Texas is back in familiar territory in the AP Top 25, and the timing couldn’t be much better.
After a dominant Week 9 win over Mississippi State, the Longhorns climbed back into the top 10, landing at No. 10 in the latest AP Poll. They sit just ahead of Ohio State, the same Buckeyes Texas beat in Week 2 and the same team that fell to unranked USC last night.
The top of the poll is crowded with unbeaten and one-loss teams, but Texas has reentered the conversation after stringing wins together again. The full top 25 includes Miami at No. 1, followed by Georgia, Utah, Notre Dame and UCLA. Indiana, BYU, Kentucky and Alabama round out the teams ahead of Texas.
Texas is also carrying some useful head-to-head ammo. The Longhorns have wins over Ole Miss and Tennessee, both of whom remain in the top 25.
That matters because the schedule ahead still gives Texas chances to add more weight to its resume, with No. 15 LSU and No.
19 Missouri still on the board.
That sets up an interesting stretch as the first College Football Playoff ranking approaches. The AP Poll doesn’t decide the postseason field, but climbing back into the top 10 right before the committee unveils its first rankings is a good look.
The initial CFP ranking reveal is set for Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 6 p.m. CT.
If Texas can handle LSU and Missouri, the numbers start to get loud. An 8-2 finish with five ranked wins would give the Longhorns the most ranked wins in the country. After that, the path closes with two rivalry games: against Arkansas and at Texas A&M.
For now, Texas has done the important part - it’s back on track, back in the top 10, and still has a clear lane to strengthen its postseason case.
In Other News...
Texas Win Came With A Missouri Concern Fans Can't Ignore
Texas got the result it wanted against Mississippi State, but the win came with a longer injury list than anyone around the program would have liked. Several key players, including Graceson Littleton, Cam Coleman, Kade Phillips, Hollywood Smothers and Ryan Wingo, were unable to finish the game, forcing Texas to keep adjusting on the fly as the roster thinned out in real time.
Steve Sarkisian acknowledged the concern afterward, and the biggest issue now is not just who got hurt, but how serious those injuries might be. The press box observations offered some clues about the nature of the setbacks and the substitutions that followed, but for Texas the real answer will come later, when the team gets a clearer read on who can move forward and who may be limited heading into the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Coleman Gave Texas A Spark Then Left Fans Worried
Cam Coleman gave Texas exactly the kind of early lift it needed against Mississippi State, turning his first two catches into 61 yards and a touchdown before the second quarter even settled in. He had only recently worked his way through a shoulder issue from the previous week, but after being cleared to play, he looked like a difference-maker right away and helped set the tone for the Longhorns.
Then came the sight that had Texas fans uneasy. Coleman was seen heading to the locker room in the second quarter without an obvious injury moment on the field, a development that immediately shifted attention from his big start to his availability for the rest of the game. For a Texas offense that had already leaned on his explosiveness, the next update mattered almost as much as the production he had already delivered. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Backfield Suddenly Has A Bigger Problem Than Fans Expected
Texas backfield took another uneasy turn against Mississippi State when Hollywood Smothers was injured and sent to the medical tent after absorbing a hard hit. It was already a game in which his role had been limited, and the moment only added to the sense that the Longhorns are still trying to sort out how much they can count on him in a rotation that has been shifting for weeks.
Raleek Brown has been the steadier presence in the run game, and his strong outing against the Bulldogs only sharpened the contrast. Smothers has already missed two games with a lower-leg injury, and Brown has outpaced him in both rushing yards and touchdowns this season, leaving Texas with a backfield picture that feels less settled than anyone expected. [Read more 🡒]