Texas FBS rankings week 11

The Cougars fall short in their chance to take their place as the No. 1 program in Texas

The Cougars fall short in their chance to take their place as the No. 1 program in Texas
Sam Ehlinger and the Longhorns kept the top spot. Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

Texas has 12 FBS teams. Each week we rank them based on season-long performance, the prior game, and success relative to their competition. These are the updated rankings following Week 10 and looking forward to Week 11.

No. 12: Rice

For the first time this season a new team takes over as the worst FBS program in Texas. The Rice Owls have done so by losing to the UTEP Miners 34-26 this past weekend and now have failed to win a game since their victory in week 1.

No. 11: UTEP

While moving up to the eleventh ranked team in Texas may not be an impressive achievement it is reason to celebrate for a UTEP team who just saw their first win in almost two full years. The Miners most likely will not win another game this season, but at least they were able to break their winless curse.

No. 10: UTSA

The Roadrunners drop one spot in this week’s rankings after being dominated by UAB 52-3. UTSA has now lost their last three games and will head into a matchup against the 6-3 FIU Panthers that does not look promising.

No. 9: Texas State

Believe it or not by the Texas State Bobcats are on a two-game winning streak. The Bobcats took down Georgia State 40-31 to improve their record to 3-6. Texas State has a difficult task ahead of them in Week 11 when they face off with 6-2 Appalachian State. One bright spot that can be taken from this upcoming matchup is the fact that App State lost by 20 points to a Georgia Southern team that the Bobcats came just two points away from defeating in Week 7.

No. 8: TCU

For the second week in a row the Horned Frogs sit in the No. 8 spot. TCU squeaked by Kansas State last weekend in an unimpressive 14-13 victory. The Horned Frogs continue to struggle to find any dependable offensive production since the loss of quarterback Shawn Robinson but are glad to get back into the win column after suffering three straight losses. TCU will likely have little hope in their Week 11 matchup against No. 9 West Virginia.

No. 7: SMU

The Mustangs redeemed themselves after a heartbreaking overtime loss in Week 9 by notching a big win over the extremely talented Houston Cougars. SMU’s defense showed up in a big way last Saturday when they held star quarterback D’Eriq King to under 200 yards passing. The Mustangs should be able to collect their fifth win of the season this coming weekend as they go up against a very porous Connecticut team who has won just one game all year.

No. 6: Texas Tech

The Red Raiders were unable to move up from the No. 6 spot despite their very impressive performance against one of the best teams in the nation. Texas Tech came up just five points short against No. 6 Oklahoma which made it difficult to keep them idle in this week’s rankings. Despite the urges to reward Tech for their showing this past Saturday, it is hard to overlook the fact that they have lost their last two games. The Red Raiders will have another chance to make a statement in week 11 against the No. 19 Longhorns but will need quarterback Alan Bowman to stay on the field if they hope to complete the upset this time around.

No. 5: Baylor

Baylor jumped up to the Top 5 in this week’s ranking after a big win over Oklahoma State. The Bears were able to hold off the Cowboys 35-31 to collect their fifth win of the season, despite not even eclipsing 200 yards passing. Baylor has a big matchup against the 23rd ranked Iowa State Cyclones in Week 11 who have been on a four-game tear, dominating some of the top teams in the Big 12.

No. 4: UNT

North Texas moves up one spot after gathering their seventh win of the season. While UNT’s win over Rice was a seemingly unimpressive feat, the Mean Green were able to move up in this week’s rankings due to losses by some of the top tier teams on this list. UNT should be able to easily secure their eighth win in week 11 when they face off against the 2-7 Old Dominion Monarchs.

No. 3: Texas A&M

The Aggies suffered their second consecutive loss and fourth of the season in week 10 after falling to the Auburn Tigers 28-24. A&M was able to get back to their normal form offensively, but their defense continues to be their downfall. Unfortunately for Texas A&M the SEC is an extremely even conference this season as only one team has less than four wins and A&M has a dangerous matchup with a high flying Ole Miss offense in week 11. The Aggies now find themselves tip toeing the edge of relevance in the 2018 college football season.

No. 2: Houston

While the Cougars looked to have a promising opportunity to overtake the No. 1 spot in this week’s rankings, they blew their shot with a big loss to SMU. Houston had been one of the hottest and most exciting teams as of late, after going on an impressive five game winning streak. Luckily their loss did not cause them to fall in this week’s rankings because of losses by both Texas A&M and Texas Tech. The Cougars will line up against a sneaky Temple team in Week 11 and cannot afford to take another game for granted.

No. 1: Texas

The Longhorns lost in heartbreaking fashion in week 10 when West Virginia quarterback Will Grier threw a last-minute touchdown to steal the win out from under them. Despite their loss, UT was able to hold their title as the No. 1 team in Texas because of losses suffered by the next three teams in line to take over: Houston, Texas A&M and Texas Tech. The Longhorns will hope to bring an end to their two-game losing streak with a win against rival Texas Tech, who always puts up a good fight.


 

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Joe Esapda is hoping Framber Valdez can secure a series win for Houston. Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Astros (37-30) aim to close out their series against the Chicago White Sox (23-45) on a high note Thursday night at Daikin Park. The three-game set is currently tied 1-1, and with a chance to secure their 11th series win at home, the Astros will send left-hander Framber Valdez to the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET.

Valdez (6-4, 3.07 ERA) has quietly been one of the most consistent arms in the American League. Known for his heavy sinker and ground-ball inducing style, he enters the night with a stellar 1.06 WHIP and 84 strikeouts. With the Astros bullpen having absorbed some heavy usage earlier this week, Valdez will be counted on to give Houston quality length.

Opposing him will be right-hander Davis Martin (2-6, 3.62 ERA), who has pitched better than his win-loss record suggests. Martin has maintained a 1.21 WHIP and will try to quiet an Astros lineup that broke out for 10 runs in Wednesday’s win.

Houston’s offense has been led lately by Jeremy Peña, who is batting .439 over his last 10 games with five doubles, two homers, and six RBIs. Isaac Paredes continues to be a steady power threat, leading the team with 14 home runs and a .468 slugging percentage. José Altuve, fresh off his 2,300th career hit, adds veteran stability to the top of the order.

The Astros are 23-13 at home this season and have gone 6-4 over their last 10 games. When they avoid giving up home runs, they win — as shown by their 20-4 record in games where they keep the ball in the yard. That will be a key Thursday against a White Sox team that’s light on power but capable of grinding out runs when they out-hit opponents (16-9 when doing so).

Chicago, meanwhile, has struggled mightily on the road, going just 7-27 away from Guaranteed Rate Field. Still, they’ve had unexpected success against the Astros this season, winning three of the first five matchups. Andrew Benintendi and Mike Tauchman have been among the few bright spots in a lineup that’s hit just .227 over its last 10 games and been outscored by six runs.

With the series on the line and the division-leading Astros looking to stay hot, Thursday night offers a chance to assert their edge with a trusted ace on the hill and momentum building in the lineup.

Here's a preview of the Astros lineup for the finale!

Christian Walker remains in the five spot after his big night in Game 2. Victor Caratini will be the DH hitting seventh behind Jake Meyers. Jose Altuve is shifting back to left field, with Jacob Melton getting the night off. And Brendan Rodgers will hit last and play second base.


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