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The Associated Press released its official college football Preseason Top 25 rankings. Texas and Texas A&M were the only schools featured from the Lone Star State.
The Longhorns come in at No. 4 and the Aggies are No. 20.
AP Top 25 Rankings
Texas opens up play this season with its highest ranking since 2009. That year, the Longhorns started as the No. 2 team nationally and went on to play for the national championship.
They put their best season together last year at 12-2, including 8-1 in the Big 12 Conference and a College Football Playoff berth. Now, Texas looks to take that momentum into its first season in the Southeastern Conference.
The Longhorns now have the sixth-most appearances in the Preseason AP Top 25 Poll. Texas has been ranked 57 times among the 75 seasons a preseason poll has existed. They are ranked for the second year in a row and have been in the Top 25 for the last 20 weeks.
It is Texas' 12th-longest streak in program history, trailing the 162-week record set from 2000 through 2010.
It is also the seventh time in 8 years that Texas has started the season in the Top 25. Also, it's the 25th time to be a Top 5 team and the 35th time Texas has been in the Top 10. In its debut season in the SEC, Texas will face four ranked opponents: No. 20 Texas A&M, No. 1 Georgia, No. 16 Oklahoma and No. 9 Michigan in nonconference play.
Texas A&M's Preseason Hype
While Texas A&M hasn't finished recent seasons with ideal results, the Aggies start this season ranked in the Preseason AP Top 25 Poll for the sixth straight time. This will raise the hype in College Station during Week 1. New head coach Mike Elko makes his debut in the season opener, which is now a Top 20 matchup against Notre Dame.
The Aggies have had high expectations with elite recruiting classes. But tough times have been the rule in Aggieland instead of the exception. Texas A&M has finished unranked in the last 4 seasons. This includes being ranked twice in the Preseason AP Top 10, then falling out of the rankings in the final poll.
Still, Texas A&M is tied for the 17th-most poll appearances and has become a regular name to watch. The Aggies will have 3 games against current Top 25 opponents this season: No. 11 Missouri, No. 13 LSU and No. 4 Texas. Texas A&M finished 7-6 overall last season, 4-4 in SEC play. It also was Jimbo Fisher's final season as Aggies head coach.
Others Receiving Votes
While the Longhorns and Aggies were the only 2 ranked teams from Texas, 2 more received votes and sit just outside the Top 25 as the season begins.
SMU received 33 votes ahead of its Atlantic Coast Conference debut. The Mustangs have a strong roster and it would not be surprising to see them ranked at some point. They have been ranked 8 times in the preseason poll, last appearing at No. 3 in 1985.
SMU was unranked from 1986 until 2019 while recovering from NCAA sanctions. The Mustangs returned to the poll in 2019, spending 8 weeks in the Top 25 and climbing as high as No. 15. SMU spent 3 weeks in the rankings last season.
UTSA also received votes in the initial AP Preseason Top 25. The Roadrunners have only had 2 seasons in which they've appeared in the rankings and have never been ranked in the preseason. They were ranked 7 times in 2021 and twice in 2022 and have reached as high as No. 15.
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