Texas didn’t just win a game in Week 2. The Longhorns went to Columbus and took down the No. 1 team in the country, beating Ohio State 24-23 in a comeback that is going to blow up the AP Top 25.
The only real question now is how high Texas climbs.
A move from No. 4 all the way to No. 1 is on the table, and the case is obvious: the Longhorns own the best win of the week, and maybe the best win of the season so far. But there are still enough unbeaten teams and convincing performances around the country that Texas may have to settle for a jump, not the crown.
The top end of the poll still looks crowded. Georgia stays at No. 2 after hammering Western Kentucky 70-20, even though the Bulldogs allowed 20 points to a non-Power Conference opponent.
Notre Dame’s 52-0 rout of Rice should keep the Irish in the top three. Indiana’s 55-0 win over Howard was dominant, but not dominant enough to vault the Hoosiers much higher than one spot up.
Miami should move into the top five after another impressive showing, though the Hurricanes did it against Florida A&M and won’t pass the undefeated teams ahead of them. Ohio State, meanwhile, is headed for a steep fall after blowing a 20-point lead in its first loss, with the Buckeyes likely dropping from No. 1 to No. 6.
Behind Texas, a few teams made their own moves. Alabama shook off a rough opening against Kentucky and rolled to a 45-17 win, which should push the Crimson Tide into the top 10.
Texas A&M also handled business, beating Arizona State 48-20 in a Power Conference win that should lift the Aggies to No. 9.
Ole Miss followed with a 41-9 win over Charlotte and should climb to No. 8.
LSU’s 45-14 victory over LA Tech puts the Tigers in position to rise to No. 7.
There were also several teams that stayed in place or moved only slightly because of the quality of the opposition. Missouri remained steady.
Utah and Washington also held firm at 2-0. Iowa’s rivalry win over Iowa State came by three points in classic CyHawk fashion.
Tennessee impressed against Georgia Tech and remains a team Texas can’t ignore with that matchup coming in a couple of weeks.
Further down the projected poll, Penn State continues to look like the kind of perennial contender people expect. BYU and SMU are still building real Power Conference credibility.
Texas Tech escaped a scare from Oregon State and stayed unbeaten. USC wrapped up the night with a convincing win over Louisiana and also moved to 3-0.
At the bottom of the projection, Oregon and Oklahoma both took hits after ugly losses. Oregon’s trip to Stillwater ended with a loss to Oklahoma State, a team that had been on a 12-game losing streak and had already been upset by Tulsa in Week 1. Oklahoma got stunned by Michigan, which had just survived against Western Michigan thanks to a gifted Hail Mary.
Louisville and Houston both won, but those victories came against opponents that won’t move the needle much, so neither team is expected to rise dramatically.
For Texas, the big-picture problem is simple: the win over Ohio State changes everything, but it also changes the way the rest of the season will look. Steve Sarkisian, Arch Manning, and the Longhorns are going to get everybody’s best shot now.
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 🡒]
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 🡒]
Texas Just Delivered The Statement Win Fans Have Been Waiting For
The opener everyone had circled in Austin turned into the kind of stage Texas has been waiting for, and the Longhorns responded with a win that will linger well beyond Week 1. Faced with a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit against No. 1 Ohio State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Texas leaned on key plays from running back Hollywood Smothers and quarterback Arch Manning while its defense tightened late, kept the Buckeyes off the board in the final period and helped turn a rough night into something far bigger.
For a program trying to prove it belongs in the sports top tier, this was the sort of rally that changes how a season feels in real time. Texas forced turnovers, erased a huge gap and authored a historic comeback against a top-ranked opponent, the kind of statement that can reshape expectations around the Longhorns almost overnight. [Read more 🡒]