Texas Football: Longhorns make sizable jump in AP Poll to No. 15

For the first time since Week 3 of the 2020 regular season, the Texas football program is ranked inside the top 15 of the AP Poll. Texas and new head coach Steve Sarkisian made the jump from No. 21 in the preseason AP Poll, up to No. 15 in Week 2. That is a nice jump for Texas and Sark following a big season-opening win over the No. 23 ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns over the weekend.

Texas spent three weeks last season ranked in the top 15 of the AP Poll under the direction of former head coach Tom Herman. But following the loss to the TCU Horned Frogs in Week 3, the Longhorns would not return to the top 15 for the rest of the season.

This is an opportunity for Texas to stay in command of their own destiny to stay well within the top 15 of the major polls. Texas is ranked at No. 15 in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll this week following the Sep. 4 win at home, by a score of 38-18, over the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Steve Sarkisian and Texas football slide up to No. 15 in this week’s major polls

To get to No. 15 in the Coaches Poll this week, Texas rose up four spots from where they were ranked in the preseason. It was a six spot slide up in the AP Poll from the preseason to Week 2.

You can view the entirety of this week’s major college football top 25 polls, thanks to ESPN here.

Texas is still the third-highest ranked team in the Big 12 in both major polls. The Longhorns still rank behind the Iowa State Cyclones and Oklahoma Sooners in both major polls. But Texas could continue its move up both major polls if Sark and his squad are able to get a win over the Arkansas Razorbacks on the road next weekend.

Arkansas did get votes in both major polls this week, following their win over the Rice Owls last weekend, but didn’t crack the top 25 in either.

The only team that isn’t undefeated that ranks ahead of the Longhorns in both major polls in Week 2 is the Clemson Tigers, who suffered a one-possession loss in a defensive struggle at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs on the night of Sep. 4.

Sark and the Longhorns will take their 1-0 (0-0 Big 12) record into the first road meeting of the season against the longtime rival Arkansas on Sep. 11. Texas and Arkansas will kickoff in Fayetteville on Sep. 11 at 6 p.m. CT.