Texas has risen as one of the favorites to win the 2024 college football playoffs. They’re currently ranked third on the list of the top CFB teams with strong playoff odds. But unexpectedly, Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns’ success and ranking are questioned. This led the chairman of the College Football Playoff committee to break the silence on the matter. 

According to an X post by SEC Mike on November 13, CFP chairman Warde Manuel, who is also the Athletic Director of Michigan University, gave the answer to what’s bugging critics. When asked if Texas is climbing the ladder of popularity because of Georgia and Miami’s falls or because they beat the reigning national champion Michigan, Manuel summed it up in how they’re judged based on how they play. He said, “We judge them based on how they play, who they play in their season, but obviously, yes, both Georgia and Miami lost ahead of them.”

Texas Longhorns made a statement with their dominance over the Florida Gators in their last 49-17 victory in Austin. However, other CFB powerhouses like Georgia and Miami weren’t as successful in Week 11. Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs fell in an upset 28-10 defeat against Ole Miss while Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes lost 28-23 to unranked Georgia Tech. 

With the fall of the big programs, the Longhorns found themselves moving up from No. 5 to No. 3 on the AP Poll rankings while Georgia and Miami went 11 and 12, respectively. With three games remaining the majority of the schedules, the next couple of weeks could see the rankings taking over the internet. But as of now, let’s see the top-performing teams through Week 11. 

Updated AP Poll ranking following week 11

Oregon remained consistent after their blowout 35-0 victory over Purdue as they snatched the No. 1 spot on the AP Poll ranking for the first time since 2012. And they aren’t letting this rare glory disappear as they played with zeal to keep up their 3-week No. 1 streak. After their last 39-18 win over Maryland, they secured 62 first-place votes to remain in the top 1. 

Ohio State trails at No. 2 followed by Texas. Penn State ranks No. 4 while undefeated Indiana moves to No. 5 from No. 8. For the Hoosiers, it’s a great achievement as they haven’t been ranked in the top 5 since 1967. The next five ranks include Tennessee, BYU, Notre Dame, Alabama, and Ole Miss who round up the top 10 teams in the updated AP Poll list. Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns still have three games to go including one crucial SEC matchup with Texas A&M who could pose a threat to their conference title hopes.