Texas’ reign as college football’s No. 1-ranked team didn’t last long, as the Longhorns became the first preseason No. 1 team to lose in Week 1 since 1990 on Saturday, Aug. 30.
Texas’ offense struggled mightily on the road against No. 2 Ohio State, as the Longhorns were held to seven points and didn’t score until the final minutes of the fourth quarter in a 14-7 loss. Quarterback Arch Manning didn’t live up to the hype in his second career start, as he completed 17 of 30 passes for 170 yards with a touchdown and an interception, albeit against what appears to be an elite defense.
Ohio State, the reigning national champions, appear to be elite as a team once again in 2025, despite losing numerous sources of production from a season ago. Redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin played mistake-free football in his first career start, leading an Ohio State offense that wasn’t needed much in Week 1.
Texas is certain to fall in the rankings after Week 1, while Ohio State is poised to regain the No. 1 spot in the polls.
Here’s a look at where Texas could fall in the US LBM Coaches Poll ahead of Week 2.
Texas football rankings: Where will Longhorns fall in top 25?
With two other top-10 games still to be played in Week 1, it’s unclear as to how far Texas will fall in the Week 2 rankings, especially considering how far the winners of Notre Dame-Miami and Clemson-LSU will move up.
It’s fair to predict Texas to remain in the top 10, however, as the Longhorns lost a close game on the road to the No. 2-ranked team nationally, and reigning national champions in Ohio State. Texas’ offensive performance might leave something to be desired for voters, though.
Texas will likely fall behind Penn State and Georgia at the least, as the Nittany Lions (No. 3) and Bulldogs (No. 4) should have little-to-no issues with Nevada and Marshall, respectively. Texas could also fall behind No. 7 Oregon, who plays Montana State, and No. 8 Alabama, who travels to face Florida State.
Texas’ loss likely doesn’t to make a dent in its College Football Playoff hopes, due to the strong opponent it played and the expanded 12-team field. The Longhorns should find themselves at the backend of the top 10 in the Week 2 polls.