Texas stays No. 1 for Red River; SMU slips to No. 24 after win

Texas will arrive at the Cotton Bowl as the country's No. 1 team for Saturday's Red River Rivalry. The Longhorns held the top spot in Sunday's Associated Press poll, while SMU fell three places to No. 24 despite beating Boston College a day earlier.

The two results give Dallas-area fans different reasons to watch the new rankings. Texas had an open weekend and remained ahead of Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami and Ohio State. SMU added a victory to its record but lost ground in a poll that rewarded some teams more heavily for their Saturday performances.

Texas received 61 of the 70 first-place votes. The Longhorns are 4–0, with victories over Texas State, Ohio State, UTSA and Tennessee on their official schedule. They now return from the bye to face Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl on October 10. Texas lists kickoff at 2:30 p.m. Central on ABC.

For SMU, Sunday's ranking comes after a 25–16 win in the rain at Ford Stadium. The Mustangs improved to 4–1 overall and 2–1 in the ACC. Their official game center shows Boston College gaining 322 total yards to SMU's 218, including a 114–58 advantage in rushing yards.

That difference gives context to a win that was less comfortable than the final margin might suggest. Kevin Jennings threw two touchdown passes and ran for another, while the Mustangs' defense helped create the short fields they needed. SMU's official postgame report credited Marques White with three of the team's five sacks.

The ACC Digital Network's highlights below are from Saturday's game, rather than Sunday's poll announcement.

SMU has an open date next weekend before hosting Virginia on October 17, according to its official schedule. Its next chance to strengthen its position therefore comes after a week away from competition.

Elsewhere in the region, Texas Tech rose one place to No. 11, Oklahoma State moved to No. 18 and Houston fell to No. 22. The biggest national swing involved Missouri, up eleven places to No. 14, and Florida, down eight to No. 16. Sunday's order keeps Texas at the front of the national race and leaves SMU ranked, with the Mustangs now one place above newcomer Pittsburgh.