Texas is still sitting on top of the AP Top 25, but the Longhorns didn’t exactly look the part in Week 3.
Even so, when the new poll came out, the No. 1 spot stayed put in Austin. Texas is 3-0 and still riding the boost from its win over the previous No. 1 team, Ohio State, but the margin for error feels thinner now. A clunky performance against UTSA raised real questions, and those questions are only going to get louder once SEC play begins.
The first test comes fast. Texas heads to Knoxville to face No.
14 Tennessee, a team that moved up a spot after improving to 3-0. That matchup gives the Longhorns their conference opener right away, and it comes with a ranking that could be in danger even if they leave with a win.
Week 3 didn’t help Texas’ case much. The offense in the UTSA game left plenty to wonder about, and that kind of uneven showing is the sort that tends to get punished once the poll starts reshuffling. Ole Miss made one of the biggest moves of the week, climbing to No. 4 after beating LSU, and that jump pushed Indiana, Miami and Ohio State down a spot despite all three winning.
The top of the poll now reads:
Texas Longhorns (3-0) - up next: at No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers
Georgia Bulldogs (3-0) - up next: vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-0) - up next: at Purdue Boilermakers
Ole Miss Rebels (3-0) - up next: at No. 21 Florida Gators
Indiana Hoosiers (3-0) - up next: vs. Northwestern Wildcats
Miami Hurricanes (3-0) - up. next: vs. Central Michigan
Ohio State Buckeyes (2-1) - up next: vs. Illinois Fighting Illini
Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0) - up next: vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
BYU Cougars (3-0) - up next: BYE
LSU Tigers (2-1) - up next: vs. No. 23 Texas A&M Aggies
Texas Tech Red Raiders (3-0) - up next: vs. Sam Houston State Bearkats
USC Trojans (4-0) - up next: vs. No. 20 Oregon Ducks
Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0) - up next: vs. Wisconsin Badgers
Tennessee Volunteers (3-0) - up next: vs. No. 1 Texas Longhorns
Utah Utes (3-0) - up next: at Iowa State Cyclones
Louisville Cardinals (2-1) - up next: Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Iowa Hawkeyes (3-0) - up next: at No. 18 Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines (3-0) - up next: vs. No. 17 Iowa Hawkeyes
Missouri Tigers (3-0) - up next: at No. 24 Mississippi State Bulldogs
Oregon Ducks (2-1) - up next: at No. 12 USC Trojans
Florida Gators (3-0) - up next: vs. No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels
SMU Mustangs (2-1) - up next: vs. Missouri State Bears
Texas A&M Aggies (2-1) - up next: at No. 10 LSU Tigers
Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-0) - up next: vs. No. 19 Missouri Tigers
Houston Cougars (2-1) - up next: at Colorado Buffaloes
There was at least one silver lining for Texas in the latest ranking. Rival Texas A&M slid to No. 23 after its upset loss to still-unranked Kentucky, and Oklahoma fell all the way out of the Top 25 after barely getting past New Mexico.
With Ole Miss and Tennessee both moving up, Texas’ schedule strength only gets a louder spotlight. For now, the Longhorns still have the No. 1 tag. The bigger question is how long they can keep it once Knoxville is in the rearview mirror.
In Other News...
Texas Heads Into SEC Play With One Big Offensive Concern
Texas finished its non-conference slate unbeaten and healthy after a 30-6 win over UTSA, and that alone is a useful place to be heading into SEC play. The Longhorns got the kind of defensive outing they have come to expect, holding the Roadrunners to 143 total yards, while Derrick Cooper Jr. added a fresh wrinkle in the backfield with 44 yards and a touchdown.
The bigger question sits on the other side of the ball, where Arch Mannings day underscored both the upside and the unevenness of the passing game. He threw for 161 yards and two touchdowns, but the rhythm was not always there, leaving Texas with a little bit to clean up before the competition gets much tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Suddenly Has A Major Defensive Concern Before Tennessee
Texas got a jolt of concern on the defensive side when Colin Simmons was spotted on the sideline in street clothes and wearing a walking boot during the UTSA game. Simmons has been a key edge rusher for the Longhorns, so even the sight of him away from the action immediately changed the temperature around a unit that has otherwise tried to build more depth at that spot this season.
Steve Sarkisian did not offer an update on Simmons at halftime, and no official information has been released since, leaving Texas with more questions than answers as Tennessee approaches next week. The Longhorns have worked to add depth at edge rusher, but losing or even limiting a player like Simmons would be a significant development for a defense that needs as many answers as it can get right now. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Win Over UTSA Still Left Fans With One Big Concern
Texas handled UTSA in a 30-6 non-conference win, and there were enough encouraging signs to make the afternoon feel like a step in the right direction. Arch Manning came out sharp enough to set the tone, the running game found some support from Hollywood Smothers, Raleek Brown and Derrek Cooper, and Cam Coleman finished as the top target with two touchdown catches. On the other side of the ball, Texas did what it was supposed to do, holding UTSA to 70 rushing yards and getting an interception from Rasheem Biles.
Still, the result did not erase the biggest question hovering over the Longhorns afterward. Manning's line finished at 164 passing yards with two touchdowns, but the inconsistency showed up often enough that it left fans wanting more than just a comfortable win over an overmatched opponent. For a Texas team with bigger goals ahead, the margin of victory was fine, yet the passing game still has to look a lot steadier before the schedule gets more demanding. [Read more 🡒]