The Longhorns are now the headline in national rankings: Texas No. 1 AP Top 25 after a 24-23 comeback over then-No. 1 Ohio State, capped by three fourth-quarter touchdowns that erased a large deficit and rewrote early-season expectations.
The win pushed Texas to the top of the Associated Press Top 25 and marked the earliest the Longhorns have been ranked No. 1 in a regular-season poll since 1965, a seismic shift for the program and the league.
Voters reacted to the comeback in this week’s ballot, reshuffling the top five and expanding SEC representation inside the top 10. The underlying poll details and vote context are available in the linked report from CBS Sports.
Key Takeaways
- Texas is No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 after a 24-23 win over then-No. 1 Ohio State.
- Texas scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to complete the comeback and change the national pecking order.
- Ohio State fell to No. 6 after surrendering a 20-point lead, the first No. 1 team to do so since 1988.
- The SEC places nine teams in the top 25 and holds six of the top 10 slots this week.
How Texas completed the comeback vs Ohio State
The defining stretch came in the fourth quarter when Texas converted three separate drives into touchdowns to overturn a double-digit deficit and take a 24-23 lead. The scoring burst illustrated the Longhorns’ late-game execution and altered the narrative around their resilience and in-game adjustments.
That fourth-quarter sequence did more than win a game; it redefined Texas’ national standing practically overnight. Voters rewarded the comeback by vaulting the Longhorns to the top spot, signaling a newfound belief in the program’s ability to close against elite competition.
The flip in perception is also a momentum swing for Texas as the season progresses, giving the Longhorns a top billing that brings added scrutiny, higher-stakes matchups and a clearer path to College Football Playoff consideration if they sustain this level of play.
Texas No. 1 AP Top 25 in historical and poll context
| Context | Details |
|---|---|
| Top five in the poll | Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana and Miami (FL) make up the top five positions. |
| Big movement and notable drops | Ohio State slid to No. 6 after the loss, while Oregon tumbled from No. 6 to No. 21 following a road defeat. |
| SEC presence | The SEC holds six teams inside the top 10 and nine teams across the full Top 25 roster this week. |
Why the poll shift matters for Texas and national perception
Reaching No. 1 in the AP Top 25 changes expectations for Texas’ remaining nonconference schedule and the early CFP narrative. A top ranking alters how voters and media frame future results, increasing the stakes of every subsequent road trip and matchup.
For the Longhorns, the psychological and recruiting effects are immediate: being No. 1 signals program momentum and provides tangible leverage in weekend headlines. It also draws sharper focus from opponents preparing for Texas’ strengths and late-game composure demonstrated on Saturday.
SEC standing and College Football Playoff fallout
The SEC’s commanding presence—six of the top 10 and nine total entries in the Top 25—underscores the conference’s strong early nonconference performance and reinforces the argument that the league will again be heavily represented in CFP discussions. That depth gives the SEC multiple paths into the playoff conversation early in the season.
Key upcoming matchups will test that depth, starting with No. 7 LSU at No. 8 Ole Miss, a game with immediate top-10 consequences that could displace one squad from the elite.
Other nonconference pairings to monitor that could reshape poll math include No. 22 Houston at No. 13 Texas Tech and No.
16 SMU at No. 23 Louisville.
The Longhorns’ ascent tightens the margin for error across the league. As conference play approaches and the SEC moves to a longer slate, each intra-conference meeting will carry amplified playoff and ranking implications for teams jockeying inside the top 25.
This account reflects the AP Top 25 poll results and vote context as presented in the linked report.
