The Texas Longhorns are moving back into the national championship conversation, but their No. 8 position in the Associated Press Top 25 is only one part of a much larger postseason picture. After defeating No. 18 Missouri 34–20 on November 7, Steve Sarkisian’s team improved to 7–2 overall and 4–2 in SEC play. The victory extended Texas’ winning streak to three games and gave the program another important result against a ranked opponent.
The latest AP poll, released November 8, moved Texas up two positions from No. 10 to No. 8. Georgia took over the top spot after defeating Ole Miss 42–7, while Utah, Notre Dame and UCLA occupied the next three positions. Texas now sits among the nation’s leading programs again, but the ranking does not guarantee a place in the College Football Playoff.
The committee’s first 2026 ranking, released November 3, placed Texas at No. 7. Its second ranking is scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, at approximately 9 p.m. ET. That update will provide a clearer picture of how the committee views the Longhorns after their comeback victory in Columbia, Missouri. For Sarkisian, the remaining schedule offers opportunities to strengthen the team’s case, but the margin for error is becoming smaller.
Texas Has Rebuilt Its Position After a Difficult October
The Longhorns’ current position looks considerably different from where they stood several weeks ago. Texas entered the season with national championship expectations and reached the No. 1 position in the AP poll earlier in the campaign. However, consecutive 27–24 losses to Oklahoma on October 10 and Florida on October 17 changed the conversation around the program.
Those defeats exposed problems that went beyond the final scores. Texas struggled to maintain offensive consistency, convert important opportunities and protect its position in games that remained within reach. The losses also raised questions about Arch Manning’s development and Sarkisian’s ability to adjust the offense when opponents disrupted its preferred approach.
The response has been encouraging. Texas defeated No. 7 Ole Miss 34–27 on October 24, handled Mississippi State 31–3 on October 31 and completed the three-game run with its 34–20 victory over Missouri on November 7.
The Missouri game was particularly valuable because it came on the road against a ranked SEC opponent. Texas fell behind before responding with a stronger second-half performance. The Longhorns finished with 401 total yards, converted all four red-zone opportunities into touchdowns and scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
Manning completed 28 of 38 passes for 297 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Running back Raleek Brown contributed 133 total yards and two touchdowns, giving the offense another reliable option. The performance showed that Texas could win a competitive conference game without relying exclusively on its quarterback.
These results have strengthened the team’s profile, but the committee will evaluate the entire season rather than treating three consecutive victories as a replacement for the earlier defeats.
The CFP Committee Looks Beyond the AP Poll
One of the most important distinctions in the current playoff discussion is the difference between the AP Top 25 and the College Football Playoff rankings.
The AP poll reflects the opinions of media voters. The CFP ranking is produced by a selection committee responsible for evaluating teams and determining the 12-team playoff field. A No. 8 AP position is useful recognition, but it does not automatically translate into the same committee ranking.
The committee’s first list of the season placed Texas seventh with a 6–2 record through October 31. Miami led the rankings, followed by Georgia, Utah, Indiana, Alabama and Kentucky. Texas entered ahead of UCLA, BYU and Ole Miss.
According to the official CFP selection criteria, the committee evaluates a team’s complete profile rather than relying on a single statistic or ranking. Members review game video, data and conference input. When teams have comparable profiles, four principles receive particular attention: strength of schedule, head-to-head results, performance against common opponents and other relevant factors, including injuries to important players.
That framework gives Texas several arguments in its favor. The Longhorns have played a demanding SEC schedule and earned important victories against Ohio State, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Missouri. Their ability to win away from Austin also matters, particularly after the road victories against Tennessee and Missouri.
However, the committee must also account for the Oklahoma and Florida losses. Those results remain part of Texas’ record regardless of how convincingly the team has played during November.
The second CFP ranking, scheduled for November 10, will show whether the committee believes the recent improvement has changed the Longhorns’ position. The official rankings and evaluation principles are available through the College Football Playoff website.
Strength of Schedule Could Become Texas’ Biggest Advantage
Texas does not need to rely on reputation to make its playoff argument. Its schedule provides meaningful evidence of how the team performs against strong opposition.
The victory over Ohio State earlier in the season remains an important result. Texas also defeated Tennessee on the road and overcame Ole Miss in a competitive game at home. The Missouri victory added another ranked opponent to the list of teams beaten by Sarkisian’s program.
The strength of those results becomes more significant when compared with teams competing for similar playoff positions. The committee considers who a team played, how it performed and how those opponents compare with other programs in the rankings.
Texas also has a useful comparison point through Ohio State. Both programs have faced overlapping opponents, and their results can help the committee evaluate the relative quality of their seasons. The same principle applies to other SEC teams that have played common opponents.
The Longhorns must continue adding strong results rather than assuming that earlier victories will carry the entire argument. A win against LSU would be especially valuable because the Tigers are another SEC opponent with national recognition and a challenging home environment.
The remaining schedule also includes Arkansas on November 21 and Texas A&M on November 27. Those games provide further opportunities to strengthen the team’s overall record and conference standing.
Texas has a path to improve its playoff position, but the schedule requires consistent execution. A loss would introduce another difficult result into a profile that already includes two defeats.
The LSU Game Could Define the Next Stage of Texas’ Playoff Push
The next major opportunity arrives Saturday, November 14, when Texas travels to Baton Rouge to face LSU at Tiger Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Central Time, with the game airing on ABC.
LSU enters the matchup at 6–3 after losing 31–13 to Alabama on November 7. The Tigers will be looking to respond in front of their home crowd, while Texas arrives with three consecutive victories and renewed momentum.
This is the type of game that can influence how the committee views a team with two losses. Beating a ranked SEC opponent on the road would give Texas another strong result and reinforce the value of its conference schedule.
The challenge will be maintaining the offensive efficiency displayed against Missouri. Manning’s three-touchdown performance was an important step forward, but LSU will present a different defensive test. Texas needs to protect its quarterback, establish a credible running game and avoid the negative plays that can put an offense behind the chains.
Defensively, the Longhorns must also control the game without allowing LSU to build momentum through explosive plays. Texas has benefited from improved contributions across its roster during the recent winning streak. Maintaining that level of discipline and execution will be essential in a stadium where communication and composure can become major factors.
A victory would give Texas a fourth consecutive win and improve its SEC record to 5–2. More importantly, it would provide another piece of evidence that the Longhorns can handle difficult road assignments against quality opponents.
A defeat would not necessarily end the playoff conversation, but it would make the remaining games against Arkansas and Texas A&M much more demanding.
Arch Manning Must Keep the Offense Consistent
Texas’ postseason ambitions remain closely connected to Manning’s development. The quarterback has shown meaningful improvement during the three-game winning streak, particularly in his ability to distribute the football and take advantage of opportunities in the passing game.
Against Ole Miss, Manning helped Texas secure a 34–27 victory with three total touchdowns. He followed that performance by completing 16 of 20 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns against Mississippi State. His Missouri performance then produced 297 passing yards and three more touchdowns without an interception.
The progression is important because Texas needs a quarterback who can maintain control when the offense faces pressure. The Longhorns cannot afford to depend on one productive quarter or a handful of explosive plays. They need consistent drives, better situational execution and the ability to respond when opponents adjust defensively.
Brown’s emergence has also helped. His 85 rushing yards and 48 receiving yards against Missouri gave Sarkisian another way to create favorable matchups. Young receivers Jermaine Bishop Jr. and Derrek Cooper also contributed touchdowns, offering additional options as the offense continues to develop.
That distribution of production could become valuable against LSU. If the Tigers focus on limiting Manning’s preferred targets, Texas needs other players to make meaningful contributions.
The committee will not rank the Longhorns based on Manning’s individual statistics alone. However, his performance influences the quality of the team’s victories and its ability to compete against the strongest opponents remaining on the schedule.
Texas Cannot Ignore the Two Losses
The strongest argument against Texas is also the simplest: the Longhorns have already lost twice.
The Oklahoma and Florida defeats remain significant because both opponents entered those games as teams Texas was expected to compete with successfully. Neither result can be erased by the recent winning streak.
The committee’s evaluation process also makes clear that head-to-head results and common opponents can influence comparisons between teams. Texas must therefore consider how its losses affect its position relative to other SEC programs and national contenders.
The conference race adds another layer. Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and other SEC teams are also competing for playoff consideration. Several programs have comparable records, making the quality of individual victories and losses increasingly important.
Texas has an advantage in the number of meaningful wins it has accumulated, but it must avoid giving the committee another reason to question its consistency.
Sarkisian’s team has shown that it can recover from adversity. The next challenge is proving that the improvement is sustainable over the final three regular-season games.
The 12-Team Playoff Format Leaves Room for a Strong Finish
The expanded College Football Playoff gives teams more opportunities to qualify than the former four-team system. The 2026–27 format includes 12 participants: the five highest-ranked conference champions, along with the next seven highest-ranked teams.
That structure makes conference championships important, but it also allows highly ranked teams that do not win their conferences to earn at-large invitations.
For Texas, the immediate objective is to remain high enough in the committee rankings to stay within the playoff conversation. The Longhorns do not need to control every result around the country, but they do need to take care of their remaining schedule.
The November 10 ranking will be an important checkpoint, not a final verdict. The committee will continue evaluating teams as more games are played, and the standings can change quickly when ranked opponents meet.
Texas has three regular-season games remaining: LSU on November 14, Arkansas on November 21 and Texas A&M on November 27. The final matchup against the Aggies carries additional importance because of the rivalry and the opportunity to finish the regular season with a major conference victory.
A strong finish would give Texas a more complete postseason argument than its current AP position alone can provide.
The No. 8 Ranking Is an Opportunity, Not a Guarantee
Texas has made meaningful progress since its October losses. Three consecutive victories, including two against ranked opponents, have restored confidence and moved the Longhorns back into the national conversation.
The 34–20 victory over Missouri demonstrated the value of a balanced offense, improved second-half execution and contributions from multiple players. Manning is playing with greater consistency, Brown has become a versatile weapon, and the team has shown that it can win away from home.
Still, the AP ranking is only a snapshot of public opinion. The College Football Playoff committee must decide how Texas compares with the other contenders after reviewing its full season.
The next ranking on November 10 will provide the first indication of how the committee responds to the Missouri victory. After that, LSU becomes the next major test, followed by Arkansas and Texas A&M.
For Sarkisian and the Longhorns, the assignment is straightforward: keep winning, limit costly mistakes and show that the team capable of beating ranked opponents is the version that will finish the season.
Texas has earned another opportunity to compete for a playoff place. What happens over the next three Saturdays will determine how strong that opportunity becomes.
