Texas Tops State Rankings After Narrow SEC Win Over Tennessee

OriginalGlobal Sportscast deskSep 27, 2026 · 11:43 UTC

The short version

Texas beat Tennessee 20-17 in its SEC opener to improve to 4-0 and stay No. 1 in the Chronicle's state rankings.
Texas A&M lost 35-6 at LSU and is now 0-2 in SEC play.
Colin Simmons recorded five sacks but drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty; he apologized after the game.
Texas Tech's Austin Romaine returned interceptions for touchdowns on consecutive passes, a first in 13 years for an FBS player.
Texas State makes its Pac-12 debut next week at San Diego State.

The Longhorns survived a 20-17 finish in Knoxville, while Texas A&M fell 35-6 at LSU and slid to 0-2 in league play.

Texas passed its first SEC test of the season, holding off Tennessee 20-17 in Knoxville on September 26, 2026. The game stayed tense until the end: the Longhorns allowed a late touchdown, then watched the Volunteers recover an onside kick and throw a Hail Mary into the end zone before the final whistle. Texas improved to 4-0 and held the No. 1 spot in the Houston Chronicle's weekly rankings of the 13 FBS teams in Texas.

The win came with some controversy. Defensive end Colin Simmons, who recorded five sacks against the Volunteers, drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the first half for "simulating using the restroom" after sacking quarterback Faizon Brandon. Simmons apologized after the game, and coach Steve Sarkisian said the issue was addressed internally while adding he would not give the player "the death penalty" over it. After the victory, Texas players celebrated with cigars in the locker room and shared the moment on social media. Despite the late drama, the Longhorns' defense dominated and quarterback Arch Manning delivered when needed.

Texas Tech held steady at No. 2 and improved to 4-0 with a 49-14 win over Sam Houston. Linebacker Austin Romaine returned interceptions for touchdowns on consecutive passes, becoming the first FBS player to do so in 13 years.

Houston stayed at No. 3 at 3-1 after a 42-28 win over Georgia Southern. Quarterback Conner Weigman threw four touchdown passes and ran for two more scores in the victory.

SMU moved up one spot to No. 4 following a 34-24 comeback win over Missouri State in which the Mustangs rallied from an early 10-point deficit. Coach Rhett Lashlee offered a blunt assessment afterward, saying that at 3-1 the team was thankful for its record but, honestly, did not make itself hard to beat.

Texas A&M dropped one spot to No. 5 and fell to 2-2 overall and 0-2 in SEC play after a 35-6 road loss to LSU. Quarterback Marcel Reed described the state of the program bluntly after the game, saying the Aggies were at rock bottom.

Elsewhere in the state rankings, UTSA improved to 3-1 by overcoming an early 14-0 deficit against Colorado State in an 11 a.m. local kickoff, winning 59-45. Baylor moved to 3-1 with a 23-13 win over Colorado, improving coach Dave Aranda's career record with the Bears to 39-38. TCU fell to 2-2 after a 21-13 loss to UCF.

Texas State, now 2-2, warmed up for its first Pac-12 game with a 63-10 rout of Incarnate Word. The Bobcats visit San Diego State next week in a matchup of two programs making their debuts in the reshaped conference. North Texas improved to 2-2 with a 63-14 win over FCS opponent Houston Christian, capping a non-conference schedule that opened against defending national champion Indiana.

Rice fell to 1-3 with a late-night loss to Fresno State despite quarterback Jacurri Brown rushing for 141 yards on 19 carries, his second consecutive 100-yard rushing game. Sam Houston dropped to 1-3 after the loss to No. 11 Texas Tech, its second game against a top-25 opponent in the program's four seasons at the FBS level. UTEP also fell to 1-3, becoming the only Texas school to lose to Oregon State this season after Houston and Texas Tech had both beaten the Beavers.