Murray's AP Top 25: Texas Climbs, Miami Falls
Chris Murray, a columnist for Nevada Sports Net and one of 63 voters in the college football AP Top 25 poll, shares his latest ballot.
Texas Longhorns' Comeback
Texas started the season with losses to Ohio State and Florida, which hurt their playoff chances. However, the Longhorns rebounded with top-10 wins against Oklahoma and Vanderbilt, jumping back into the rankings. They now face difficult tests against top-five teams Georgia and Texas A&M in two of their last three games, challenging Arch Manning and his squad even further.
Miami Hurricanes' Setback
Miami's season has been marked by a puzzling loss each year that keeps them out of playoff contention. This year, that loss came in overtime against SMU, which severely damaged their playoff hopes. As a result, Miami dropped from fourth place on Murray's ballot—the highest rank he gave any team last week—to 18th this week.
Weekend Recap
- Six teams from the Top 25 lost over the weekend.
- Among those losses, three were by top-10 teams.
- Miami’s loss was considered the most impactful on playoff prospects.
Murray noted, "Miami’s loss in overtime to SMU dimmed their playoff chances and caused a significant drop in my rankings."
Author’s summary: Texas has surged back into contention with key victories, while Miami’s unexpected overtime loss deeply hurts their playoff hopes amidst a turbulent Top 25 weekend.