way Texas handled each of its scoring chances once it got inside the 20. The Longhorns kept finding answers in close, and the sequence suggested an offense still ironing out bigger questions but looking much more settled when it mattered most near the goal line. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Just Made The AP Poll Debate Very Real
Week 2 reshaped the national picture in a hurry, and Texas is right at the center of it. The Longhorns opened the season with one of the most important wins in the country, rallying past Ohio State in a game that immediately altered how the AP Top 25 conversation looks heading into the next poll. Around them, the results from Alabama, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, LSU and the Buckeyes all feed into a rankings shuffle that feels far more dramatic than it did a week ago.
For Texas, the debate is no longer just about being safely inside the top tier. The win over Ohio State gives the Longhorns a case to be viewed as one of the standard-bearers again, and the polling math now reflects that reality. Whether the voters are ready to put them back at the very top will be one of the most interesting questions when the new rankings come out, because the rsum argument is suddenly as strong as the brand name. [Read more 🡒]
Sarkisian Added One Awkward Twist To Texas Emotional Night
Texas victory over No. 1 Ohio State already had enough drama baked into it without the broadcast hiccup that followed Steve Sarkisian around on a memorable night. Technical difficulties kept the Longhorns coach from joining Laura Rutledge for a scheduled halftime interview on ESPN, leaving one of the games biggest voices out of the conversation while the biggest upset of the opening weekend was still unfolding.
The oddness didnt end there, either, as Sarkisians postgame exchange with Holly Rowe turned awkward before he walked off, adding an unusual coda to an emotional scene in Columbus. A Texas spokesperson later said ESPN technical issues were behind the halftime problem and also played a role after the game, which at least explains why a celebration night briefly veered into broadcast confusion. [Read more 🡒]