Texas Climbs to No. 8 as College Football Rankings Shift

Texas rallied from a second-half deficit to win 34-20 against No. 19 Missouri, improving its record while several higher-ranked teams stumbled. The Longhorns rose two places to No. 8, their third straight weekly increase in the AP poll. The College Football Playoff committee had ranked Texas No. 7 in its first standings, released earlier in the week.

Georgia moved to No. 1 after defeating Ole Miss 42-7. Utah climbed to No. 2 following a close win over BYU, while Notre Dame rose to No. 3 after handing previously top-ranked Miami its first loss, 31-24. Miami fell to fifth; Alabama, which beat LSU 31-13, advanced to No. 7.

Ohio State dropped ten places to No. 21 after losing 41-28 to Oregon, which entered the week unranked and moved up to No. 18. Tennessee jumped seven spots to No. 9 after a 34-6 win over Kentucky, which fell to No. 13. BYU dropped to No. 12, Ole Miss to No. 19 and LSU to No. 24.

The results brought mixed implications for Texas’s playoff prospects. Losses by Miami and Kentucky could help the Longhorns’ position, but defeats by Ohio State and Ole Miss may lessen the value of Texas’s wins over those teams. Tennessee’s victory over Kentucky strengthened the Volunteers’ standing.

The playoff committee was set to issue its next rankings on Tuesday. Texas next travels to Baton Rouge to play No. 24 LSU, giving the Longhorns another chance to bolster their case.