Texas Longhorns leap over Georgia Bulldogs to lead AP Top 25 for first time in 16 years

By CNN Newsource

Published September 16, 2024 6:16 AM

By Jamie Barton, CNN

(CNN) — The Texas Longhorns are the highest-ranked team in college football for the first time in 16 years following their 56-7 rout of the UTSA Roadrunners on Saturday night.

The Longhorns leapfrogged the Georgia Bulldogs in first place in the AP Top 25, after Kirby Smart’s team struggled to a 13-12 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats. It is the first time this season that a team other than the Bulldogs has sat top of the rankings.

Texas last held the position in the 2008 season, eventually being knocked off after three weeks at No. 1 following a last-second 39-33 loss to rivals Texas Tech.

Of the 63 sportswriters and broadcasters who voted this weekend, 35 had Texas top, whereas 23 had the Bulldogs in first place.

Elsewhere in the rankings, the Ohio State Buckeyes remain in third having not played this weekend, their 56-0 thrashing of the Western Michigan Broncos apparently remaining in the minds of the five who voted them No. 1.

The biggest gains were made by the Miami Hurricanes, whose 62-0 win over the Ball State Cardinals moved them up two places to No. 8, and the Northern Illinois Huskies, who went from 25th to 23rd thanks to their dramatic victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish last weekend.

The Penn State Nittany Lions fell by two places to 10th, likely in part due to a bye week.

How Texas moved top of the rankings

Texas was 14-0 up in its game against UTSA when quarterback Quinn Ewers was forced off with an abdominal injury, setting the stage for the introduction of Arch Manning, nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning.

The backup quarterback passed for four touchdowns and also ran 67 yards for a fifth, the longest rush by a Texas quarterback since Vince Young ran 80 to score nearly 20 years ago.

“When the adrenaline kicks in, it helps you run a bit faster,” Manning said after the game according to AP. “It helps when you have great players around you and good coaches.”

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs needed running back Trevor Etienne to re-enter the field following a shoulder injury to help them over the line against Kentucky. Down 9-6 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Etienne racked up 50 total yards on one drive before Branson Robinson scored the go-ahead touchdown.

Despite the 13-12 victory making it 42 consecutive regular season wins for Georgia, it was not enough to keep the Dawgs on top of AP’s rankings.

AP’s top 25

1. Texas Longhorns (3-0)

2. Georgia Bulldogs (3-0)

3. Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0)

4. Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0)

5. Ole Miss Rebels (3-0)

6. Tennessee Volunteers (3-0)

7. Missouri Tigers (3-0)

8. Miami Hurricanes (3-0)

9. Oregon Ducks (3-0)

10. Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0)

11. USC Trojans (2-0)

12. Utah Utes (3-0)

13. Kansas State Wildcats (3-0)

14. Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-0)

15. Oklahoma Sooners (3-0)

16. LSU Tigers (2-1)

17. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2-1)

18. Michigan Wolverines (2-1)

19. Louisville Cardinals (2-0)

20. Iowa State Cyclones (2-0)

21. Clemson Tigers (1-1)

22. Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0)

23. Northern Illinois Huskies (2-0)

24. Illinois Fighting Illini (3-0)

25. Texas A&M Aggies (2-1)

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