Indiana is sitting at No. 4 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, a full *eight* spots ahead of Ohio State, a team that actually beat them. Talk about a curveball right out of the gate! This ranking is a massive surprise, especially when you consider Ohio State handled the Hoosiers, yet Indiana, with their 8-1 record, somehow leapfrogged them. Meanwhile, the Texas Longhorns are holding down No. 7, fresh off three signature wins, but also carrying two losses that are definitely being watched.
Texas’s Road Ahead Is Brutal, But They’ve Got Wins
The Texas Longhorns snagged the No. 7 spot, and yeah, they’ve got some serious hardware on their resume. Wins over No. 10 Ole Miss, No. 12 Ohio State, and No. 13 Tennessee are legit, no doubt about it. But they also have those two losses, to Oklahoma and Florida, which keeps them out of that top tier for now. Looking at the top five, it’s Miami (8-0), Georgia (7-1), Utah (8-0), that surprising Indiana (8-1), and Alabama (6-2). The SEC is showing off big time, with six teams in the top 11 and a whopping 11 overall in the rankings. The Longhorns are facing a gauntlet in the coming weeks. This weekend, it’s No. 18 Missouri, then No. 14 LSU the following week, before finishing at home against Arkansas and then a road trip to Texas A&M. That’s a brutal stretch, and every game is gonna be a dogfight if they want to move up.
Houston Makes History, Texas Tech Eyes a Climb
Out of the other Texas teams, Houston (UH) and Texas Tech also made some noise. UH, led by quarterback Conner Weigman, jumped all the way to No. 17 with a 6-2 record, marking their highest ranking in school history in the CFP. That’s huge for the Cougars! Their two close losses came against No. 15 Texas Tech and No. 3 Utah, so they know they can hang with top teams. To even sniff the top 11, UH needs to sweep their last four games: vs. Cincinnati, at Colorado, at West Virginia, and then vs. Baylor. Texas Tech, sitting at No. 15 with a 7-1 record, has had an easier schedule so far. But that’s about to change. Their final four matchups are against West Virginia, at Oklahoma State, at Baylor, and then vs. TCU. The CFP committee picks 12 teams total for the playoff: four power conference champs, seven at-large, and the highest-ranked Group of Six team, with Boise State currently holding that Group of Six spot at No. 25.
This weekend is pivotal for all these teams. The Longhorns’ matchup against No. 18 Missouri is a massive test for their No. 7 ranking. Can they avoid another upset and start pushing their way higher? UH and Texas Tech need to show they belong in the conversation, starting now. Every game is a playoff game from here on out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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