College Football Rankings 2020: Projected AP Top 25 for Week 12

Texas took a scheduled Saturday off in Week 11, resting after consolidating AP Top 25 position in a tense defensive struggle against West Virginia. The Longhorns will remain somewhere in the last five to seven spots of the poll this week, and they remain right in the thick of a muddled Big 12 race with plenty of hopefuls and few certifiable contenders. Tom Herman’s team will always benefit from their brand name, though, ensuring another week in the rankings.

Sam Ehlinger has been a machine at quarterback for the Longhorns, accounting for an average of 25.4 points per game. The veteran’s play is a major reason why Texas ranks among the top 20 nationally in scoring. Texas has been less formidable on defense, coughing up nearly 30 points per game to their opponents. That was a big reason why Texas lost to TCU despite scoring 31 points and to Oklahoma despite putting 45 on the scoreboard.

The Longhorns get the chance to ease back into Big 12 play after their bye when they travel to Lawrence in Week 12 for a showdown against Kansas. The big tests come in the final two weeks of the season, when Texas plays eliminator games at home against Iowa State and on the road against Kansas State.