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Posted
8 minutes ago, Sock Monkey said:

I should be thrilled to be #1, but it feels empty not having played a game yet. It also feels like a “build them up just to beat them down” type of situation. Our week one game vs tOSU is a win-win for the media, but I suspect they’d love to write about the reigning champs maintaining dominance at home versus the top contender for their crown. 

This is peak BLS. It's rare to find such a perfect example. 

I am sympathetic though. Hard to live through 2010-2021 and not feel that way. That being said, Imma need you to take a sip:

4-B12-A95-D-4-D40-4-E13-B5-FA-CEF72-F4-F

  • Haha 2
Posted
4 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

Get a grip, people hate sissies. No-one's ever going to shag you if you cry all the time.

I’m fine. Couldn’t be more excited for the season. I just want to earn the ranking and don’t like preseason polls in general. 

Posted
7 minutes ago, Park Gothic said:

This is peak BLS. It's rare to find such a perfect example. 

I am sympathetic though. Hard to live through 2010-2021 and not feel that way. That being said, Imma need you to take a sip:

4-B12-A95-D-4-D40-4-E13-B5-FA-CEF72-F4-F

lol Sure, pass me a glass and make it a double. I guess I underestimated how seriously we take Off-season Championships around here. 

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Posted
3 minutes ago, Sock Monkey said:

lol Sure, pass me a glass and make it a double. I guess I underestimated how seriously we take Off-season Championships around here. 

Just a lot of excitement around Archmania, another elite defense and the polls acknowledging that with a consensus #1 preseason ranking. First ever 

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Posted

Closest 1-2 point margin in the preseason since 1998. Similar to Coaches poll, big point gap from 9th to 10th.

 

AP Top 25
 
RK
Team
REC PTS
TREND
1
TexasTexas(25)
0-0 1552
NR
2 0-0 1547
NR
3 0-0 1472
NR
4
ClemsonClemson(4)
0-0 1398
NR
5
GeorgiaGeorgia(1)
0-0 1331
NR
6 0-0 1325
NR
7
OregonOregon(1)
0-0 1236
NR
8 0-0 1179
NR
9
LSULSU
0-0 1174
NR
10 0-0 889
NR
11 0-0 791
NR
12 0-0 713
NR
13 0-0 667
NR
14 0-0 662
NR
15 0-0 626
NR
16
SMUSMU
0-0 565
NR
17 0-0 512
NR
18 0-0 463
NR
19 0-0 434
NR
20 0-0 423
NR
21 0-0 370
NR
22 0-0 309
NR
23 0-0 274
NR
24 0-0 192
NR
25 0-0 191
NR
 
Complete Rankings

Others receiving votes: BYU 156, Utah 144, Baylor 132, Louisville 90, USC 64, Georgia Tech 63, Missouri 33, Tulane 23, Nebraska 23, UNLV 21, Toledo 13, Auburn 10, James Madison 9, Memphis 9, Florida State 8, Duke 6, Navy 5, Liberty 5, Iowa 5, TCU 4, Pittsburgh 3, Army 2, Louisiana 1, Colorado 1

Posted
30 minutes ago, Sock Monkey said:

I’m fine. Couldn’t be more excited for the season. I just want to earn the ranking and don’t like preseason polls in general. 

WTF does this even mean?  You don't think two consecutive final 4 appearances along with elite recruiting/transfer results "earn" anything?  It's fine to dislike preseason polls, but Texas has "earned" this ranking as much as any program has.

I really hate our fans at times.

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Posted
11 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

WTF does this even mean?  You don't think two consecutive final 4 appearances along with elite recruiting/transfer results "earn" anything?  It's fine to dislike preseason polls, but Texas has "earned" this ranking as much as any program has.

I really hate our fans at times.

Some people just have to have a reason to complain and they're willing to pull one out of thin air if none exist.

It's a beating. 

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Posted
10 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

WTF does this even mean?  You don't think two consecutive final 4 appearances along with elite recruiting/transfer results "earn" anything?  It's fine to dislike preseason polls, but Texas has "earned" this ranking as much as any program has.

I really hate our fans at times.

But Jimmy, we all love you man. 

1 minute ago, Sgt Hulk said:

Fuck state penn 

Pedo State should have been permanently banned from all sports after that shit came to light. Fuck them is right. 

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Posted
1 hour ago, Js1 said:

I swear, nothing gets fans to show off their periods like preseason camp reports + preseason rankings.  August is the heaviest flow month. 

 

Clint Eastwood Coffee GIF

Posted
1 hour ago, Sock Monkey said:

lol Sure, pass me a glass and make it a double. I guess I underestimated how seriously we take Off-season Championships around here. 

 

1 hour ago, Sock Monkey said:

I’m fine. Couldn’t be more excited for the season. I just want to earn the ranking and don’t like preseason polls in general. 

The guy who shows up to tell us he doesn't like preseason polls is claiming that we're taking things too seriously around here? Okay then. 

I've never understood the complaint about preseason polls. We all know they're not deterministic and haven't been for a long time but especially now. They're a sign that the season is around the corner. They're usually the highest ranking ATM gets all season. They often lead to interesting bulletin board discussions. 

What's not to like? Do you bitch about too much pussy, money, or texmex? Why would you treat CFB any differently?

39 minutes ago, DFW Horn said:

austin powers GIF

Wrong British movie.

Posted

Someone explain to me how USC football is still screwed up. They have several billionaire alumni who could help their NIL program, they have a coach who at one time was producing Heisman QB’s, Southern California is not a bad place to live, and the school itself is high quality. What the heck are they doing?

Posted

Number of weeks in the AP poll, number of weeks at #1 in the AP poll is a thing that gets tracked for dominance. Ergo being #1 at any time is never a bad thing.

Will Ferrell Snl GIF by Saturday Night Live 

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Posted
2 hours ago, closetojumping said:

Get a grip, people hate sissies. No-one's ever going to shag you if you cry all the time.

Never thought I'd see a Love Actually quote in a college football ranking thread in August in 2025.

  • Haha 2
Posted (edited)

Where the bar is set for Texas as the No. 1 team in the preseason AP Top 25 - Jeff Howe (OTF)

Spoiler

Where the bar is set for Texas as the No. 1 team in the preseason AP Top 25

 

Jeff Howe

By Jeff Howe

  • 13 minutes ago
 
 

Texas entering into Steve Sarkisian’s fifth season on the Forty Acres as the No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 doesn’t guarantee anything.

Still, the history of preseason No. 1 teams since 1998 — the first season in which the Bowl Championship Series decided college football’s national champion — is a sign that the Longhorns can almost bank on a prosperous season.

The proof will be in the pudding, whether Texas is destined for a third consecutive trip to the College Football Playoff under Sarkisian. Regardless, there’s a baseline level of success that the previous 27 clubs voted No. 1 in the preseason by AP Top 25 voters has reached.

— Only one of the 27 previous preseason No. 1 teams failed to win 10 or more games. USC opened the 2012 season ranked No. 1 by the AP (LSU was No. 1 in the Coaches Poll) and went 7-6 with a loss to Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl. Lane Kiffin’s last full season as coach of the Trojans saw USC join Ole Miss (1964) as the only preseason No. 1 teams in history to not appear in the final poll.

— Texas will attempt to join Florida State (1999), USC (2004) and Alabama (2017) as the only preseason No. 1 teams in the BCS/CFP era to win a national championship.

— In the BCS era (1998-2013), four preseason No. 1 teams — Miami (2002), Oklahoma (2003), USC (2005) and Ohio State (2006) — reached the national championship game. The Hurricanes, Trojans and Buckeyes won their respective conference championships; the Sooners lost to Kansas State in the Big 12 title game.

— While Alabama (2017) is the only preseason No. 1 to win a national championship in the CFP era (since 2014), nine other No. 1 teams made it to the CFP: Florida State (2014), Alabama (2016, 2018 and 2021), Clemson (2019 and 2020) and Georgia (2023 and 2024). Of those eight teams, four (Alabama three times and Clemson in 2019) reached the national championship game.

— Nick Saban’s 2017 Crimson Tide won the national championship with a walk-off victory over Georgia, but the Bulldogs won the SEC title with a win over Auburn. Of the 27 previous preseason No. 1 teams, 14 won at least a share of a conference championship, while Oklahoma (2003), Florida (2009) and Georgia (2023) lost their respective conference title games.

— Eleven preseason No. 1 teams since 1998 didn’t win a conference championship, reach the BCS title game or make the CFP: Nebraska (2000), Florida (2001), Georgia (2008 and 2023), Florida (2009), Alabama (2010, 2013 and 2022), Oklahoma (2011), USC (2012) and Ohio State (2015). The 2015 Buckeyes, the 2022 Crimson Tide and the 2023 Bulldogs are the only AP preseason No. 1 teams since 2014 to not qualify for the CFP in the four-team format.

— Georgia was No. 1 to open the 2024 season, the first in the 12-team CFP format. The Bulldogs went 11-3 and won the SEC championship with an overtime win over Texas before falling to Notre Dame at the Sugar Bowl in the CFP quarterfinals. 

Final results for preseason AP Top 25 No. 1 teams since 1998

2024: Georgia (11-3, SEC champions, lost in the CFP quarterfinals to Notre Dame)

2023: Georgia (13-1, lost the SEC championship game to Alabama, Orange Bowl champions)

2022: Alabama (11-2, didn’t make it to SEC championship game, Sugar Bowl champions)

2021: Alabama (13-2, SEC champions, Cotton Bowl champions, lost the CFP national championship to Georgia)

2020: Clemson (10-2, ACC champions, lost in the CFP semifinals to Ohio State)

2019: Clemson (14-1, ACC champions, Fiesta Bowl champions, lost the CFP national championship to LSU)

2018: Alabama (14-1, SEC champions, Orange Bowl champions, lost the CFP national championship to Clemson)

*2017: Alabama (13-1, didn’t make it to the SEC championship game, Sugar Bowl champions, CFP national champions)

2016: Alabama (14-1, SEC champions, Peach Bowl champions, lost the CFP national championship to Clemson)

2015: Ohio State (12-1, didn’t make Big Ten championship game, Fiesta Bowl champions)

2014: Florida State (13-1, ACC champions, lost in the CFP semifinals to Oregon)

2013: Alabama (11-2, didn’t make SEC championship game, lost the Sugar Bowl to Oklahoma)

2012: USC (7-6, didn't make the Pac-12 championship game, lost the Sun Bowl to Georgia Tech)

2011: Oklahoma (10-3, Insight Bowl champions)

2010: Alabama (10-3, didn’t make the SEC championship game, Citrus Bowl champions)

2009: Florida (13-1, lost the SEC championship game to Alabama, Sugar Bowl champions)

2008: Georgia (10-3, didn’t make SEC championship game, Citrus Bowl champions)

2007: USC (11-2, Pac-10 co-champions, Rose Bowl champions)

2006: Ohio State (12-1, Big Ten champions, lost BCS national championship game to Florida)

2005: USC (12-1, Pac-10 champions, lost Rose Bowl/BCS championship game to Texas)

*2004: USC (11-0, Pac-10 champions, BCS national champions)

2003: Oklahoma (12-2, lost the Big 12 championship game to Kansas State, lost the Sugar Bowl/BCS championship game to LSU)

2002: Miami (12-1, Big East champions, lost the Fiesta Bowl/BCS championship game to Ohio State)

2001: Florida (10-2, didn’t make the SEC championship game, Orange Bowl champions)

2000: Nebraska (10-2, didn’t make Big 12 championship game, Alamo Bowl champions)

*1999: Florida State (12-0, ACC champions, BCS national champions)

1998: Ohio State (11-1, Big Ten co-champions, Sugar Bowl champions)

 

Texas' No. 1 ranking is worth celebrating, even if it doesn't move the needle internally - Howe

Spoiler

Texas' No. 1 ranking is worth celebrating, even if it doesn't move the needle internally

 

Jeff Howe

By Jeff Howe

  • 1 hour ago
 
 

Steve Sarkisian is scheduled to meet with reporters after Texas concludes practice on Monday. He’s probably going to be asked about the Longhorns being the No. 1-ranked team in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in school history.

History suggests Sarkisian will step in front of the cameras with his response ready to go.

“I don't really care about the rankings, truth be told,” he said last month in San Antonio at the Texas High School Coaches Association Coaching School and Convention.

Sarkisian was answering a question regarding SEC Media Days, which ended with the media picking Texas as the preseason favorite to win the conference championship. Still, Sarkisian didn’t wax poetic on the Longhorns' chances of getting to Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the second year in a row and taking care of unfinished business on Dec. 6.

“I've sat up here and said the rankings don't matter when we weren't ranked very highly,” he said. “I don't think that's going to change if we're ranked higher.”

No matter what anyone thinks of preseason rankings, the Longhorns (1,552 total points based on poll votes, including 25 first-place votes) edging out fellow College Football Playoff semifinalist Penn State (1,547 points and 23 first-place votes) and reigning national champion Ohio State (1,472 points and 11 first-place votes) should be taken as a two-fold sign of respect from the college football world.

First, it’s a sign of respect for what the current regime has achieved since the 2023 recruiting class, one headlined by Anthony Hill Jr. and Arch Manning, arrived on campus. Over the last two seasons, Sarkisian’s program has made back-to-back CFP semifinal trips, ended the longest drought in program history without a conference championship (14 years) and racked up 25 victories.

Furthermore, it’s respect for a roster chock-full of former blue-chip recruits with arguably more talent, fewer holes and a higher number of future NFL draft picks than any in the country.

Even though ESPN’s Bill Connelly ranked Texas No. 103 when he unveiled his returning production percentage rankings in February, the Longhorns’ (No. 5 in Connelly’s post-spring SP+ rankings, of which returning production is a piece of the formula) inexperience could be minimized. Almost all of the players with extra eligibility stemming from the pandemic-impacted 2020 season have cycled through college football, which should result in younger, less-experienced rosters across the board.

If there were a season in which a lack of experience at key positions might not be a detriment, it could be this one. That, along with Manning’s first season to be QB1 from the jump, might best explain Texas coming out on top of the closest preseason AP vote since 1998, when five points separated No. 1 Ohio State (1,668 points and 30 first-place votes) and No. 2 Florida State (1,663 points and 22 first-place votes).

“They're great for the fans and they're great for the popularity of our sport,” Sarkisian said of preseason rankings last month. “It keeps the conversation of college football [at] the forefront of people's minds and the media and things of that nature.

"I think that's awesome for our sport, and the fact that we're talking about Week 1 matchups and all of those things, but, in reality, they don't matter," he added. "What we do on the field, the way we perform, is going to be, ultimately, what dictates how our season goes."

Nevertheless, the rubber will meet the road in 19 days, when the Longhorns travel to the Horseshoe to meet the Buckeyes in a rematch of last season’s heartbreaking Cotton Bowl loss. To Sarkisian’s point about marquee Week 1 battles, Ohio State’s No. 3 ranking means the Aug. 30 showdown in Columbus is tied with a clash between No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Florida State on Sept. 2, 2017, for pitting the highest-ranked teams against each other in a season opener since the first preseason poll was released in 1950.

Anyone invested in Longhorn football should take pride in Texas, which went into the 2024 campaign ranked No. 4 in the AP Top 25, garnering a top-five preseason ranking for the second consecutive season. Sarkisian joining Darrell Royal (1960-65 and 1967-71) and Mack Brown (2001-03, 2005-07 and 2009-10) as the only coaches in program history to do so is another sign that the Longhorns are on the cusp of a historic run.

That should be celebrated by the burnt orange faithful, even if it doesn’t resonate within the walls of the Moncrief Complex.

Internally, nobody takes for granted what Texas has accomplished over the last two seasons. Still, the Longhorns are focused on doing whatever it takes to get over the hump and claim the program's first national championship in 20 years.

"The coaches do a great job reminding us that this is our main goal, but we have to do the work every single day to reach the goal," linebacker Liona Lefau said after a recent camp practice. "We can't skip any steps. We can't skip any days. We've got to stack days.

"[Sarkisian] called it 'the summit,'" he added. "Right now, we're at the bottom, trying to work our way up to the national championship."

 

Edited by MuellerHorn
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