Just over a week ago, the Texas Longhorns were the No. 1 team in the country. Then they lost to the unranked Oklahoma Sooners, and then they lost (again) to the unranked Florida Gators.
Following the back-to-back upset losses, the Horns are undoubtedly on a crash course to be on the outside looking in at the AP Top 25 Poll.
However, with a win over the then-No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes and a win over a Tennessee Volunteers team that looks better with every passing week, Texas still has a relatively impressive resume.
It feels almost too obvious for them to be exiled from the Top 25 for the time being, even after entering the game against Florida as the No. 7 team in the latest rankings and blowing a 17-3 lead. So, with a 4-2 overall record (1-2 SEC), what exactly will the AP voters do with a Longhorn squad that has simply looked despondent in the second halves of their last two games?
Personally, I think the Horns cling to a spot in the AP Poll, but one more poor showing like the one we saw on Saturday, and Texas can kiss their ranking goodbye.
Texas's past wins and strength of schedule keep Horns in Top 25 for now
Because of the wins over Ohio State and Tennessee, and the fact that their only losses have come in a rivalry game and against a team that was also in the AP Poll just a week ago, Texas will remain in the Top 25... for the time being.
To be precise, I would assume they land somewhere around No. 21 or No. 22 after Week 7.
Ranked just behind the Longhorns will be teams like the SMU Mustangs, Boise State Broncos, and Northwestern Wildcats, all of whom have better records, but also have faced nowhere near the same levels of competition that Texas has.
One could also expect the Gators to burst back into the Top 25, likely landing somewhere around No. 15, with wins over then-No. 7 Texas and the then-No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels to their name, despite losing to then-No. 25 Missouri and unranked South Carolina over the last two weeks.
Longhorns must play flawlessly over the next 4 weeks to keep CFP hopes alive
For now, the AP Top 25 Poll is still the single source of truth for college football rankings, but in just a few weeks, the first College Football Playoff ranking will be released, and the AP Poll will fade into the distance.
If Texas wants a shot at earning a spot in the first CFP ranking of the year, which comes out on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and the rankings that follow, the Horns have to play flawless football in their next four games:
Texas Longhorns' remaining schedule after Week 7
- vs. No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels, Oct. 24
- vs. No. 16 Mississippi State Bulldogs, Oct. 31
- at No. 13 Missouri Tigers, Nov. 7
- at No. 22 LSU Tigers, Nov. 14
- vs. Arkansas Razorbacks, Nov. 21
- at Texas A&M Aggies, Nov. 27
If Texas makes one (and I mean 1) misstep over the next few weeks, their hopes of making the College Football Playoff could disappear. Don't even get me started on what will happen if they lose two of their upcoming games.
Simply put, the Horns are clinging to a spot in the top 25 as things stand now. Another loss could see them heading out of the rankings, with more questions being flung in their direction.
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