Texas tops preseason AP Top 25 by five points

Texas earns the preseason No. 1 spot in the AP poll by a narrow margin and faces a challenging opener against Ohio State.

Texas Tops preseason AP Top 25 edging Penn State and Ohio State

Texas will begin the college football season ranked No. 1 in the AP preseason Top 25 for the first time. The Longhorns edged out Penn State by five points in the closest preseason vote since 1998, receiving 25 first place votes to the Nittany Lions' 23. The SEC holds the top spot with ten teams in the poll, including four in the top ten. Texas opens on August 30 with a road game against defending champion Ohio State, a rematch of last season's CFP semifinal.

Twelve Texas players were taken in the NFL draft, including three first round picks. Still, strong recruiting and transfer portal additions are expected to offset losses on the offensive line and at receiver. The defense returns a good portion of its talent, and the schedule offers a test from the start as the team navigates the expectations that come with the No. 1 ranking.

The No 1 ranking places Texas in a new spotlight. The SEC dominance reflected in the poll underscores how the conference shapes national perception, with ten teams in the preseason Top 25 and several projected to compete for the playoffs. The opener at Ohio State will set a clear early benchmark for the Longhorns under coach Steve Sarkisian as Arch Manning enters a high profile year.

Yet a No 1 start carries risk. Hype can outpace reality if roster changes and injuries mount, and the team will need depth to sustain performance across a long season. Texas has shown growth lately, but the real test is consistency over the next several months and in big games that test both offense and defense.

Highlights

The rankings are a starting flag, not a finish line.