Why ESPN Still Ranks Texas Longhorns No. 1 In Their Power Poll After Ohio State Loss

After losing their opening matchup, a defensive battle between two of the top three teams in the country, the Longhorns were not penalized by the FPI; in fact, they were rewarded and stayed at the number one ranking. The Buckeyes rose one spot in the rankings, now sitting third in FPI behind the Georgia Bulldogs.

The current projection for Steve Sarkisian's squad is 9.5-2.9, with one projected loss remaining for the Longhorns. Despite that, they have the third-highest percentage to win out, at 8.4, behind another winless team, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and their kryptonite in 2025 so far, the Buckeyes. That mark is double that of the next closest SEC team, the Bulldogs, to whom the Longhorns will have to travel to later this season.

Interestingly enough, the Longhorns have lower odds to make the playoffs than the Bulldogs, at 70.4 percent, over 10 points lower than their SEC counterparts at 80.7. Those numbers trail the Buckeyes, who lead the country with 82.3, while two other SEC teams sit above 50 percent in Ole Miss and Tennessee.

The same sentiment can be echoed for making and winning the national championship, with the Longhorns third in both at 23.8 percent to make the championship, and 14.3 percent to win it all. To get to that point, the two teams have lost their last four.

For the Longhorns, a week one loss didn't spell disaster for the season; in fact, they are in the same position they were before week one even began. The ability to regroup and let Manning get some confidence under him is paramount to the success of the rest of the season. While an early loss would usually spell trouble, with expanded playoffs and a committee valuing strength of schedule more than ever, the Longhorns still control their destiny.