First USA Today Coaches Poll of 2024 Released; Where Do Texas Longhorns Rank?

The Longhorns secure their highest preseason ranking in 15 years as Steve Sarkisian and the rest of his staff push for a national championship.

Texas Longhorns Quinn Ewers during the first fall football camp practice for the Texas Longhorns at Denius Fields on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. / Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Texas Longhorns, fresh off a College Football Playoff appearance, have been awarded its highest pre-season coaches poll rating since the Longhorns were competing for national championships in 2009-10.

Texas was kept in the same area it finished last year, slotting in as the No. 4 team heading into the season, only five points behind Oregon for third place.

The Longhorns finished third in last year's CFP poll, but were the only playoff team to stick in the top four. No. 4 Alabama dropped to No. 5, national champions Michigan dropped to No. 8, and Sugar Bowl champion Washington was the highest-voted team left out of the Top 25.

Texas Longhorns Quinn Ewers,3, during the first fall football camp practice for the Texas Longhorns at Denius Fields on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. / Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

The US LBM Coaches Poll, as it is officially known, is a weekly poll voted on by FBS coaches throughout the year, starting with an initial vote in early August. The coaches are decided by a random drawing and change every season, which is why Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is not among the 55 selected voters in 2024. The poll itself has lost some allure compared to the more popular Associated Press and College Football Playoff rankings but still gives fans a good gauge of where other coaches see each team in the nation.

Texas has now earned its highest preseason ranking in the coaches poll since 2010 when it was also seen as the fourth-best team in the nation. The 2009 season nearly led to a national championship, which is why expectations remained so high in 2010. Hopefully for the Longhorns history does not repeat itself, as the 2010 team regressed to 5-7, missing a bowl game in what ended up being the final stretch of Mack Brown's Texas coaching career.

As said earlier, the Longhorns are ranked just behind the Oregon Ducks, who brought in the second best transfer class in the nation as well as two straight top-10 recruiting classes from 2023-24. Ohio State is the No. 2 ranked team after ranking first in the transfer portal's average player ranking, making the splash move to grab the No. 1 player Caleb Downs. Ohio State returned a ton of impact starters and will lean on Downs and will rely on two straight top-five classes to get them over the hump.

Georgia, however, takes the crown for the top team heading into the year, garnering 46 of the 55 first-place votes. Texas was one of just four teams, alongside Ohio State and Michigan, to also receive a vote. Georgia is once again stacked with talent on the defensive side of the ball, and with Nick Saban out of the picture, Kirby Smart is now the uncontested best coach in college football. The Bulldogs missed the playoff last year, but having been undefeated for two straight regular seasons means Smart's Georgia squad has to be seen as a top team.

Texas will face the Bulldogs in Austin on October 19th, making them the highest-ranked opponent the Longhorns will face. Texas will also play No. 8 Michigan in The Big House in week two, No. 16 Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry, and will finish off the season playing in their most heated game of the year, No. 20 Texas A&M in College Station.

Texas plays four ranked opponents on its 12-game schedule, with Kentucky and Florida being the only other schools to earn double-digit points in voting.