Texas walked into the first College Football Playoff rankings with a break it could use.
Even with two ugly losses to unranked opponents, Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns landed at No. 7 in the initial 12-team field, a spot that keeps the door wide open for a playoff run.
The ranking looks even friendlier when you stack it against some of the teams around them. Texas is sitting ahead of undefeated UCLA, which checks in at No.
- Alabama, meanwhile, is ranked above one-loss Tennessee even though Tennessee throttled the Crimson Tide.
Alabama is also placed ahead of Texas, despite the Longhorns owning three signature wins over Top 15 teams and what appears to be a stronger overall resume.
Still, the committee’s first release made one thing clear: Texas has a real path to the playoff.
That matters for a roster loaded with talent, including quarterback Arch Manning and plenty of other high-end pieces. And with the committee showing plenty of respect for the SEC, the Longhorns may even have some margin for error.
A third loss could still leave them in the mix, which becomes especially relevant with a trip to LSU coming on Nov. 18.
The bigger picture from Tuesday night was simple. The season has been messy for Sarkisian’s team, but the rankings gave Texas a favorable starting point anyway. The SEC took six of the top 11 spots, Miami opened at No. 1, and the Longhorns came away with a number that keeps their postseason hopes very much alive.
In Other News...
Texas Is Back In Playoff Position Now Comes The Hard Part
Texas has put itself in the thick of the College Football Playoff conversation, landing at No. 7 in the first ranking of the season and even slotting ahead of undefeated UCLA. It is the kind of position the Longhorns have been chasing, and it gives their final stretch real weight as the bracket picture starts to take shape around them.
What comes next is the difficult part, because the ranking only matters if Texas keeps stacking wins down the stretch. If the order holds, the Longhorns could be staring at a first-round matchup with Ole Miss and, if they advance, a second-round meeting with Georgia, a path that underlines how narrow the margin is between being in the field and being on the outside looking in. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Could Be Closing In On A Huge In-State Recruiting Flip
Xaiver Muhammads recruitment has taken an interesting turn, and Texas is right in the middle of it. The four-star defensive line prospect from Texas is still committed to Michigan, but he has lined up a visit to the Longhorns campus after recently landing an offer from Steve Sarkisian. He has already made an unofficial stop in Austin, which gives Texas a real foothold with a player the staff clearly wants to keep close to home.
For the Longhorns, the timing matters as much as the talent. Muhammads decision to keep looking at Texas comes as questions swirl around Michigans coaching situation under Kyle Whittingham, and that uncertainty appears to be creating an opening. Texas has been working to capitalize on it, and the fact that a committed in-state defender is willing to keep the door open says plenty about where this one could be headed. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Could Land A Rare Receiver Talent Fans Need To Watch
The recruiting spotlight swings back to the 2028 class this week, and Brysen Wright is right at the center of it. The five-star wide receiver, ESPNs top-ranked prospect in that cycle, is set to announce his college commitment on Thursday, with Texas still in the mix as one of three finalists alongside Florida and Miami.
For the Longhorns, this is the kind of national chase that can shape the early feel of a recruiting class long before it takes form. Wright has built a reputation as a standout at Mandarin High School with the kind of athletic profile and following that tend to draw attention far beyond state lines, and Texas is hoping that appeal translates into a future on the Forty Acres. [Read more 🡒]