The first AP Poll of the season is out and the Longhorns are ranked No. 4 to begin the highly-anticipated 2024 campaign. This is the first time Texas has debuted in the AP preseason Top 5 since 2009, when the Horns lost in the BCS Championship game against Alabama at the Rose Bowl.
The top seven teams in the AP Poll mirrors the top seven in the US LBM Coaches Poll released last week.
Georgia, Ohio State and Oregon rank ahead of Texas in the initial poll. The Bulldogs received 46 first place votes, the Buckeyes got 15 first place votes and the Ducks received 1 first place votes. Texas landed zero first place votes.
As the “super conference” era begins, the expanded SEC and Big Ten dominate the rankings with four teams apiece in the Top 10. Only four conferences are represented in the preseason rankings overall. The SEC leads the conference race with nine teams in the Top 25. The Big Ten has six representatives. The Big 12 lands five in the poll, while the ACC has four.
Texas rivals Oklahoma and Texas A&M also made the list at No. 16 and No. 20 respectively.
Five teams from the preseason AP Top 25 are on the Longhorns’ schedule:
9/7 at No. 9 Michigan
10/12 vs. No. 16 Oklahoma (in Dallas)
10/19 vs. No. 1 Georgia
11/20 at No. 20 Texas A&M
Texas finished the 2023 season ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll after losing the College Football Playoff Semifinal vs. Washington. The Longhorns 2024 season begins on 8/31 vs. Colorado State.
A look at the full preseason AP Poll:
| Ranking | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia Bulldogs | 1,532 (46) |
| 2 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 1,490 (15) |
| 3 | Oregon Ducks | 1,403 (1) |
| 4 | Texas Longhorns | 1,386 |
| 5 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 1,260 |
| 6 | Ole Miss Rebels | 1,189 |
| 7 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 1,122 |
| 8 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 1,060 |
| 9 | Michigan Wolverines | 995 |
| 10 | Florida State Seminoles | 971 |
| 11 | Missouri Tigers | 927 |
| 12 | Utah Utes | 887 |
| 13 | LSU Tigers | 804 |
| 14 | Clemson Tigers | 689 |
| 15 | Tennessee Volunteers | 629 |
| 16 | Oklahoma Sooners | 566 |
| 17 | Oklahoma State Cowboys | 538 |
| 18 | Kansas State Wildcats | 526 |
| 19 | Miami Hurricanes | 492 |
| 20 | Texas A&M Aggies | 292 |
| 21 | Arizona Wildcats | 237 |
| 22 | Kansas Jayhawks | 231 |
| 23 | USC Trojans | 172 |
| 24 | North Carolina State Wolfpack | 171 |
| 25 | Iowa Hawkeyes | 140 |
Others Receiving Votes
Louisville 111, Virginia Tech 77, Boise St. 47, SMU 33, Iowa St. 33, Liberty 32, Washington 23, West Virginia 17, Memphis 16, Nebraska 16, Wisconsin 15, UTSA 6, Tulane 5, Appalachian St. 4, Kentucky 3, Auburn 2, Colorado 1.
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