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College Football State of Texas Week 8 Power Ranking

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Each team is rated on several parameters. To help you understand each team’s situation, we highlight a few key metrics in these rankings: CBS Sports, ESPN SP+, The Athletic, USA Today, and some other key ranking systems.

Strength of schedule (SOS) plays a big role in spotting these 13 teams, especially when ranking across leagues. Head-to-head contests play a role as well; when teams are close in rating, head-to-head results matter. In several instances, the games featuring the 13 Texas FBS universities served as tiebreakers.

13. Sam Houston State Bearkats

The Bearkats were ranked by five sources out of 138 FBS teams as they prepare to play New Mexico State in Week 8.

CBS Sports: 130
CFN: 134
ESPN SP+: 127
The Athletic: 131
USA Today: 133

They are near the bottom of FBS national metrics, consistently graded in the bottom tier of major publications like SP+ and CFN. Their strength of schedule is centered around their C-USA schedule. They did play top-tier teams like Texas Tech in non-conference play, but they also played the Nicholls Colonels at home.
Sam Houston State is still trying to find its way as an FBS team after moving up from FCS, and it now sits at the bottom of the 13 Texas FBS programs in terms of roster depth and overall efficiency measures going into week 8 play. They are 0-5 against FBS teams this season, they play in a weaker conference than UTEP, and they have not played the Miners this season, so they drop to 13 this week.

12. Utep Miners

CBS Sports: 134
CFN: 133
ESPN SP+: 134
The Athletic: 134
USA Today: 134

UTEP gets a very slight edge over Sam Houston State partly due to their strong schedule. They went on the road this season to play Oklahoma, Michigan, and New Mexico. They also played Oregon State at home, and the Miners now play in the Mountain West Conference, which has stronger competition than Conference USA. UTEP goes on the road to play North Dakota State in week 8.

11. Rice Owls

CBS Sports: 129
CFN: 127
ESPN SP+: 122
The Athletic: 127
USA Today: 129

They're coming in the 100+ range throughout the computer models. Their schedule is equivalent to a mid-tier AAC schedule with non-conference games on the road against Notre Dame and Fresno State. Rice plays disciplined football and may have bursts of competitive play, as they did against Western Michigan and UTSA, but they’re in the bottom third of the state power rankings due to general depth and offensive limitations, having won only one game this season up to this point.

10. North Texas Mean Green

CBS Sports: 59
CFN: 78
ESPN SP+: 77
The Athletic: 55
USA Today: 70

They are in the AAC, which is regarded as the strongest Group of Five conference, and the non-conference highlight of their schedule was at Indiana. Their two most spectacular wins were at Tulsa and a home triumph over UNLV. They also boast a high-octane offensive identity that makes them a dangerous opponent, scoring 44 or more points four times this season, but occasional defensive lapses, such as surrendering 35 or more points three times this season, limit their ceiling relative to a mid-tier ranked team in the state.

9. Texas State Bobcats

The main reason Texas State ranks ahead of North Texas is that on Sept. 19, the Bobcats defeated the Mean Green 49-35. Yes, Texas State has three losses, but one of them was at Texas, and they lost to UTSA by only five points. They moved up in this week's ranking after a 39-point win against Colorado State. Texas State plays in the Pac-12, which some argue will challenge the American Conference for Group of Five supremacy, but more will be clear by season's end. North Texas can jump them in the rankings, but for now, they are ahead of them in this week's rankings.

CBS Sports: 77
CFN: 90
ESPN SP+: 62
The Athletic: 84
USA Today: 99

8. UTSA Roadrunners

CBS Sports: 41
CFN: 71
ESPN SP+: 69
The Athletic: 50
USA Today: 43

The Roadrunners are 6-1, with the sole loss being a road defeat at Texas, but their wins are not all that impressive. They defeated Rice and Texas State on the road but by only a combined seven points, and their other wins were close as well, beating Navy and South Florida by four and six points at home. However, they have four straight wins, and if they keep winning, they can move up in the rankings.

7. Baylor Bears

CBS Sports: 46
CFN: 42
ESPN SP+: 41
The Athletic: 51
USA Today: 44

Baylor is ranked below TCU for one simple reason. The Bears lost to the Horned Frogs last week by a final score of 17-6. Baylor has a better overall record than TCU, but head-to-head games results matter in these power rankings. The Bears' most impressive wins have been against Arizona State on the road and a ten point home win against Colorado.

6. TCU Horned Frogs

CBS Sports: 50
CFN: 53
ESPN SP+: 31
The Athletic: 61
USA Today: 65

These have three losses, but one of them was against North Carolina overseas, another was against UCF on the road, and the third was against a BYU team that just beat Notre Dame, and they only lost the Cougars by seven points. They also defeated Baylor and beat the Bears on their home field.

5. Texas A&M Aggies

CBS Sports: 56
CFN: 43
ESPN SP+: 33
The Athletic: 43
USA Today: 49

Texas A&M has three losses, but that 10-point home loss to Kentucky doesn't look that bad in week eight due to the Wildcats having won six games this season. Their 29-point loss on the road to LSU isn't particularly impressive for their resume, but LSU is a better team than many think. They also lost by three touchdowns to Missouri, but once again, Mizzo is a good football team this season. The Aggies can move up in these power rankings if they can defeat Alabama this weekend.

4. SMU Mustangs

CBS Sports: 21
CFN: 40
ESPN SP+: 25
The Athletic: 28
USA Today: 23

Although the loss at Louisville is starting to look not so good now that the Cardinals have three losses, it remains the Mustangs' only loss of the season. The Mustangs have wins over Florida State, Boston College, and Virginia, which are not great wins but are wins over Power Four conference opponents in ACC play. The Mustangs need to win their next three games to move up in these power rankings.

3. Houston Cougars

CBS Sports: 16
CFN: 21
ESPN SP+: 18
The Athletic: 12
USA Today: 14

Overall Record: 6-1
Big 12 Conference Record: 3-1
AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Polls Ranking: No. 14 and No. 16
Best Wins: Oregon State 33-20, at Kansas State 35-16, and Oklahoma State 35-32
Losses: At Texas Tech 26-28.

2. Texas Longhorns

CBS Sports: 20
CFN:19
ESPN SP+: 8
The Athletic: 17
USA Today: 17

Overall Record: 4-2
SEC Conference Record: 1-2
AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Polls Ranking: No. 19 and No. 18
Best Wins: Ohio State 24-23, at Tennessee 20-17, and UTSA 30-6
Losses: Oklahoma 24-27 and Florida 24-27

1. Texas Tech Red Raiders

CBS Sports: 9
CFN: 13
ESPN SP+: 7
The Athletic: 17
USA Today: 11

Overall Record: 6-0
Big 12 Conference Record: 3-0
AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Polls Ranking: No. 8 and No. 5
Best Wins: At Oregon State 35-24, at Colorado 29-7, and Houston 28-26
Losses: None