Texas FBS Football Rankings
The Longhorns have impressed as of late, but have they done enough to secure the No. 1 spot in this week’s rankings?
Oct 3, 2018, 6:55 am
Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies are near the top. Where do they rank? Cooper Neill/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 5 and looking forward to Week 6:
No. 12: UTEP
Things have yet to turn around for the Miners who are now 0-5 after their most recent loss to UTSA in Week 5. UTEP has the unfortunate task of facing off against 4-1 UNT in Week 6 so I would not expect them to secure their first victory just yet.
No. 11: Texas State
After enjoying their bye week with extra time to rest and prepare, Texas State will go up against 1-3 Louisiana Lafayette. The Ragin’ Cajuns are coming off a 56-14 loss to Alabama, so the Bobcats will look to capitalize on the aftermath left by the nation’s top team.
No. 10: Rice
After a disappointing performance in Week 5, Rice now falls to 1-4. The Owls struggles on defense continue as they have given up more than 40 points to opposing offenses for the fourth straight week in a row. Rice has an interesting matchup against UTSA this coming weekend and hope to end their losing woes.
No. 9: UTSA
While UTSA secured their third victory of the season, the three teams they have beat only have a combined two wins. UTSA will look to lengthen their win streak to three games in week 6 vs. the 1-4 Rice Owls, who have struggled heavily since their only win in Week 1.
No. 8: SMU
After losing their first three games of the season, SMU has begun to bounce back with two consecutive victories in Weeks 4 and 5. With that said, the Mustangs will have to play a perfect game in Week 6 if they hope to continue their recent success, as they will face off against No. 12 UCF.
No. 7: Baylor
Despite a loss to Oklahoma last weekend, the Baylor Bears will look to build on their impressive start in 2018 by securing their fourth victory against Kansas State. So far this season, both Baylor and Kansas State find themselves in the middle of the pack in the Big 12, so if the Bears hope to keep up with the upper half of the conference, a victory in Week 6 will be much needed.
No. 6: Houston
After a week of rest, the Cougars will look to get back into the swing of things with a favorable matchup against Tulsa. Tulsa will also be coming their bye week, which means both teams will be well rested and well prepared for Thursday’s showdown. Look for this game to be a tough battle, and for both teams to return in full force.
No. 5: TCU
TCU holds on to the No. 5 spot this week after a close victory over the Iowa State. Coming off of their two consecutive losses, the Horned Frogs squeaked past the Cyclones by just 3 points and looked far from perfect but should be glad to simply get back to winning. TCU will get a chance to rest and regroup in Week 6 going into their bye week, and will hope for a fresh start for the second half of their season when they return to action vs. Texas Tech.
No. 4: Texas Tech
After three victories in a row, the Red Raiders fell to the No. 9 West Virginia Mountaineers and Heisman candidate Will Grier. Despite their loss, Texas Tech fought hard and came up short by just 8 points to one of the best teams in the nation. This should give Tech fans a serious sense of optimism for the rest of the season. The Red Raiders will have a big challenge awaiting them in week 7 vs. TCU when they return from their bye week. A win over the Horned Frogs would speak volumes about the legitimacy of this 2018 Tech team.
No. 3: UNT
After a very disappointing loss in Week 5 to Louisiana Tech, the Mean Green lost out on their chance for a perfect season. UNT gave up a 21-6 lead when they allowed 20 unanswered points to the Bulldogs in the second quarter. Once Louisiana State settled into a 29-27 lead in the third quarter, they were able to hold the high-powered North Texas offense to a scoreless fourth quarter and shatter their hopes of an undefeated season. With the lack of their strength of schedule heading into the second half of their season, this loss has caused UNT to fall two spots on this list and will make it difficult for them to climb much higher. The Mean Green should have an easy time of winless UTEP in Week 6 and get back to their winning ways.
No. 2: Texas A&M
Despite losing to No. 1 Alabama in week 5, the Aggies take a step up in this week’s rankings. Though Texas A&M does not have the most impressive record at 3-2, the strength of their opponents needs to be taken into serious consideration and hold significant value when considering their ranking. With their two most difficult games out of the way, the Aggies will have their eyes set on finishing out the season strong and proving they can truly compete amongst the nation’s best. With that said, the road ahead will be far from easy. Texas A&M will have their hands full with No. 13 Kentucky this coming weekend ,who holds impressive victories of Florida and South Carolina so far this season. Look for the Aggies to come out energized vs. the Wildcats in hopes of securing a statement victory in Week 6.
No. 1: Texas
The Longhorns find themselves back on top at the No. 1 spot in this week’s rankings. Yes, I understand that many people will be hesitant to put much faith in a Texas program that has failed repeatedly in recent years. With that said, there is no way to overlook their dominant victories so far this season over TCU and USC, and their continued success with their fourth straight win coming in week 5 against Kansas State. Texas will undoubtedly have their toughest matchup of the season vs. rival Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown this coming weekend. Texas will have to be firing on all cylinders vs. the sooners if they hope to earn the respect they believe they deserve.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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