ESPN’s Preseason Power Rankings released. Where do the Longhorns stand?

ESPN has released their preseason college football power rankings ahead of the start of the upcoming football season. The Texas Longhorns find themselves in a favorable spot – at No. 4, which mimics their rankings in both the AP Top-25 and US LBM Coaches Preseason Polls.

The Georgia Bulldogs lead the way with the No. 1 spot, followed by Ohio State (No. 2) and Oregon (No. 3). Rounding out the Top 5 is the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Longhorns went on a revenge tour in their last season in the Big 12, making their first College Football Playoff appearance before falling short against Washington in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. They’ve got the QB in Quinn Ewers, with Arch Manning right behind him along with a stout offensive line, to make another run. But Ewers will have a nearly all-new supporting cast at receiver and running back — where Texas has already lost RB CJ Baxter with a knee injury — but Steve Sarkisian has a deep roster and still has four options in the backfield. The schedule takes a leap with the SEC slate and a Week 2 nonconference trip to Michigan, before Georgia visits in October. Two of the past three games are road trips to hostile environments at Arkansas and Texas A&M, two teams eager to revisit their rivalries.

–Dave Wilson

Texas, ranked third in ESPN’s College Football Power Index, opens the season against Colorado State at 2:30 pm on Saturday, August 31 at Darrell K. Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.