There’s a new No. 1 in one of college football’s biggest rankings, and it just so happens to be the team Ohio State will face next.
Texas moved past the Buckeyes in the latest ESPN power index football rankings heading into Week 2, taking over the top spot after its 59-7 win over Texas State. Ohio State stayed close behind after rolling past Ball State 56-3, but the Longhorns’ performance earned the edge in the updated numbers.
The power index is built around projected margin against average opponents on a neutral field, and Texas entered the season at No. 2 behind Ohio State. This week’s adjustment flipped the order. Texas State is ranked No. 103 nationally, while Ball State sits at No. 135, the fourth-worst team in the country, which helped the Longhorns separate themselves in the algorithm’s eyes.
Even so, the raw margins tell a different story at first glance. Ohio State’s win was by 53 points, while Texas won by 52. ESPN’s system, though, valued the opponent quality enough to push Texas ahead.
That change does not appear likely to carry over to the AP top 25. Texas opened the preseason at No. 5, and several results would have to break its way for the Longhorns to jump all the way to No.
- No.
2 Oregon would need to stumble after its close win over Boise State, No. 4 Notre Dame would have to lose to Wisconsin on Sunday as 21-point favorites, and No.
3 Georgia is coming off a 60-point win over Tennessee State.
Ohio State’s Week 1 performance should keep the Buckeyes at No. 1 in the AP poll, since voters do not have much reason to move them after such a lopsided victory.
Texas, though, gets its chance to settle things on the field next weekend. The Longhorns were the top-ranked team in the country the last time these teams met, before losing that spot after a 14-7 defeat in the 2025 season opener in Columbus. Ohio State took over at No. 1 after that game.
Now Texas has a shot to flip the script, avenge that loss, and make its own case for the top line in the rankings. ESPN has already made its call.
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