Texas did everything it could Saturday night to make a statement, and the Coaches Poll still didn’t budge.
After a 31-3 rout of Mississippi State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, the Longhorns stayed put at No. 11 in Sunday’s updated US LBM Coaches Poll. The win pushed Texas to 6-2, but it wasn’t enough to crack the top 10.
The part that stings most in Austin: Ohio State slid eight spots after its 30-18 loss to USC, yet the Buckeyes still checked in at No. 10, one spot ahead of Texas. Both teams are 6-2, and Texas beat Ohio State 24-23 earlier this season. Even so, the coaches kept the Longhorns behind the Buckeyes.
Texas picked up 1,057 voting points. Ohio State had 1,101, leaving the Longhorns 44 points shy of moving into the top 10.
The ranking held steady despite one of Texas’ sharpest defensive showings of the year. Steve Sarkisian’s group limited Mississippi State to 187 total yards, piled up seven sacks and forced multiple turnovers. Rasheem Biles was everywhere, finishing with three sacks, four tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
Arch Manning was efficient again, completing 16 of 20 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns. The one area that still lagged was the ground game, which managed just 60 yards.
The win also gave Sarkisian his 100th career victory as a head coach. Texas is now 3-2 in SEC play.
At the top of the poll, Miami stayed No. 1 after escaping North Carolina 38-35. Georgia moved up to No. 2 after beating Florida 27-8, while Indiana, Utah and UCLA rounded out the top five.
Notre Dame, Kentucky, BYU, Alabama and Ohio State completed the top 10.
The SEC had eight teams in the latest rankings, with Alabama at No. 9, Ole Miss at No.
12, LSU at No. 15 and Tennessee at No. 16.
Texas Tech jumped to No. 13 after its 34-26 win over Arizona, and USC made a major leap from No. 25 to No. 17 after knocking off Ohio State.
For Texas, though, the ranking that really matters is still coming. The College Football Playoff selection committee will release its first rankings Tuesday, November 3, and those standings will decide which teams make the 12-team playoff.
In Other News...
Texas Took Care Of Mississippi State But Left With A Bigger Problem
Texas handled Mississippi State comfortably on the scoreboard, but the win came with a heavy injury toll that could matter far more in the days ahead. Five key players were hurt during the 31-3 victory, including wide receivers Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo, running back Hollywood Smothers and defensive backs Graceson Littleton and Kade Phillips, leaving a postgame mood that was noticeably more cautious than celebratory.
Sarkisian confirmed the injuries and said the full severity is still unknown, with updates expected midweek. That uncertainty lands at an awkward time for a Texas team already dealing with absences, including offensive tackle Trevor Goosby, who is out for the season, and it turns a routine SEC win into a much bigger health check for the stretch ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Just Got A Ranking Edge That May Not Last
The AP Top 25 gave Texas a small but meaningful bump this week, sliding the Longhorns ahead of Ohio State after Texas comeback win earlier in the season and the Buckeyes recent loss to USC. It is the kind of early November shift that matters less for bragging rights than for the larger playoff picture, especially for a Texas team still trying to strengthen its case with the season entering its most revealing stretch.
The Coaches Poll told a different story, keeping Ohio State in front despite the head-to-head result and underscoring how much disagreement still exists over how to weigh a loss against a marquee win. That split could carry into the College Football Playoff committees first rankings, and Texas may not have long to enjoy any edge it has picked up, with ranked opponents still ahead on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Manning Shined But Texas Still Has One Clear Concern
Arch Manning gave Texas exactly the kind of clean, efficient performance the Longhorns have been waiting to see, completing 16 of 20 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-3 win over Mississippi State. The defense did plenty of heavy lifting too, piling up seven sacks and adding a fumble return touchdown to keep the game from ever feeling in doubt.
Even with all that going right, the run game remains the piece Texas still has to sort out. The Longhorns managed only 60 yards on 32 carries, a modest output that stood out in a game otherwise controlled on both sides of the ball. If Texas is going to keep building on this kind of complete performance, finding more consistency on the ground is the obvious next step. [Read more 🡒]