Where Texas football ranks in the post-Week 7 ESPN FPI

Texas football and head coach Steve Sarkisian moved their winning streak to three games this weekend by topping the Iowa State Cyclones at home at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin on Oct. 15. Iowa State and head coach Matt Campbell gave Texas all it could handle this weekend, though.

This was probably the worst start of the season so far for the Longhorns, as Texas was down 7-0 at the end of the first quarter. Iowa State also significantly outplayed Texas in the first quarter. The real turning point of the first half was the interception in the red zone by junior linebacker Jaylan Ford, which essentially caused a 10 or 14-point swing.

Texas would later go on to score a touchdown after the Ford interception, tying the game up at seven. And then, it started to look like Texas would be able to take control of this game, taking a 14-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.

But the momentum in this game would continue to swing back and forth until the very end. Texas did hold a double-digit lead at one point early in the second half, by a score of 17-7. Yet, that would dissipate by the early portion of the fourth quarter.

Until late in the fourth quarter, Iowa State actually held a 21-17 over the Longhorns. Sark and the Longhorns would need a late touchdown on a fourth down play within the five-yard line from star sophomore wide receiver Xavier Worthy to retake the lead by three points.

After a controversial play that saw senior safety Anthony Cook put a big hit on redshirt sophomore quarterback Hunter Dekkers, there was a fumble that Texas was able to recover. Texas would then go on to seal the win by the final score of 24-21.

Steve Sarkisian and No. 22 Texas football remain in the top 5 in the post-Week 7 FPI

So, where does Texas rank nationally following the conclusion of Week 7 of the college football season?

According to the ESPN Football Power Index, Texas now ranks at No. 5 in the nation and in the top spot in the Big 12 ahead of the TCU Horned Frogs. Texas is actually down one spot in this week’s FPI, with the Michigan Wolverines sliding up one spot into the top four after beating the Penn State Nittany Lions by multiple scores on Oct. 15.

Moreover, the updated version of ESPN’s FPI gives Texas a 54.9 percent chance to win the Big 12 and an 8.6 percent chance to make the College Football Playoff.

Sark and the Longhorns are also now given an 18.8 percent chance to win out for the remainder of the season, which seems pretty lofty.

There are some interesting takeaways from this version of the FPI, including the fact that the Tennessee Volunteers remain outside the top five, despite beating the Alabama Crimson Tide in Knoxville this weekend. Meanwhile, Alabama still ranks at No. 2 in the post-Week 7 FPI.

Texas carries a record of 5-2 (3-1 Big 12) following the narrow three-point win over Iowa State at home on Oct. 15. Next up for Sark and the Longhorns is a matchup against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on the road in Stillwater on Oct. 22.