Texas Football’s Unstoppable Rise: The Hidden Reason They’ll Claim the No. 1 Spot in Final AP Poll

Ah, the sacred unveiling of the AP Top 25 — that unmistakable signal summer’s fading, and college football fever is about to spike like a last-second Hail Mary. I mean, sure, the preseason rankings rarely shock us much, but who else feels that familiar tingle, that itch only the promise of fall Saturdays can scratch? Texas sits perched proudly at number one, with Arch Manning ready to usher in a new era — a bold claim, especially since history’s taught us that preseason polls are more fortune cookie than gospel. Still, could Texas truly hold this throne by season’s end amid fierce battles with Big Ten powerhouses and a shifting SEC landscape? It’s a swirling cauldron of talent, potential, and unpredictable gridiron drama just waiting to explode. Buckle up, because Week 1’s three top 10 clashes might just rewrite the script as we know it. Curious about the full lineup and what lies ahead? LEARN MORE.

The AP Top 25 was released on Monday, and you know what that means: The college football season is right around the corner. Fans start to get the itch as soon as summer begins, but it really starts to feel real when the AP Poll comes out. There weren’t a ton of surprises in the preseason poll, but there is still a lot to discuss before Week 1 rolls around. That first week, by the way, features three top 10 matchups. Here are the full preseason rankings:

1. Texas (25)
2. Penn State (23)
3. Ohio State (11)
4. Clemson (4)
5. Georgia (1)
6. Notre Dame
7. Oregon (1)
8. Alabama
9. LSU
10. Miami FL
11. Arizona State
12. Illinois
13. South Carolina
14. Michigan
15. Florida
16. SMU
17. Kansas State
18. Oklahoma
19. Texas A&M
20. Indiana
21. Ole Miss
22. Iowa State
23. Texas Tech
24. Tennessee
25. Boise State

The Texas football team takes the top spot in the preseason AP Top 25, and that doesn’t come as a big surprise. The Longhorns are loaded, and the Arch Manning era is about to begin. Two elite Big Ten programs fall behind Texas as Penn State and Ohio State round out the top three. Something to note: The last two national champions have been from the Big Ten, and they started the year ranked #2 in the AP Poll. Last year it was Ohio State, and the year before was Michigan. This year, it’s the Nittany Lions.

One thing to keep in mind about the preseason AP Poll release is that these rankings mean literally nothing. The College Football Playoff rankings are the only ones that matter, and those don’t come out until the season is halfway over. The AP Top 25 is fun and it’s a good sign that college football is near, but it doesn’t impact anything.

Another thing to remember is that these rankings will look completely different when the season comes to an end. Some of these teams will finished unranked, and some new teams will make their way in. The Texas football team is starting the season ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll, and that is where it will end as well.

Texas will win the national title and finish No. 1 in AP Poll

Texas is heading into the 2025 season as the best team in college football, but it won’t be easy to stay there. The Longhorns start the season on the road against Ohio State, who is ranked No. 3 in the preseason AP Poll. The Longhorns are ranked higher, but the Buckeyes are favored to win the game.

The good news for Texas regarding the Week 1 matchup in Columbus is that the Longhorns have the advantage at the quarterback position. Arch Manning has patiently waited his turn since arriving in Austin, and this is finally his team. Meanwhile, Ohio State just named Julian Sayin the starting QB, and he has just about zero college experience. Manning hasn’t been the full-time starter for the Longhorns yet, but he has a lot of good experience that will help him this season.

Going on the road and beating Ohio State won’t be easy, but even if the Longhorns lose in Week 1, they will be fine. The reason is because of how the SEC lines up this year. Teams like Alabama and Georgia that have been at the top of the conference are trending down, and Texas is trending in the right direction. The Longhorns had some trouble taking down the Bulldogs last year, but the talent that Texas has this year matches up well against every team in the conference. The QB position especially looks better than Alabama and Georgia’s.

There are other good teams in the SEC outside of Alabama and Georgia, however. LSU is one that is expected to be contend for the conference title, but that’s another squad that hasn’t been trending up. Brian Kelly has been in Baton Rouge for three years now, and the team has shown zero improvements since year one. He has a good team this year, but it’s hard to imagine LSU breaking through given what we have seen from the Tigers in the Brian Kelly era.

Those three teams seem like the biggest threats to the Texas football team in the SEC, and the Longhorns have a better outlook than all of them. Texas should go on to the College Football Playoff with a bye, and the team will be in a great spot to win the national championship. It’s obviously difficult to predict what is going to happen in the CFP, but there isn’t a team in college football with a roster that is more talented than the Longhorns. Texas has talent everywhere, and most importantly, it has a very talented QB in Arch Manning. While he hasn’t been the full-time starter yet, he has still played in meaningful games and shown that he is good enough to be a top QB in college football.

When the final AP Poll comes out at the end of the season, the Texas football team will be still be ranked No. 1 in the country. The Longhorns will lift the national championship trophy at the end of the year.

The post Why Texas football will finish No. 1 in final AP Top 25 Poll ranking appeared first on ClutchPoints.