Texas Football Rankings: Where Will the Longhorns Land After Losing to Oklahoma?

The No. 1 Texas Longhorns lost to the Oklahoma Sooners 27–24 on Saturday, October 12, at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Texas had led by 10 points at halftime and looked like they were headed for a sure win. But Oklahoma came back strong in the second half and pulled off a stunning upset. A 47-yard field goal by Tate Sandell at the end of the game sealed the victory for the Sooners.

Texas quarterback Arch Manning had a rough second half. He threw two interceptions that helped Oklahoma take control of the game. One of those picks was returned for a touchdown by Oklahoma's Peyton Bowen. The other was caught by Courtland Guillory, which set up the drive that led to Sandell's game-winning field goal.

The Longhorns could only score seven points in the second half. Their only score came when Manning threw a touchdown pass to Jermaine Bishop Jr. in the fourth quarter. That touchdown came right after Oklahoma scored on the interception return. Texas just could not keep up with the Sooners down the stretch.

This rivalry game is known as the Red River Rivalry, and it is always full of surprises. Oklahoma and Texas play each year at the Cotton Bowl, which sits right on the border between Texas and Oklahoma at the State Fair of Texas. This year, the chaos that so often defines the game showed up in a big way. The Sooners turned a losing effort into one of the biggest wins of their season.

Because Texas lost, there will be a new No. 1 team in the country when the polls come out Sunday. The two main rankings are the AP Top 25 and the US LBM Coaches Poll. Experts think Texas will drop to somewhere between No. 7 and No. 10. One thing working in Texas' favor is their big win over Ohio State back in Week 2, which is still one of the best wins any team has had this season.

The loss does not end Texas' chances of making the College Football Playoff or playing in the SEC Championship Game in December. However, the road ahead is tough. The Longhorns still have to play several ranked teams, including Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, and LSU. Every one of those games will matter a lot going forward.

Here is how the rest of the top 10 teams did in Week 6. No. 3 Notre Dame beat Stanford, No. 5 Indiana beat Nebraska, No. 6 Ohio State beat Maryland, and No. 8 BYU beat Iowa State. No. 2 Georgia and No. 7 Alabama played each other, and No. 10 LSU faced No. 25 Kentucky. No. 4 Miami and No. 9 Texas Tech both had a bye week, meaning they did not play.

Based on all of this, most experts predict Texas will settle in at around No. 9 in the new rankings. The Longhorns are still a very strong team with a lot of season left to play. If they can bounce back and win their tough remaining games, they could still reach their big goals. For now, though, Oklahoma gets to celebrate one of the greatest moments in this storied rivalry.