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As the college football season continues to deliver surprises, the Texas Longhorns found themselves among the biggest winners of the weekend. Their 34-20 triumph over No. 18 Missouri improved their record to 7-2 and gave them a fourth win over a ranked opponent, a key component of their playoff argument.
Meanwhile, several teams ranked ahead of Texas faltered, opening the door for a potential rise when the second College Football Playoff rankings are unveiled Tuesday evening. The question on many minds: Are the Longhorns a top-five team?
Texas Resume Gets Stronger
The selection committee's initial rankings made it clear that Texas' two losses were not as damaging as some pundits predicted. Despite being No. 10 in the AP Poll, the Longhorns debuted at No. 7 in the CFP rankings, ahead of several teams with better records, including undefeated UCLA.
Saturday provided another data point in Texas' favor. The Longhorns now own four victories over teams in the initial CFP rankings: No. 10 Ole Miss, No. 12 Ohio State, No. 13 Tennessee, and No. 18 Missouri. More importantly, they have a compelling case when compared directly to teams ranked above them.
One such team is Indiana. The Hoosiers, under coach Curt Cignetti, entered the rankings at No. 4 without a win over an initial top-25 team. Their only loss came to Ohio State, a common opponent with Texas. While Indiana was on a bye week, the Longhorns added another quality win to their resume.
Of course, a leapfrog over the Hoosiers is not guaranteed. Indiana boasts a better record, and the committee may be extending some benefit of the doubt. But given the committee's willingness to reward strength of schedule, Texas has a legitimate argument.
Texas Ceiling
While No. 7 is a lucky number, fans should not get too comfortable. Texas moving past Kentucky seems almost inevitable after the Wildcats' 34-6 loss to Tennessee. However, the path to the top five becomes more complicated.
Georgia and Utah have done little to suggest they should fall, and they could very well headline Tuesday's rankings. Although Alabama shares Texas' record, the committee favored the Crimson Tide last week, and their 31-13 victory over LSU only strengthened their top-five standing.
That leaves the participants in Saturday night's marquee matchup: Notre Dame and Miami. The Fighting Irish entered at No. 11 but secured a signature win over previously undefeated Miami. Yet one signature victory may not outweigh an entire body of work. Notre Dame's next-best wins came against Wisconsin and Michigan State, neither of which was in the initial top 25. Their lone loss came to No. 9 BYU, which has lost two of its last three and now sees its playoff hopes in limbo.
Miami presents a different question. The Hurricanes entered Saturday at No. 1, but their 33-20 road win over No. 16 Wake Forest remains their only victory over an initial CFP-ranked opponent. Without an undefeated record to lean on, Miami's resume suddenly looks less impressive next to Texas'.
Prediction: Texas Climbs to No. 5
Finishing ahead of Notre Dame, Miami, and Indiana might be asking too much. Indiana's record, Miami's unbeaten run until Saturday, and Notre Dame's signature victory all give the committee reasons to keep at least one ahead of Texas. And while the Longhorns' four ranked wins are hard to ignore, placing them ahead of all three would be an overreaction to a single weekend.
Still, Texas has done enough to warrant a climb, and a two-spot jump to No. 5 seems like the most reasonable outcome.