3 Takeaways from the Rest of SEC Play During Texas’ Bye Week

The Texas Longhorns will have the No. 9 ranking next to their name as they open up their Southeastern Conference campaign against the Florida Gators next week. Texas is currently the sole SEC team yet to play a conference game.

Despite their bye, the Longhorns moved up a spot in the AP Poll after four top 10 teams fell in Week 5.

Here are three takeaways from Saturday's SEC outcomes:

1. The SEC is widddeee open.

Ole Miss vs. LS — LSU head coach Brian Kelly and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin shake hands after a college football game between Ole Miss and LSU at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. Ole Miss defeated LSU 24-19. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ole Miss Rebels' victory over the LSU Tigers launched Lane Kiffin's team to No. 4 in the AP rankings and to a 3-0 start in conference play. The Rebels -- behind senior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss -- have become the early team to beat in the SEC, but face road meetings with the Georgia Bulldogs and Oklahoma Sooners soon.

The Alabama Crimson Tide's away win over Georgia sent them back to the top 10 while the Bulldogs dropped to No. 12. Other notable results included the Texas A&M Aggies outlasting the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers escaping with an overtime victory at Mississippi State.

The SEC has 10 teams in the AP Top 25, only five remaining undefeated. Over the coming weeks, the gauntlet that is this conference should live up to its billing, through upsets, nail-biters and, ultimately, shifting rankings.

2. Texas' playoff chances could come down to the Oklahoma and Texas A&M rivalry meetings.

Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma — Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver J.J. Hester (13) can not make a catch as Texas Longhorns defensive back Malik Muhammad (5) defends in the first half of the Red River Rivalry college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorn at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas, Saturday, Oct., 12, 2024. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Heading into Week 6, the No. 5 Sooners and No. 6 Aggies both continue to sit above the Longhorns in the AP Poll. Each has a key, ranked win -- Oklahoma's coming against Michigan and Texas A&M upsetting Notre Dame in South Bend. They have each also beaten Auburn by a score at home.

With the Red River and Lone Star State rivalry games both currently serving as top-10 matchups, those two results could determine whether the Longhorns feature in the College Football Playoff, factoring in how head-to-head and resumes are considered in the decision-making.

Wins over both Oklahoma and Texas A&M will be practically required for the Longhorns to qualify for the SEC Championship game as well. With quarterback John Mateer have an "outside chance" to play for Oklahoma and the Longhorns hosting the Aggies in the season finale, Texas should feel in the driver's seat ahead of both matchups.

3. Amongst the conference's top-ranked teams, Texas may be the most unproven.

Sep 13, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) passes the ball during the first half against the Texas El Paso Miners at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

After a hard-to-watch loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes in Week 1, the Longhorns bounced back with three straight home wins over Group of 5 opponents to instill confidence before conference play. But yet to show out against a high-quality opponent, the Longhorns will be tested and examined a lot in the opening weeks of their SEC schedule.

Texas's national rankings, provided by HornSports on X, back up what was seen in the first four weeks:

National rankings for Texas (136 teams):

Offense

PPG: 41st
Yards per play: 32nd
Yards per game: 28th
Rush yards per game: 25th
Team passer rating: 35th
Yards per pass attempt: 38th
Yards per completion: 30th
Sack % allowed: 17th

Defense

PPG: 2nd
Yards per play: 1st
Yards per…
— HornSports (@HornSports) September 28, 2025

The defense is national championship-caliber, while the offense has left much to be desired. Week 4's domination of Sam Houston could be a turning point, as the Longhorns put together their most complete performance of 2025. But taking on Florida in Gainesville, coming off a bye, will tell us a lot about the capabilities of this team.

Tennessee pulled it off in Starkville. Alabama did it as underdogs in Athens. Now it's the Longhorns' turn to prove their worth in a hostile away environment.