AP Top 25 Rankings: Longhorns Unranked for Week 1

The Associated Press released its first installment Monday of the AP Poll Top 25 rankings ahead of the 2022 college football season.

And it doesn't favor the Texas Longhorns headed into Week 1.

The Longhorns are unranked in the first release of the AP Poll. It's the first time since 2016 - the final year of coach Charlie Strong's tenure - that Texas has failed to earn a preseason top-25 nod. Texas ended up rising to as high as No. 11 that season but finished the year with a 5-7 record.

The voters clearly still saw some promise, as the Horns received the second-most votes (164) of teams that are unranked headed into the season.

Texas is behind the curve in the Big 12, as three conference foes made their way into the initial rankings. The Oklahoma Sooners ranked highest of the pack at No. The defending Big 12 champions Baylor Bears slot in right behind at No. 10, while the Oklahoma State Cowboys come in at No. 12.

The Longhorns will take on the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks in Week 1 on Saturday, Sept. 4, before hosting the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide the following weekend. The Tide came in as the undisputed No. 1 ranked team in Monday's poll release with 54 first-place votes.

You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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