Texas is the new No. 1 team in the country, and the Longhorns earned it the hard way. After a thrilling 24-23 win over then-No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday night, the Longhorns scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to stun the Buckeyes. It was a stunning comeback, one that moved Texas to the top of the AP Top 25 rankings.
Ohio State became the first No. 1 team since 1988 to blow a 20-point lead. It is also the earliest Texas has been ranked No. 1 in a regular-season poll since 1965.
The Comeback That Did It
Texas did not just hang around. They attacked. The Longhorns scored three touchdowns in the final quarter, turning a 20-point deficit into a one-point victory. The game was a statement. Texas showed it could compete with the best team in the country, and it did so by playing aggressively when the game mattered most.
The win moves Texas to the top of the AP Top 25 rankings.
The Buckeyes were the victims of a historic collapse. Ohio State had never lost from that position before, and they have not since. For Texas, the comeback was a reminder of how far the program has come.
Ohio State’s Slide
Ohio State did not escape unscathed. The Buckeyes dropped to No. 6 in the new rankings. The loss to Texas was not the only bad result for Big Ten teams this week.
Oregon took a tumble too. The Ducks fell from No. 6 to No. 21 after a shocking road loss to Oklahoma State. Oregon started the season ranked No. 2 in the country, and that fall has been steep.
Both losses show how quickly a season can change direction. One week of football can move a program from the top of the polls to the back half of the top 25. The Big Ten’s reputation took a hit, and the conference will need to rebound quickly.
The SEC Runs the Top 10
The SEC is running the show right now. The conference has six teams in this week’s top 10, and that dominance starts at the very top. The league’s hold on the upper ranks is complete.
The league has a 16-0 record through Week 1 and has won non-conference games against Ohio State, Arizona State, Georgia Tech, Minnesota and Kansas in Week 2. The only real disappointment for the conference was Oklahoma’s loss to Michigan and Utah’s 43-10 win over Arkansas.
The SEC will inevitably beat itself up as conference play begins. The loser of LSU-Ole Miss is likely to drop out of the top 10. But the early start has been strong, and the league is well positioned for the debut of a 9-game conference slate.
What the Rankings Look Like Now
The full AP Top 25 poll shows the depth of the SEC’s strength. Here is how the top of the rankings breaks down:
| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Texas |
| 2 | Georgia |
| 3 | Notre Dame |
| 4 | Indiana |
| 5 | Miami |
| 6 | Ohio State |
| 7 | LSU |
| 8 | Ole Miss |
| 9 | Texas A&M |
| 10 | Alabama |
Below that, the SEC continues to dominate. BYU, USC, Texas Tech, Penn State, Tennessee, SMU, Utah, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Oregon all made the top 25. The league led the way with nine total top 25 teams, edging out the Big Ten’s seven and the ACC’s four.
The SEC’s hold on the top 10 is well deserved. The league has performed at a high level through the first two weeks of the season, and the early results give the conference confidence heading into the rest of the schedule.
Also Receiving Votes
Not every worthy team made the top 25. The AP poll also lists teams that received votes but did not crack the main rankings. Here is how those votes broke down:
| Team | Votes |
|---|---|
| Washington | 172 |
| Florida | 83 |
| Boise State | 57 |
| Oklahoma State | 36 |
| Western Michigan | 35 |
| Tulsa | 18 |
| Mississippi State | 17 |
| South Carolina | 15 |
| Virginia Tech | 11 |
| UCLA | 9 |
| James Madison | 6 |
| Arizona | 5 |
| North Dakota State | 3 |
| Pittsburgh | 1 |
| Kansas State | 1 |
That list includes several programs that have been in contention this season. These teams are close to cracking the main rankings, and a few strong performances could push them into the top 25 next week.
The Road Ahead
The SEC’s dominance is not guaranteed. The league will face its own challenges as conference play begins. The loser of LSU-Ole Miss will likely drop out of the top 10, and the path to matching last season’s five College Football Playoff teams remains open.
The SEC has performed well so far, and the league needs it. The debut of a 9-game conference slate is coming, and the early results give the league confidence heading into that stretch.
Texas’s win over Ohio State changes the conversation. The Longhorns are now the team to beat, and their comeback performance set the standard for the rest of the season. The Buckeyes will have to regroup, and the rest of the Big Ten will look at this week’s results and wonder what went wrong.
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