The Longhorns climbed eight spots to No. 11 in Sunday’s AP Top 25 poll following their 34-27 win over then-No. 7 Ole Miss, marking the biggest jump of any team in this week\u2019s poll.<\/p>\n
And Texas wasn\u2019t the only one making national headlines.<\/p>\n
Five ranked teams fell to unranked opponents on Saturday, including two top-10 teams, shaking up the rankings and potentially opening the door for a handful of playoff hopefuls.<\/p>\n
Upsets Shake Up The Rankings![\"Brigham](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01m5v0wd6ysh06f8v6pj.jpg\" "\\"Brigham")
<\/p>\n
Oct 24, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier is tackled during the fourth quarter against the Central Florida Knights at Acrisure Bounce House. Mike Watters-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n
The biggest surprise came in Orlando, where No. 2 BYU suffered its first loss of the season after a statement win against Notre Dame a week ago, falling 39-31 to UCF in double overtime.<\/p>\n
The Cougars dropped six spots to No. 8.<\/p>\n
They weren\u2019t the only Big 12 team to take a plunge in the rankings. No. 8 Texas Tech also suffered its first defeat of the season, losing 37-24 at Cincinnati and sliding to No. 13.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, the SEC continued to be one of the most volatile conferences in college football as No. 11 Tennessee lost 27-24 to South Carolina and fell to No. 16.<\/p>\n
Two other ranked teams fell out of the poll entirely as No. 15 Iowa and No. 16 USC both suffered losses.<\/p>\n
While Miami held its spot atop the rankings, Ohio State moved to No. 2. Meanwhile, Kentucky and Alabama have now found themselves in the top 10, ranked No. 9 and No. 10, respectively.<\/p>\n
With so many slippages, Texas found itself right outside that group only a week after falling to No. 19.<\/a><\/p>\n What It Means For Texas Oct 24, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian celebrates with fans and players after the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n Texas entered Saturday with the possibility of suffering its third consecutive loss and a playoff conversation that might have ended before November.<\/p>\n Instead, the Longhorns are 5\u20132 overall and 2\u20132 in the SEC<\/a>, with three wins over teams currently ranked in the top 16, including No. 2 Ohio State.<\/p>\n No matter how you cut it, that\u2019s an impressive resume, even if losses to Oklahoma and Florida leave little room for another setback \u2014 and hey, with the current way things are shaping out, a three-loss SEC team isn\u2019t necessarily out of the playoff picture.<\/p>\n Although Saturday\u2019s win gave Texas a promising playoff outlook, the Longhorns\u2019 path to the SEC Championship Game still remains complicated.<\/p>\n Even if the Longhorns win out the rest of their season, finishing 7\u20132 in conference play, a trip to Atlanta is far from guaranteed. Kentucky and Georgia each have the opportunity to finish with just one SEC loss, meaning Texas will need some help elsewhere in the conference.<\/p>\n Still, Saturday\u2019s victory over Ole Miss, along with an earlier win against Tennessee, could prove crucial if the SEC title race comes down to a tiebreaker. Georgia still has to travel to Ole Miss in two weeks, while Kentucky\u2019s got a trip to Knoxville scheduled for the same week.<\/p>\n But Texas\u2019 schedule doesn\u2019t offer much room for relief.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mississippi State should be the easiest game left on Texas\u2019 schedule, especially considering Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor\u2019s current status. But if there\u2019s anything the Longhorns have learned this season, it\u2019s that you can never count your chickens before they hatch.<\/p>\n The Longhorns then travel to Missouri \u2014 another matchup with tiebreaker potential as Kentucky is slated to play them later this season \u2014 before going to Death Valley to take on LSU.<\/p>\n For now, the Longhorns have worked their way back into the national conversation. Their playoff hopes are as alive as they\u2019ve been in weeks, but getting back into the picture is one thing. <\/p>\n Staying there is another.<\/p>\n Sign up to\u00a0our free newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0X<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0for the latest news.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Texas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01m5v0xhph4qrr9s8fhe.jpg\" "\\"Texas")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\"){kind=icon}
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow<\/a>