Texas Longhorns Soar In Coaches Poll After Surviving Ole Miss Thriller

Texas finally gave voters a reason to look up instead of watching the Longhorns slide.

The Texas Longhorns jumped seven spots to No. 11 in Sunday’s updated US LBM Coaches Poll after beating Ole Miss 34-27.

MORE: Texas Avoids Late Collapse, Upsets Ole Miss 34-27 on Last-Second INT

Texas collected 1,002 voting points, climbing from No. 18 and moving directly ahead of the Rebels, who fell five positions to No. 12.

For a team trying to regain its footing, that’s a substantial response.

The Longhorns improved to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in SEC play Saturday, surviving a second-half collapse that threatened to turn a desperately needed victory into another week of uncomfortable questions.

Texas led 24-3 at halftime. By early in the fourth quarter, that advantage was gone.

This time, the Longhorns found an answer.

Arch Manning’s one-yard touchdown run with 8:04 remaining broke a 24-24 tie, helping Texas reclaim control. The quarterback finished with 212 passing yards, one touchdown through the air and two rushing scores.

His performance wasn’t spotless. Manning threw two interceptions, and Texas accumulated 134 penalty yards. Those are problems that can’t keep traveling with a team hoping to climb higher.

But Saturday also showed a Texas offense capable of delivering when the game turned uncomfortable.

Raleek Brown rushed for 157 yards, while Ryan Wingo caught seven passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. Their production gave the Longhorns ways to attack beyond asking Manning to carry every possession.

“We were not perfect, but I thought we played hard,” coach Steve Sarkisian said afterward.

Sunday’s poll rewarded the result. Alabama sits immediately ahead of Texas at No. 10 with 1,092 points, leaving the Longhorns 90 points outside the top 10.

Georgia leads the SEC contingent at No. 3, followed by No. 8 Kentucky. Texas now ranks fourth among the conference’s nine teams in the Top 25.

That positioning restores some national credibility, although the Coaches Poll doesn’t determine College Football Playoff selection. Texas still needs to build a stronger résumé and eliminate the mistakes that nearly wasted Saturday’s opportunity.

MORE: Arch Manning Remains Texas Starter as KJ Lacey Gets More Work Before Ole Miss

Next comes Mississippi State, which visits Austin on Oct. 31 for a 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff.

The Longhorns have earned a chance to build momentum. Following a seven-place jump, the challenge is making sure another uneven performance doesn’t send them sliding again.