Jan 10, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian before the College Football Playoff semifinal against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns Top SEC Power Rankings

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Aug 8, 2025 7:00 PM ET

By the standard of teams' first year in a new conference, the Texas Longhorns' SEC debut was about as good as they get.

The Longhorns went 13-3, gave Georgia a heck of a game in the SEC Championship Game and made it all the way to the College Football Playoff semifinals, being the last team standing in the conference. It wasn't a perfect season, but they did far better than any other team that changed conferences over the past few years.

The Longhorns have proven that they can compete in the SEC, but now they have to prove they can win it. Their roster is probably the most talented in the conference, if not the entire country, so they're officially in national-championship-or-bust territory. While winning the SEC won't be easy, ESPN likes the Longhorns' chances.

Texas Longhorns Team to Beat in SEC

In its preseason SEC power rankings, ESPN crowned Texas as the top team in the conference with just weeks until kickoff.

"Steve Sarkisian loves his roster, and he has plenty of reason to be excited with [Arch] Manning, receivers DeAndre Moore Jr. and Ryan Wingo, and tailbacks Quintrevion Wisner and CJ Baxter returning," ESPN wrote. "The Longhorns will have to replace four starting offensive linemen and fill some holes on the defensive front."

The Longhorns' odds to win the conference sit at +250, which ESPN notes are the longest odds for any SEC favorite over the past 15 years. However, the preseason favorite has gone on to win the SEC in six of the past 10 years, so that bodes well for them.

Additionally, ESPN placed Longhorns in the "should be in" tier of the College Football Playoff outlook, one of three teams in the tier alongside Georgia and Alabama.

"The Longhorns should be right back in the mix, especially if former five-star quarterback Arch Manning is as good as advertised. Texas returns three potential All-Americans -- edge rusher Colin Simmons, linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and safety Michael Taaffe-- from a defense that ranked No. 3 in the FBS in scoring defense (15.3 points) last season."

Sarkisian and the Longhorns have had incredibly high expectations placed before them throughout the entire offseason, and for very good reason. Now that the season opener against Ohio State, a rematch of last year's semifinal matchup, is just over three weeks away, however, those expectations feel more real than ever before.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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