Texas tops preseason AP poll

Texas starts at No 1 followed by Penn State in the closest preseason AP Top 25 vote since 1998.

Texas Tops AP Top 25 as Manning Era Opens

Texas is No. 1 in the AP preseason poll for the first time in school history, edging Penn State by a razor thin margin. The Longhorns received 25 first place votes and 1,552 points, while Penn State had 23 first place votes and 1,547 points. Defending national champion Ohio State sits No. 3 with 11 first-place votes, and the Buckeyes will host Texas to open the season on Aug. 30. Clemson is No. 4, followed by Georgia, Notre Dame, Oregon, Alabama, LSU and Miami to round out the top 10. The top-10 cluster includes six teams with first-place votes, the most since 2016. Alabama slips out of the preseason top five for the first time since 2008. Week 1 features three top-10 showdowns, including No. 1 Texas at No. 3 Ohio State and No. 9 LSU at No. 4 Clemson, plus No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 10 Miami. Texas is also a 2.5-point underdog at Ohio State as it begins life in the SEC. The poll also notes that Texas joined the SEC this season after leaving the Big 12, and the conference leads the rankings with 10 teams.

The close vote illustrates how crowded the field is this year and how much weight teams place on quarterback stability and line play. Arch Manning stepping into the spotlight at Texas adds a national storyline that could accelerate or complicate the Longhorns' plans to build on last season's success. The SEC's strength emphasis adds pressure on Texas to prove it can contend in a tougher league from the start. Historically, preseason No. 1 status is a hopeful banner more than a guarantee, and many voters know the risk of overestimating early momentum. The season will reveal whether the Longhorns can translate high expectations into sustained performance.

Highlights

The next few weeks will test these early predictions and set the tone for a season of high drama.