Texas’ case with the College Football Playoff committee just got even stronger, and the latest rankings made that plain.
After beating Missouri last week, the Longhorns now own four ranked wins on the season, and all four of those teams stayed in the CFP Top 25 released Tuesday night. That kind of portfolio clearly carried weight. Texas moved up to No. 6 in the second edition of the 2026 rankings, jumping past one-loss Miami.
That move is the part that will spark the most conversation. Miami’s lone defeat came against No.
5 Notre Dame, a road loss in South Bend that many expected would hold up well with the committee. Instead, Texas - with two losses - climbed ahead of the Hurricanes.
The committee also kept two of Texas’ biggest victories in strong standing, even though Ohio State and Ole Miss both slipped a bit over the weekend. Those results did not knock the Longhorns down in the committee’s eyes. In fact, Texas rising to No. 6 suggests the resume is being valued more than the record alone.
It would not have been a shock if Texas had stayed at No. 7, which makes the jump over a team that had been No. 1 just days earlier stand out even more. Miami dropping behind a two-loss Texas will fuel plenty of debate this week.
Here’s where the Longhorns’ resume stands heading into Week 11:
Key Wins
- vs.
Ohio State
- at Tennessee
- vs. Ole Miss
- at Missouri
Remaining Games
- at LSU (Nov.
- vs.
Arkansas (Nov. 21)
- at Texas A&M (Nov. 27)
The full CFP Top 25 released Tuesday night put Georgia at No. 1, followed by Utah, Alabama, UCLA and Notre Dame. Texas landed at No. 6, with Miami right behind at No.
- LSU came in at No.
21, Missouri at No. 22, and Ohio State at No. 20.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin Opens Up On Arch Manning Before Texas LSU Showdown
Lane Kiffin had plenty to say about Arch Manning ahead of the looming Texas-LSU matchup, and much of it centered on the quarterbacks path to this point. Kiffin described Manning as a great kid and reflected on the pressure that followed him even in high school, a reminder of how long the spotlight has been fixed on the Longhorns young signal-caller. With College Football Playoff implications hanging over the game, every word around Manning seems to carry a little extra weight.
Kiffin also revisited his own complicated history with the Manning family, including the fact that Archie Manning once apologized after previously calling him a narcissistic jerk. It is the kind of backstory that gives this matchup a little more edge than the standings alone would suggest, especially with Texas preparing for one of its biggest tests of the season. For Kiffin, the conversation was as much about respect and history as it was about the game ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Walks Into LSU With Its Playoff Credibility On The Line
Texas heads into Saturdays trip to LSU with a different kind of pressure than it has faced so far this season. Even after stacking three straight wins, including a recent victory over Missouri, the Longhorns are being framed by the market as an underdog for the first time in 2026, a sign that the early inconsistency still lingers in the conversation around a team trying to strengthen its playoff case.
Tiger Stadium is hardly the place to quiet doubts, and this one carries real weight for both programs postseason hopes. With ABC carrying the game, Texas has a chance to turn a skeptical national eye in its direction, but it will have to do it in one of the sports most difficult road environments and against an LSU team with plenty on the line as well. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Fans Can Stop Worrying About Chris Del Conte's Future
Rumors about Chris Del Conte and the Big 12 commissioner opening had begun to swirl around a moment when conference leadership was suddenly in the spotlight, but Texas athletic director moved quickly to shut that down. Del Conte said there is absolutely none truth to the speculation that he has any interest in leaving Austin for the league office, calming a question that had started to gain traction among Longhorns fans.
The timing of the chatter made sense, given that current Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has already announced he will step down effective Jan. 31, 2027. Even so, Del Contes public denial leaves Texas focused on keeping one of its most important administrators in place, at least for now, rather than wondering whether the school might soon have to navigate a major leadership change of its own. [Read more 🡒]
