One Team Won't Like Texas' Controversial Ranking in Final AP Poll

As if fans of one of the Texas Longhorns' biggest rivals needed any more reason to hate them.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning warms up before a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns' 2025 season ended on New Year's Eve with a 41-27 win over the Michigan Wolverines at the Citrus Bowl.

And in the few weeks since then, the roster has changed in massive way, as multiple new names from the transfer portal have arrived while countless others have left the program.

But one thing that hasn't changed is the disdain shared between Texas and one of its biggest rivals. Even with the offseason well underway, the Oklahoma Sooners have another to gripe with the Longhorns.

Texas Longhorns Ranked No. 12 in Final AP Poll

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning runs with the ball during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The final AP Poll of the season was released Tuesday following Indiana's 27-21 win over the Miami Hurricanes in the National Championship.

The Hoosiers and Hurricanes both came in at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, but the order of the teams after them is highly up for debate.

With the win over Michigan, which slotted in at No. 21, the Longhorns rose up to No. 12 after previously being at No. 14.

One spot behind them in the new rankings? Oklahoma.

Oklahoma's John Mateer reacts following the College Football Playoff game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Alabama Crimson Tide. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Despite making the College Football Playoff, the Sooners came in at No. 13 behind Texas, dropping five spots from the prior rankings. This probably won't sit well with Oklahoma fans, who are still wondering how their team blew a 17-0 lead at home in the first round of the CFP against Alabama.

Not much seperated the Longhorns and Sooners this season. Both finished with the same record while Texas secured the head-to-head win over OU during a 23-6 win in October.

Sure, Oklahoma deserves credit for making it to the College Football Playoff while Texas was left out, but the Sooners were unable to do anything with their home-field advantage and instead let a solid season go to waste with a performance to forget. Oklahoma has yet to win a CFP game in its history.

With all of these factors in play, it's understandable why the AP voters put Texas ahead of Oklahoma, but it's still a controversial decision nonetheless.

Texas wasn't the only non-CFP team to be ranked above Oklahoma, as No. 11 BYU and No. 10 Notre Dame slotted right above the Longhorns.

In the weeks leading up to the final CFP bracker reveal, the Longhorns have the edge on Oklahoma until Texas dropped a 35-10 loss to Georgia in Athens while the Sooners got a huge 23-21 win over Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Oklahoma's win ended up being one of the driving forces that kept Texas out of the CFP, along with the Longhorns' loss to the Florida Gators.