The 's preseason Top 25 rankings are out, and there's plenty to discuss. Are Ohio State and Oregon deserving of being such heavy favorites at No. 1 and 2, respectively? Is it right to put last year's top two teams, Indiana and Miami, out of the top five?
Perhaps the biggest question, though, is one posed by David Ubben of The Athletic: How can a top five Texas Longhorns squad be underrated? As Ubben points out, it's "the first time in recorded history" that the Longhorns are underrated. After all, we've been told they're "back" for years now, with nary a championship to show for it.
But this year, Ubben said, the Longhorns are widely regarded to be the most talented team in the country. "In idle conversations this offseason, I asked coaches who they thought had the best roster in the sport. At least 80 percent of them said Texas," Ubben wrote.
"The talent level was already top-shelf. Then the Longhorns added splashy supporting cast members for Arch Manning like superstar Auburn transfer receiver Cam Coleman and a fearsome one-two punch at running back in Hollywood Smothers (NC State) and Raleek Brown (Arizona State), who combined for more than 2,000 yards last season." As Ubbens admits, last year's Texas was preseason No. 1 before severely underperforming and failing to make the College Football Playoff at all. Furthermore, Manning, a favorite to win the Heisman Trophy preseason, played far below expectations.
But now Manning is back for another run, the team is stronger with all of those transfers and it seems, for real this time, that Texas is back. "I have no idea how zero voters had Texas atop their ballots this year," Ubben wrote. "Nitpick Steve Sarkisian and his red zone play calling all you’d like, but if I were a voter, I’d have the Longhorns No. 1." We'll probably get a good idea if Ubben is right come Sept. 12, when the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes come to Austin for a showdown.
Ohio State won last year's matchup, but playing at home is a different beast. We mind find ourselves with a new national title favorite before we know it.
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