Yes, it's widely known that Texas beat out Penn State for the No.1 spot in the first AP Poll, but it's how intense a battle it was that may be surprising to fans of both teams.
According to ESPN, Texas and Penn State were separated by just 5 total points when it was all said and done. That's the closest margin of separation between the top two college football teams in the AP Poll since 1998, when Ohio State edged out Florida State by the same number of votes.
No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Penn State were separated by just FIVE total points 😳
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) August 11, 2025
That’s the closest margin between the top two teams in the AP preseason poll since 1998. pic.twitter.com/ikXqnc8yof
Aside from the fact that it was such an under-the-radar "win" for Longhorns football this offseason, most people actually believed that it would've been between Texas and Ohio State, not Penn State.
After all, the Buckeyes are coming off a national championship-winning season and have appeared to reload reasonably well. It appears that a significant portion of the national media is hesitant regarding their current quarterback situation, with Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz still competing for the starting job.
Regardless of whether or not OSU is ranked No.2 or No.3, their matchup on August 30th will be an explosive one. It'll be a rematch of last season’s College Football Playoff semifinal, in which the Longhorns suffered a 28-14 loss to the Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl.
As of right now, in this season's new 12-team playoff format, Texas, Penn State, Ohio State, and Clemson would be the top four seeds based on the current preseason AP Poll. Georgia, Notre Dame, Oregon, and Alabama would then be in line to host the first-round games.