No. 7 Texas behind Washington, Oregon in initial College Football Playoff rankings
When the College Football Playoff rankings were released for the first time Tuesday, Texas was ranked seventh.
Texas (7-1) finds itself looking up at No. 1 Ohio State (8-0), No. 2 Georgia (8-0), No. 3 Michigan (8-0) and No. 4 Florida State (8-0). Washington (8-0) and Oregon (7-1) were respectively ranked fifth and sixth.
This is the highest that Texas has ever been ranked in the College Football Playoff rankings. Previously, the Longhorns’ best showing was 14th during the 2018 season.
The one poll to rule them all
That No. 7 designation for Texas matches up with where the Longhorns currently stand in other rankings. Texas is No. 7 in this week's Associated Press poll and No. 6 in the US LBM Coaches Poll.
This ranking, however, now becomes the standard that matters the most. The College Football Playoff committee will eventually decide which four teams qualify for the semifinal showdowns that will be held at the Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl. That announcement will be made on Dec. 3, so teams still have time to pad their résumés.
The College Football Playoff has been around since the 2014 season, but only once did the top four teams in the initial rankings all eventually secure a playoff berth. That being said, only twice in the past nine years has a team ranked outside of the top 10 in a season's first CFP rankings reached the playoffs.
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How they started, how they finished
This is where the eventual four College Football Playoff semifinalists ranked in that year's initial rankings:
∙ 2022: Georgia (3), Michigan (5), TCU (7), Ohio State (2)
∙ 2021: Alabama (2), Michigan (7), Georgia (1), Cincinnati (6)
∙ 2020: Alabama (1), Clemson (3), Ohio State (4), Notre Dame (2)
∙ 2019: LSU (2), Ohio State (1), Clemson (5), Oklahoma (9)
∙ 2018: Alabama (1), Clemson (2), Notre Dame (4), Oklahoma (7)
∙ 2017: Clemson (4), Oklahoma (5), Georgia (1), Alabama (2)
∙ 2016: Alabama (1), Clemson (2), Ohio State (6), Washington (5)
∙ 2015: Clemson (1), Alabama (4), Michigan State (7), Oklahoma (15)
∙ 2014: Alabama (6), Oregon (5), Florida State (2), Ohio State (15)
Making the case for Texas
On Monday, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was asked how much stock he would take in Tuesday's revealed rankings. Sarkisian said that "it just seems pretty early to me," but the third-year coach also played the role of a politician as he campaigned for his team.
"I think we've got a pretty good football team, and I think that we're a very versatile team," Sarkisian said. "I'd argue we have the best win in the country right now. The fact that we go into Tuscaloosa, Ala., and beat a team that was 52-1 in the previous 53 games of us going in there, and I hear about how tough the SEC is, but I haven't seen any of those teams go in Alabama and win either. I feel pretty good about our team. I think over time this whole thing will play itself out, so we've got to focus on what we need to do on Saturday and play our best football."
As for the Texas players, they'll leave the campaigning to their coach. Left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. said he was more focused on playing Kansas State this weekend.
"I don't look at it at all," UT defensive back Jahdae Barron said. "That's something that we have no control over. So trying to keep the main thing the main thing and just try to stay the course."
The College Football Playoff rankings also included No. 9 Oklahoma (7-1), No. 21 Kansas (6-2), No. 22 Oklahoma State (6-2) and No. 23 Kansas State (6-2). Texas has beaten Kansas this season, and it also owns a win over No. 8 Alabama (7-1). The lone loss for the Longhorns came against Oklahoma.
Texas' remaining games
Saturday: vs. Kansas State (6-2, 4-1)
Nov. 11: at TCU (4-4, 2-3)
Nov. 18: at Iowa State (5-3, 4-1)
Nov. 24: vs. Texas Tech (3-5, 2-3)
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas behind Washington, Oregon in College Football Playoff rankings
