Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns celebrates with the team after a win against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas.
Alex Slitz/Getty Images
The Texas Longhorns had perhaps the best rally in school history with 21 fourth-quarter points to beat Ohio State, the nation’s No. 1 team. That’s enough to keep the Longhorns No. 1 in the state, and maybe even jump them to that spot in the nation.
The Chronicle’s for the 13 FBS teams in Texas:
1. Texas (2-0) | Last week: 1
OK, so the Longhorns proved they could beat Ohio State after two tough losses the last two seasons. Now, for the big question: can they beat Florida? Regardless, the win over the Buckeyes was a good first step to the College Football Playoff.
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2. Texas A&M (2-0) | Last week: 2
Last week Mike Elko said A&M quarterback Marcel Reed needed more appreciation. Maybe this week he’ll talk about his defense after it came up big to beat Arizona State.
3. Houston (2-0) | Last week: 4
When Don Meredith would sing “turn out the lights, the party’s over,” he was usually referring to one team’s good fortune coming to an end. For UH, when the lights went out against Southern, the party was just getting started. A bigger test awaits on Friday in Lubbock against Texas Tech.
3. Texas Tech (2-0) | Last week: 3
The Red Raiders are still passing it in the fourth quarter, the problem is they aren’t up 40-0 as Cody Campbell said with a bit of bravado before the season. Last week it was to put away pesky Abilene Christian. This week it was to rally past Oregon State.
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5. SMU (2-0) | Last week: 5
There was no power delay for the Mustangs this week, although the heat in Dallas forced two 12-minute quarters as Kevin Jennings passed for five touchdowns to beat UC-Davis.
6. UTSA (2-0) | Last week: 7
UTSA got the 100th win in program history. That it came over rival Texas State was even better. UTSA will go for No. 101 against the Longhorns in Austin.
7. North Texas (1-1) | Last week: 9
After playing tough against defending national champion Indiana in its opener, North Texas had a commanding 44-6 win over UNLV, a team some thought was a playoff contender from the Group of Six. Maybe it’s North Texas.
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8. Baylor (1-1) | Last week: 8
With DJ Lagway out with an ankle injury, Nate Bennett threw two TD passes and ran for another in a 44-3 win over Prairie View.
9. TCU (1-1) | Last week: 13
A 63-7 win over Grambling was the perfect cure for any jet lag left from opening trip to Dublin. And the Frogs even let the Fort Worth Star-Telegram cover the game.
10. Texas State (0-2) | Last week: 10
The Bobcats need to get off I-35. Last week it was a 59-7 loss to the Longhorns in Austin. This week, a 31-26 loss to UTSA at home. Next week is North Texas, which happens to be where I-35E and I-35W meet in Denton.
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11. Rice (1-1) | Last week: 6
The Owls fell at Notre Dame, 52-0, in their worst loss since a 58-0 decision to Texas in 2021. “Do I think they are 50 points better than us?” Rice coach Scott Abell asked. “Absolutely not. Do I think they are one of best teams in the country? Yes.”
12. UTEP (1-1) | Last week: 12
The Miners didnt’ have any trouble with Texas Southern in a 51-10 win. A trip to Michigan this week will be a bit tougher.
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13. Sam Houston (0-2) | Last week: 11
Sam Houston was back at Bowers Stadium for the first time since 2024 and enjoyed a 14-10 lead at halftime over Tulsa. But the Bearkats couldn’t hold on.