Despite laying claim to the most ranked wins in the country, the Texas Longhorns only moved up one spot in the second College Football Playoff ranking of the season.
In the second week of the CFP rankings, the Longhorns rang in at No. 6, just one spot higher than Texas was ranked last week, even with the additional win over Missouri.
Clearly, even with four wins in total over the then-No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes, then-No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers, then-No. 7 Ole Miss Rebels, and then-No. 18 Missouri Tigers, the Horns' two losses to unranked opponents continue to be a massive stain on Texas's overall resume.
The Horns lost to the Oklahoma Sooners and Florida Gators in back-to-back weeks, marring their then-flawless record. However, since then, they have defeated three straight teams, including the Rebels and the Tigers.
And, despite the Horns boasting all of those ranked wins, teams with fewer ranked wins but just as many losses, like the Alabama Crimson Tide, had a massive margin between themselves and Texas in the latest ranking.
Second College Football Playoff ranking of the 2026 season
At No. 6, the Horns were a whopping three spots behind the Tide, but only two spots ahead of Tennessee, whom they have the head-to-head win over.
- Georgia Bulldogs (8-1)
- Utah Utes (9-0)
- Alabama Crimson Tide (7-2)
- UCLA Bruins (9-0)
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-1)
- Texas Longhorns (7-2)
- Miami Hurricanes (8-1)
- Tennessee Volunteers (7-2)
- Indiana Hoosiers (8-1)
- BYU Cougars (7-2)
- Kentucky Wildcats (7-2)
- GROUP OF SIX BID: Boise State Broncos (8-1)
- FIRST FOUR TEAMS OUT: Texas Tech Red Raiders, Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Houston Cougars, Iowa Hawkeyes
Yes, Texas's losses were bad this season, but having those two unranked losses outweigh the four ranked victories is a mistake... if you ask me at least.
Of course, the Tide beat the LSU Tigers last weekend, as the Horns took down Missouri. So, by basic logic, if Texas wallops LSU this weekend, then the Horns should undeniably see a similarly massive boost in their ranking as Alabama did this week.
Alas, the rankings are what they are, and I'm not on the CFP Committee to determine Texas's, nor any other team's, fate.
However, as of now, the Longhorns are still solidly in the Playoff field, but there was an undeniable shakeup in the bracket. So, here's how the first couple of rounds would look with the new ranking:
FIRST ROUND
- No. 12 Boise State Broncos at No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- No. 9 Indiana Hoosiers at No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers
- No. 11 Kentucky Wildcats at No. 6 Texas Longhorns
- No. 10 BYU Cougars at No. 7 Miami Hurricanes
Now, instead of having to beat the Ole Miss Rebels for a second time this season, which was Texas's initial matchup after the first ranking reveal, the Horns would take on the Kentucky Wildcats, who have truly shocked the world this season with first-year head coach Will Stein holding the reins.
SECOND ROUND
- Boise State/Notre Dame vs. No. 4 UCLA Bruins
- Indiana/Tennessee vs. No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs
- Kentucky/Texas vs. No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide
- BYU/Miami vs. No. 2 Utah Utes
However, if Texas got past Kentucky in the first round, which would be a home game for the Longhorns, they would have to face none other than Alabama in the second round.
Simply put, head coach Steve Sarkisian and his squad have to continue amassing wins, over ranked and unranked opponents alike, and they need to continue looking impressive in the process, or we will continue seeing Texas's losses outweigh its wins.
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