Texas Longhorns Rank Top Five in Final AP Poll

The Longhorns finished the season ranked No. 4, the exact same placement they had in the previous AP Poll before bowl season. The only teams ahead of them are the Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Oregon Ducks.

Texas had a decent run in the College Football Playoff, defeating the Clemson Tigers 38-24 in the first round and the Arizona State Sun Devils 39-31 (2OT) in the quarterfinals. However, its run came to an end when it lost to the Buckeyes 28-14 in the semifinals, marking the second straight year it has fallen just short of the national championship game.

At the very least, the Longhorns did finish the season as the highest-ranked team in the SEC. The Georgia Bulldogs held that title heading into bowl season, as one would expect from the conference champions, but fell four spots following their 23-10 loss to the Fighting Irish in the quarterfinals. Granted, that loss came without starting quarterback Carson Beck, who suffered an injury in the SEC Championship Game against the Longhorns, but it's still an early loss nonetheless.

All things considered, the Longhorns had a good first season in their new conference. However, they have their sights set on a national championship, and falling short for the second year in a row will leave a bad taste in their mouths.