Texas has officially moved into the heart of the national championship conversation.

The Longhorns are now No. 4 in the latest Associated Press Top 25, released Sept. 8, after opening the 2026 season with a 59-7 victory over Texas State. Texas received two first-place votes and 1,462 total points, placing the Longhorns behind No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Notre Dame.

That ranking would be significant at any point in the season.

This week, it carries much more weight.

No. 1 Ohio State is coming to Austin on Saturday, Sept. 12, creating the first top-five matchup of the season for Texas and one of the biggest games on the early college football schedule. The Buckeyes also enter the game 1-0 after destroying Ball State 56-3 in Columbus.

Texas has already made its move.

Now the Longhorns have to prove the ranking belongs to them.

The AP Ranking Changes The Context Of Saturday

Texas entered the season as a highly regarded national contender, but preseason expectations are different from an actual ranking earned after a game.

The Longhorns now have a result attached to their name.

Texas defeated Texas State by 52 points, produced 516 yards of total offense and held the Bobcats to seven points at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. Arch Manning completed 20 of 27 passes for 305 yards and four touchdowns before leaving the game in the third quarter.

The performance was exactly what Texas needed before facing Ohio State.

It did not answer every question.

The Longhorns rushed for 156 yards, Texas State still produced 349 total yards, and Manning threw an interception in the red zone.

But Texas controlled the game from the opening possession and demonstrated that its offensive depth and defensive personnel could produce a convincing result.

The new AP ranking reflects that performance while also recognizing the strength of the opponent waiting on the other side.

Ohio State remained No. 1 after its own dominant opening performance.

That makes Saturday much more than a highly ranked team facing another highly ranked team.

It is a direct test of whether Texas belongs in the same national tier as the Buckeyes.

Texas Received Two First-Place Votes

The two first-place votes Texas received are worth examining.

Ohio State dominated the top of the ballot with 46 of 69 first-place votes, while Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, LSU, Oregon and Miami also received votes for No. 1. Texas was one of seven teams receiving at least one first-place vote.

That means some voters already view the Longhorns as the best team in the country.

But Texas is still separated from Ohio State by 222 AP voting points.

That gap illustrates the challenge facing Steve Sarkisian.

A victory Saturday would dramatically change the perception of the Longhorns because Texas would have defeated the team sitting directly above everyone else in the country.

A loss would not destroy Texas’ season, but it would reinforce the idea that the Buckeyes remain a step ahead.

That distinction makes the AP ranking relevant beyond a number next to Texas’ name.

It establishes the starting point for the national argument.

Texas has two first-place votes.

Ohio State has 46.

The game at DKR gives the Longhorns an opportunity to make that difference look meaningless.

Ohio State Has The Stronger Number Beside Its Name

The Buckeyes enter Austin as the undisputed No. 1 team.

They also looked like one in Week 1.

Ohio State defeated Ball State 56-3 on Sept. 5, scoring 14 points in every quarter and producing 513 yards of total offense. Quarterback Julian Sayin completed 21 of 25 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns while adding a rushing touchdown.

The most frightening performance came from Jeremiah Smith.

The star receiver caught eight passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns, with both touchdowns and all 151 receiving yards coming before halftime.

That means Ohio State did exactly what Texas did.

It took care of an inferior opponent.

It generated explosive plays.

Its starting quarterback produced efficiently.

Its best offensive weapon looked nearly impossible to contain.

The difference is that Ohio State did it as the No. 1 team in the country.

Texas did it as the No. 5 team entering the week.

Now the AP poll has placed the Longhorns at No. 4, setting up an even more significant matchup.

For Texas, the Texas football championship outlook now depends heavily on what happens against the team sitting at the top of the rankings.

Arch Manning Is The Center Of The Ranking Debate

The AP ranking may belong to the team, but the national discussion surrounding Texas inevitably begins with Arch Manning.

Manning’s opening performance was one of the biggest reasons the Longhorns entered the Ohio State week with momentum.

He completed 74.1% of his passes, threw four touchdowns and distributed the ball across the offense. Ryan Wingo caught seven passes for 121 yards and a touchdown, while transfer Cam Coleman caught three passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns.

The development is particularly relevant because Manning struggled in last year’s meeting with Ohio State.

He finished that 14-7 loss with 170 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. Ohio State controlled much of the game before Texas mounted a late comeback attempt that ultimately fell short.

Manning now has a full season of starting experience.

He has played SEC football.

He has experienced difficult road environments.

He has played in postseason games.

And he has another year of development within Sarkisian’s offense.

That is why the No. 4 ranking cannot be separated from the quarterback.

If Manning performs against Ohio State the way he did against Texas State, Texas has a legitimate chance to challenge for the top ranking.

If Ohio State makes him revert to the version of himself that struggled in Columbus, the AP voters may have been right to keep the Buckeyes ahead.

The Transfer Portal Is Part Of Texas’ Ranking Jump

Texas’ new ranking also reflects a roster that looks considerably different from the one Ohio State defeated in 2025.

The Longhorns made a major investment in the transfer portal and brought in a large group of players expected to contribute immediately.

Cam Coleman has already scored twice.

Hollywood Smothers produced 70 rushing yards on 10 carries and added two receiving touchdowns against Texas State.

Rasheem Biles forced a fumble and intercepted a pass in his Texas debut.

Those players give Sarkisian more ways to change the game.

Coleman gives Manning another explosive receiver alongside Wingo.

Smothers adds speed to the backfield.

Biles gives Will Muschamp another defensive player capable of creating turnovers.

The impact was visible immediately.

That matters because one of the biggest differences between Texas and Ohio State entering Saturday may be depth.

Both teams have elite top-end talent.

But Texas’ ability to add proven transfers and integrate them immediately could give the Longhorns more answers than they had during the previous matchup.

The Texas transfer portal strategy is therefore becoming part of the larger story behind the No. 4 ranking.

The Ranking Also Raises The Standard For Steve Sarkisian

Being No. 4 changes expectations.

If Texas were ranked No. 10 or No. 12 entering this game, a close loss to Ohio State could be viewed as evidence that the Longhorns belong among the country’s better teams.

At No. 4, the standard is different.

Texas is expected to compete for championships.

Sarkisian has now produced three consecutive 10-win seasons, and Texas enters its sixth season under his leadership after reaching the College Football Playoff in consecutive seasons before missing the field in 2025. Texas Athletics notes that the Longhorns have gone 35-8 over the past three seasons.

That résumé explains why the program is ranked so highly.

It also explains why Saturday matters so much.

Texas does not need to prove that it is good.

It needs to prove that it can beat the best teams.

Ohio State represents exactly that challenge.

The AP Poll Creates A Direct Championship Test

The most important thing about Texas being No. 4 is what sits immediately above it.

Ohio State.

Georgia.

Notre Dame.

Then Indiana at No. 5.

The margin between the top teams is relatively narrow, and the rankings can change dramatically once marquee games begin.

Texas therefore has a unique opportunity.

Beat Ohio State, and the Longhorns will have an immediate argument for becoming the No. 1 team in the country.

Lose narrowly, and Texas could remain inside the top five depending on the circumstances.

Lose decisively, and the national conversation changes.

That is why the ranking creates pressure without necessarily creating danger.

Texas’ season will not be decided on Sept. 12.

But the national perception of Texas could be.

The Defensive Ranking Question Is Just As Important

Texas’ offense received most of the attention after the Texas State game, but Will Muschamp’s defense has an equally important role in determining whether the No. 4 ranking survives.

The Longhorns held Texas State to seven points and forced multiple turnovers. Rasheem Biles created two of the game’s most important defensive plays with his forced fumble and interception.

Ohio State presents an entirely different challenge.

Sayin threw for 320 yards against Ball State.

Smith produced 151 receiving yards in one half.

Ohio State also generated explosive rushing plays, including a 65-yard touchdown from Bo Jackson and a 49-yard touchdown from Ja’Kobi Jackson.

Texas cannot rely on winning a shootout.

The Longhorns need the defense to create enough negative plays and turnovers to disrupt Ohio State’s rhythm.

That places additional responsibility on players such as Biles, Colin Simmons, Justin Cryer, Jelani McDonald and the reshaped Texas secondary.

The No. 4 ranking will be tested on both sides of the football.

DKR Gives Texas Its Biggest Advantage

There is one major difference between this matchup and last year’s meeting.

This time, Ohio State is coming to Austin.

Texas lost 14-7 in Columbus on Aug. 30, 2025. The rematch will be played in a sold-out DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium on Sept. 12 at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC.

That environment could matter.

Texas expects more than 100,000 fans inside the stadium for the matchup, while ESPN’s College GameDay will broadcast from the Forty Acres.

The crowd will be part of the equation, especially if Texas starts quickly.

Sarkisian’s team does not need to create the same environment it had against Texas State.

It needs to use the environment against Ohio State.

A fast start from Manning, an early defensive stop and a few explosive plays could turn DKR into a major advantage.

But if Ohio State controls the opening quarter, the crowd could become less important.

The first few possessions will therefore carry enormous weight.

The No. 4 Ranking Is An Opportunity, Not A Destination

Texas is now No. 4 because it has the roster, recent history and opening-week performance of a national contender.

But the ranking itself does not accomplish anything.

It does not beat Ohio State.

It does not erase the 14-7 loss from 2025.

It does not eliminate the questions surrounding Texas’ offensive line or rushing attack.

And it certainly does not guarantee that Manning will repeat his 305-yard performance against a defense considerably better than Texas State’s.

What it does provide is an opportunity.

Texas now enters Saturday as the nation’s No. 4 team with two first-place votes and a chance to face the No. 1 team in the country at home.

The Longhorns can change the national conversation with one game.

Ohio State has already established itself at the top of the AP poll with 46 first-place votes.

Texas has two.

That difference will disappear quickly if Sarkisian’s team can win Saturday.

The Texas-Ohio State matchup is therefore more than a rematch. It is an early test of whether the Longhorns’ ranking reflects potential or actual championship-level quality.

At 6:30 p.m. CT on Sept. 12, the AP poll will stop being theoretical.

Texas will have to prove it on the field.