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Why Texas might finally open the season at No. 1

by: RT Young07/23/25
Anthony Hill
Anthony Hill (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

The Longhorns have never been ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP poll. That might surprise a lot of Longhorn fans to learn. Texas has opened the year at No. 2 on five occasions (1962, 1965, 1970, 2005, 2009), but that could finally change this fall. Steve Sarkisian’s team is a legitimate contender to open the season atop the rankings when they take the field in Columbus, Ohio, on August 30.

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“I don’t really care about the rankings, truth be told,” Sarkisian said at the Texas High School Coaches Association’s Coaching School. “I’ve sat up here and said the rankings don’t matter when we weren’t ranked very highly. I don’t think that’s going to change if we are ranked higher [than Ohio State]. Preseason rankings are great. I say they’re great for the fans and they’re great for the popularity of our sport. It keeps the conversation of college football on the forefront of people’s minds—the media, things of that nature. I think that’s awesome for our sport, the fact we’re talking about week one matchups and all those things. In reality, they don’t matter. What we do on the field and the way we perform is going to be ultimately what dictates how our season goes. That part doesn’t hit me too much that way.”

Meanwhile, Texas’ week one opponent, Ohio State, has been ranked preseason No. 1 on eight occasions. They’re also the reigning national champions. Even though they lost quarterback Will Howard and several key contributors from last year’s title team, will the media snub them instead of rewarding them for winning it all? Will they set up a 1-versus-2 showdown where “2” is the defending champion playing at home?

The short answer: probably.

Writers and media members love this Texas team. National pundits like Paul Finebaum are sprinting to catch the Arch Manning hype train that Longhorn fans have been conducting for years. Colin Simmons, Anthony Hill and Michael Taaffe are also household names with the media. 

A preseason No. 1 ranking might make some Texas fans a little uneasy—especially after seeing the team dip last season following a big jump in the polls. Some would prefer to stay in the “hunter” position all year long and never take the top spot. Just look at 2005 and Texas’ relentless pursuit of USC.

But, Sarkisian’s program has never defined by outside pressure or preseason hype. Under his leadership, the Longhorns have built their own standard, independent of poll rankings.

Sarkisian added: “The reality of it is, I think I have one player left on our roster that was 5–7, and that’s Michael Taaffe. The majority of the players on our roster, the big bulk of the players on our roster, don’t know anything but playing conference championship games, going to the College Football Playoff, and playing in the semifinals. So, different challenges. Early in our years, we were trying to convince our guys we were worthy of winning with the work that we put in.”

I think of Hill, who began his Texas career by knocking off Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa, has played in two playoff semifinals, and now enters what could be his final season in Austin with a national title in his sights.

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Programs filled with players like Hill expect to be ranked No. 1. Because that’s where they’ve always been aimed and it’s all they’ve ever known.

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