AUSTIN, Texas — The Southeastern Conference (SEC) now has three of the top four college football teams for the first time since 2019.
Ahead of its first regular season meeting ever against Michigan, Texas is moving up a spot to No. 3 in the AP Top 25 college football rankings.
Alabama also moved up a spot to No. 4, putting it and No. 1 Georgia in the top four. The last time the SEC did that in a non-pandemic season was September 2019.
Texas moved up after a dominating shutout of Colorado State. They now march into Ann Arbor to face the defending national champions, No. 10 Michigan.
The Longhorns are no stranger to winning big games in enemy territory. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said 46 of his current players were part of last year's team that went into a road matchup against then-No. 3 Alabama and came away with a 34-24 victory.
"You have to have great poise and composure when you are in these type of road environments," Sarkisian said.
A decade ago, both schools announced their programs would have a home-and-home series for the first time.
The first game is this week and the return trip to Austin is scheduled for Sept. 4, 2027. The Vince Young-led Longhorns beat the Wolverines on Jan. 1, 2005, in their only meeting, at the Rose Bowl.
In college football history, Michigan is No. 1 in all-time wins with 1,005, and Texas is No. 4 with 949 victories. Finally, they're facing off in the regular season.
“I’m super pumped,” Sarkisian said. “I love college football. To think these two iconic programs, with those iconic uniforms and iconic helmets meeting for the first time in the Big House … yeah, that’s awesome.”
Oddsmakers have Texas favored by a touchdown on Saturday.
