The Texas Longhorns are back inside the top four of the AP Top 25 after opening the 2026 season with a 59-7 win over Texas State.
Steve Sarkisian’s team climbed from No. 5 to No. 4 in Tuesday’s first regular-season poll, rewarded after a 52-point rout of the Bobcats. The Longhorns received two first-place votes and 1,462 points from the AP voting panel, positioning Texas behind only Ohio State, Georgia and Notre Dame.
The move sets the stage for a marquee Week 2 matchup at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium. Top-ranked Ohio State will travel to Austin to face the No. 4 Longhorns Saturday night, giving Texas an immediate opportunity to validate its early ranking and establish itself as a national-championship contender.
Texas’ 59-7 win over Texas State tied its largest margin of victory in a season opener during Sarkisian’s six seasons leading the program. The Longhorns handled their business while several other highly ranked teams had to work through closer-than-expected Week 1 tests.
Ohio State holds firm at No. 1
Ohio State remained the clear No. 1 team in the country after its opening-week win, collecting 46 of 69 first-place votes and 1,684 total points. The Buckeyes held the top spot by a sizable margin over No. 2 Georgia, which finished with 1,532 points.
While Ohio State stayed put, the rest of the top five shifted. Georgia rose from No. 3 to No. 2 after a 63-3 win over Tennessee State, Notre Dame moved from No. 4 to No. 3 following its 41-13 victory over Wisconsin, and Texas advanced from No. 5 to No. 4. Defending national champion Indiana also climbed one position, from No. 6 to No. 5, after beating North Texas 52-16.
The result is a heavyweight matchup between the nation’s top-ranked program and a Texas team looking to seize an early defining victory on its home field.
AP Top 10
| Rank | Team | Record | Previous rank | Movement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | 1-0 | 1 | — |
| 2 | Georgia | 1-0 | 3 | Up 1 |
| 3 | Notre Dame | 1-0 | 4 | Up 1 |
| 4 | Texas | 1-0 | 5 | Up 1 |
| 5 | Indiana | 1-0 | 6 | Up 1 |
| 6 | Oregon | 1-0 | 2 | Down 4 |
| 7 | Miami (Fla.) | 1-0 | 7 | — |
| 8 | LSU | 1-0 | 11 | Up 3 |
| 9 | Ole Miss | 1-0 | 9 | — |
| 10 | Texas A&M | 1-0 | 8 | Down 2 |
Oregon slides, LSU surges
The most significant movement near the top came from Oregon and LSU.
Oregon fell four spots, from No. 2 to No. 6, despite defeating Boise State 34-27. The Ducks entered the game as 25.5-point favorites, and the tighter-than-expected result cost them ground in a poll where Georgia, Notre Dame, Texas and Indiana all moved ahead.
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Miami remained at No. 7 after its opening victory, while LSU made the top 10’s biggest jump. The Tigers rose from No. 11 to No. 8 after a 51-10 blowout of Clemson, one of the weekend’s most eye-catching statements. LSU received five first-place votes, underscoring the respect the performance earned across Associated Press voters.
Ole Miss held at No. 9 after its win over Louisville, while Texas A&M slipped from No. 8 to No. 10 despite opening with a 50-0 shutout of Missouri State. LSU’s climb was enough to push the Aggies down two spots.
What it means for Texas
Texas now owns the highest ranking among the teams chasing Ohio State, Georgia and Notre Dame—and can make the strongest possible statement this weekend.
A victory over the Buckeyes would give the Longhorns a win over the nation’s No. 1 team before conference play gets underway. It also would provide an immediate answer after last season’s 14-7 loss to Ohio State in Columbus, a game Texas entered ranked No. 1.
The Longhorns and Buckeyes will kickoff at 6:30 pm on Saturday at Darrell K. Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium.
