Longhorns Remain Unranked in Week 5 AP Top-25

Texas had a resounding start to Big-12 play on Saturday, but Steve Sarkisian wasted no time in stating the team has still "got work to do"

Zach Dimmitt | Sep 26, 2021

The College Football Week 5 AP Top-25 was officially released on Sunday after a weekend of some exciting performances and finishes across the country (again).

The Texas Longhorns (3-1) were right in the mix of it all, defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders (3-1) 70-35 on Saturday in what was one of the highest-scoring games of the weekend.

The Longhorns 70-point outing was the second-highest score of Week 5, behind only the Pittsburgh Panther's 77-7 win over New Hampshire. Yet, Steve Sarkisian's group still finds themselves outside looking in on the top 25.

AP voters still showed recognition for Texas after the impressive win, giving the Longhorns the highest vote-total amongst unranked teams at 131.

Many Longhorns fans might feel as if a 70-point is worthy of spot in the top-25. In reality though, it's Texas' record that matters most. Ask Sarkisian if he cares about his team being ranked and it's easy to guess what he might say.

The first-year head coach did credit his team's ability to carry momentum in the win over Texas Tech after cruising to a 58-0 victory over Rice last weekend.

"We were able to play well last week," Sarkisian said after the win against Texas Tech. "The new challenge was, 'Can we handle the win?' We came back with the same intensity in practice, if not better. Now, the new challenge is that one game doesn’t win you the Big 12 Conference Championship. It’s a body of work that you have to continue to put together."

Around the Big 12, Oklahoma State (19) jumped into the top-25 after beating previously 25th-ranked Kansas State, while Baylor (21) rose to 4-0 after upsetting No. 14 Iowa State 31-29. The Cyclones came into the game ranked right outside the top 10 but have now fallen completely out of the rankings headed into Week 5.

Elsewhere, the Oklahoma Sooners saw a slight drop in the rankings from No. 4 to No. 6 after squeaking by West Virginia on Saturday. The Longhorns will face their Red River rival on Oct. 9 in Dallas.

The Longhorns have outscored their past two opponents 128 to 35. But a tough-minded TCU Horned Frogs team awaits, as Texas will travel on the road for the second time this season this upcomign Saturday.

"Again, we’ve got challenges ahead and the biggest one is next week going up to TCU. We’ve got work to do."

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Published Sep 26, 2021

ZACH DIMMITT