TCU Finishes Season Ranked In Final AP Poll

Indiana’s victory over Miami in the national championship game marked the official end of the college football season. For TCU, however, its season had concluded almost a month ago when it took down USC in a thrilling Alamo Bowl that’s sure to be remembered by Horned Frogs fans for the rest of time. But with the official end of the campaign comes one final AP poll. It’s this final ranking that people will remember the 2025-26 season by, and luckily for TCU, it was included — if only just barely.

The Horned Frogs’ 9-4 record was good enough for a No. 25 finish, one spot ahead of would-be No. 26 Illinois and one spot below fellow Dallas-Fort Worth school North Texas. It’s the first time TCU has been ranked in the final AP poll since the unforgettable 2022-23 season that saw Sonny Dykes, in his first year with the program, lead the Frogs to a national title game appearance.

While such a memorable feat wasn’t in the cards for TCU in 2025, beating USC in the Alamo Bowl was enough for voters to include them in the last ranking of the year.

The Big 12 Finishes Strong

Dec 6, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of the Big 12 logo on a touchdown pylon during the game between the Red Raiders and the Cougars at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Five Big 12 schools finished the season ranked, with No. 7 Texas Tech, the conference’s champion and lone representative in the College Football Playoff, leading the pack. BYU, which just missed out on a playoff berth, finished the season strong with a Pop-Tarts Bowl victory over Georgia Tech and was rewarded with a No. 11 ranking for its valiant efforts. Utah was right on its rival’s tail at No. 14. Houston and TCU were the final Big 12 teams in the poll at No. 22 and No. 25, respectively.

There’s been a lot of handwringing about which conference is the best in the land over the past several years. Yes, the Big 12 doesn’t hold national title contenders out the wazoo, but it still contains a multitude of schools that are well-rounded and consistently competitive. That’s more than some conferences can say.

The State of Texas Reigns Supreme

Jan 1, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Behren Morton (2) stands in the pocket against the Oregon Ducks during the second half of the 2025 Orange Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

A whopping six teams from the state of Texas wound up in the final AP poll. Texas Tech was the highest-ranked at No. 7, with Texas A&M right behind at No. 8. The Texas Longhorns, the preseason No. 1 team, fell to No. 12 when all was said and done. Houston came in at No. 22. No. 24 North Texas, the American runner-up, and No. 25 TCU were the final two schools from the Lone Star State in the poll.

Given the wealth of talent that resides in Texas, it’s not much of a surprise that so many schools from the state fared well this past season. Whether this continues into next season is uncertain, but it’s a good sign for the health of the sport that Texas teams are faring this well week in and week out.

What’s Next for TCU Football?

The Horned Frogs brought in 12 new players out of the transfer portal and will spend the next several months preparing for the 2026 season. It all begins Aug. 29 in Dublin, Ireland, against Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels.

The Big 12 Finishes Strong

The State of Texas Reigns Supreme

What’s Next for TCU Football?

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