CNN
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The Texas Longhorns became the highest-ranked team in college football for the first time in 16 years with a dominant 56-7 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners on Saturday night.
The Longhorns passed the Georgia Bulldogs for the top spot in the Associated Press Top 25 after coach Kirby Smart’s team came away with a tough 13-12 win over the Kentucky Wildcats. This is the first time this season that a team other than the Bulldogs has topped the rankings.
The last time Texas held that spot was during the 2008 season, when a 39-33 loss in the final minutes to rival Texas Tech ultimately knocked them off their perch after spending three weeks in the No. 1 spot.
Of the 63 sports writers and announcers who voted this weekend, 35 predicted Texas would come out on top and 23 predicted the Bulldogs would finish first.
Elsewhere on the rankings, the Ohio State Buckeyes remain in third place despite not playing this weekend, but their 56-0 win over the Western Michigan Broncos likely remains fresh in the minds of the five voters who voted for them first.
The biggest increase was seen by the Miami Hurricanes, who jumped two spots to No. 8 after a 62-0 win over the Ball State Cardinals. Also moving up in the rankings were the Northern Illinois Huskies, who rose from No. 25 to No. 23 after last weekend’s dramatic win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
The Penn State Nittany Lions dropped two spots to 10th, likely due to their bye week.
Texas was leading 14-0 against UTSA when quarterback Quinn Ewers was forced to leave the game with an abdominal injury, bringing on Arch Manning, nephew of Peyton Manning and Eli Manning.
The backup quarterback passed for four touchdowns and ran 67 yards for a fifth, the longest rush by a Texas quarterback since Vince Young ran 80 yards for a score nearly 20 years ago.
“The adrenaline makes you run a little faster. And when you have great players around you and a good coach, it helps,” Manning said after the game, according to the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, running back Trevor Etienne, recovering from a shoulder injury, helped the Bulldogs to a win against Kentucky. Trailing 9-6 early in the fourth quarter, Etienne led one drive to 50 total yards and set up Branson Robinson for the go-ahead touchdown.
The 13-12 win gave Georgia its 42nd consecutive regular-season win, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Dawgs atop the Associated Press rankings.
1. Texas Longhorns (3-0)
2. Georgia Bulldogs (3-0)
3. Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0)
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0)
5. Ole Miss Rebels (3-0)
6. Tennessee Volunteers (3-0)
7. Missouri Tigers (3-0)
8. Miami Hurricanes (3-0)
9. Oregon Ducks (3-0)
10. Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0)
11. USC Trojans (2-0)
12. Utah Utes (3-0)
13. Kansas State Wildcats (3-0)
14. Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-0)
15. Oklahoma Sooners (3-0)
16. LSU Tigers (2 wins, 1 loss)
17. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2-1)
18. Michigan Wolverines (2-1)
19. Louisville Cardinals (2-0)
20. Iowa State Cyclones (2-0)
21. Clemson Tigers (1-1)
22. Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0)
23. Northern Illinois Huskies (2-0)
24. Illinois Fighting Illini (3-0)
25. Texas A&M Aggies (2-1)
