It's official. The Texas Longhorns are the preseason No. 1.
On Monday, Aug. 11, the AP Top 25 Preseason Poll was released, and the Horns led the pack, sitting (properly) at the top of the list, just like everyone did in the Coaches Poll.
Now, all Texas has to do is back it up.
This year, the hype around the Horns could be likened to the 2005 team with Vince Young and the 2009 team with Colt McCoy leading the program. As the Arch Manning Era has gotten underway, people are finally starting to believe in the Texas football program once again.
THE FIRST COLLEGE FOOTBALL AP POLL OF THE SEASON HAS ARRIVED 🤩 pic.twitter.com/AoCElqAh6v
— ESPN (@espn) August 11, 2025
Head coach Steve Sarkisian has led the Longhorns on back-to-back runs to the College Football Playoff semifinals, and, as he heads into his fifth year at Texas, he has earned more wins every single season.
Texas leads the Penn State Nittany Lions; a projected favorite to secure the Big Ten title, the Ohio State Buckeyes, who are defending National Champions, the Clemson Tigers; who are expected to return to dominance, and the Georgia Bulldogs, the only SEC team to best the Horns last year.
Simply put, there are a lot of expectations hovering overhead this year for the Longhorns. The team is expected to win the SEC (took long enough) and, more likely than not, win its first national title since Young did in 2006.
Now, if Texas falters, it won't turn into the be-all, end-all of Sarkisian's tenure with the program, nor will it send Manning packing to another program. However, the disappointment will be immense if the Horns cannot (at the very least) make it to the National Championship game, something they haven't done since McCoy led them there in 2009.
The season won't be easy. Texas kicks off its 2025 campaign with a road trip to Columbus, where they will face the Buckeyes in non-conference play. They will also face the Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators on the road, as well as play their usual rivals: Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Arkansas.
However, if Texas can escape the regular season unscathed, it would be impossible to deny the Horns a spot in the CFPs, whether they win the SEC Championship game or not.