Steve Sarkisian boasts Texas’ win over Alabama as best of any team ahead of College Football Playoff Rankings

The first College Football Playoff Rankings of the 2023 season shall be launched Oct. 31, and Texas trainer Steve Sarkisian needs his 7-1 Longhorns to obtain credit the place credit is due for his or her Week 2 victory at Alabama. Sarkisian opined Monday that his team’s win in opposition to the Crimson Tide — the primary by means of a customer at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, since 2019 — stands as the best win by means of any individual this season and that the Longhorns’ place within the ratings must mirror that triumph.

“I’d argue that we have the best win in the country right now,” Sarkisian said all through his weekly press convention. “The fact that we go into Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and beat a team that was 52-1 in the previous 53 games [before] us going in there … and I hear so much about how tough the SEC is, but I haven’t seen any of those teams go into Alabama and win either. I feel pretty good about our team and I think over time this whole thing will play itself out.”

Texas and Alabama are each 7-1 and sit down side-by-side within the AP ratings at No. 7 and No. 8, respectively. In beating the Crimson Tide, who’re 3-0 at house since, the Longhorns personal the third-highest ranked victory of 2023 according to the present AP ratings. No. 5 Washington beat No. 6 Oregon in Week 7 whilst No. 10 Oklahoma served Texas its lone loss all through the Red River Rivalry in Week 6.

No. 3 Ohio State and No. 22 Kansas additionally every have a win in opposition to an AP Top-10 team. The Buckeyes beat No. 9 Penn State in Week 8 ahead of the Jayhawks toppled the Sooners for the primary time since 1997 in Week 9. 

Of direction, AP ratings are totally unbiased of the ones that can quickly be launched by means of the College Football Playoff variety committee, regardless that it sounds as if the Longhorns must fare neatly as they experience their best eight-game get started since 2009. 

Texas could have a possibility to pad its résumé once more in Week 10 when it hosts Kansas State, which reentered the AP ratings at No. 25 after posting a 41-0 win in opposition to Houston in Week 9. The two are section of a five-way tie atop the Big 12 standings at 4-1 in league play. The Longhorns may get started Maalik Murphy at quarterbaack for a 2nd immediately recreation as Quinn Ewers stays week-to-week with a shoulder damage.