The Texas Longhorns clearly have a host of issues to work out as a team, but no one can say they aren’t resilient.
On Saturday, the Longhorns found themselves staring down what would’ve been a humiliating SEC loss, as they trailed the lowly Mississippi State Bulldogs 31-14 heading into the fourth quarter, but they didn’t just lie down and accept their fate. Instead, they mounted a furious comeback and tied the game 38-38 thanks to Ryan Nibblet’s 79-yard punt-return touchdown with less than two minutes to go in regulation.
Then in overtime, Matthew Caldwell, who came in for an injured Arch Manning, hit Emmett Mosley V for the go-ahead score, and the defense held strong to give the Longhorns’ their second-straight win after regulation.
Despite the impressive comeback, one would probably expect the Longhorns to fall in the polls after needing overtime to beat one of the worst teams in the SEC. However, that’s not the case.
Oct 25, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Even with the ugly win, the Longhorns rose two spots to No. 20 in the latest AP Poll. That might be more due to teams above them losing, as formerly No. 18 South Florida and No. 20 LSU both fell out of the rankings entirely, but it’s always nice to move up regardless.
This makes the Longhorns the ninth and final SEC team in the Top 25 behind Texas A&M at No. 3, Alabama at No. 4, Georgia at No. 5, Ole Miss at No. 7, Vanderbilt at No. 9, Tennessee at No. 14, Oklahoma at No. 18 and Missouri at No. 19. Even with their struggles this season, the Longhorns still have just one conference loss and a very much in the running for the SEC Championship Game.
In the Coaches Poll, the Longhorns fell one spot to No. 19, marking the second week in a row that they’ve dropped. However, what’s truly absurd is that they’re one spot below No. 18 Oklahoma, a team they beat by 17 points just two weeks ago and now has an identical record. It’s difficult to place a team too high and too low in the same ranking, but the Coaches Poll might’ve just done that with Texas.
The Longhorns will look to continue rising up the polls when they host No. 9 Vanderbilt, which is off to its best start in decades, at Darrell K Royal on Saturday.