Texas wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. celebrated a touchdown with quarterback Arch Manning during the first half of an NCAA college football matchup against UTSA in Austin, Texas, on September 14, 2024.
In a significant development, Texas has risen to the No. 1 spot in the national college football rankings for the first time since the era of President George W. Bush. Georgia, which had held the top position for nearly three years, has fallen to No. 2 after narrowly defeating SEC rival Kentucky 13-12 with a late fourth-quarter touchdown.
The Longhorns received 35 first-place votes and accumulated 1,540 points in the Associated Press poll, while Georgia secured 23 first-place votes and 1,518 points. The poll saw SEC teams dominate, filling six of the top seven positions (Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Missouri), with Ohio State interrupting this trend at No. 3.
Texas may need to maintain its No. 1 ranking without quarterback Quinn Ewers, who exited Saturday’s game against UTSA due to an abdominal strain. Backup Arch Manning took over, delivering a solid performance with 223 passing yards, four touchdown passes, and a touchdown run. The Longhorns are set to host Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday before initiating their SEC schedule against Mississippi State later in the month.
Meanwhile, Texas A&M, which bounced back from a season-opening loss to Notre Dame with two consecutive wins, including a 33-20 triumph over Florida, remains ranked at No. 25 in the latest poll.