Should the Texas Longhorns actually be the No. 1 team in the nation? Texas currently sits at No. 2 in the AP Poll and No. 3 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. ESPN moved Texas up to No. 2 in its weekly Power Rankings.
The Longhorns have arguably the best win by anyone in the top five. Georgia’s best win is against a depleted Clemson team. Ohio State, the team Texas jumped in the AP Poll and the ESPN power rankings, has played Akron and Western Michigan.
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Texas’ beat down of the Wolverines resonates. In USA TODAY’s weekly ‘Overreactions,’ Eddie Timanus makes a case for Texas to be the top team in America.
The Longhorns have an argument. One could make the case that winning a true road game at Michigan in dominant fashion is the best result to date in the young season. One could also point out, correctly, that a team’s position in preseason polls is arbitrary, and perhaps suggest that voters should make adjustments.
It is equally true, however, that there has been little reason for voters who placed Georgia and Ohio State ahead of Texas to change their opinions on the Bulldogs and Buckeyes. At the end of the day, where a team is ranked in early September will have little to no impact on the season’s final outcome. That’s especially true now that more teams will have access to the playoff. In short, polls are fun to debate for engaged fans, but one shouldn’t lose sleep or start fist fights over them. – Eddie Timanus
The best thing about the 12-team playoff, especially for teams near the top of the polls and rankings, is it will be settled on the field. There won’t be an 12-0 Florida State this year that misses out. With Texas hosting Georgia in October and a possible rematch in the SEC Championship Game, there will be plenty of opportunity to take over the top spot on the field.