Football ranked No. 21 in Associated Press preseason poll

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas football team enters the 2021 season ranked No. 21 in the Associated Press preseason poll, which was released Monday.

The ranking makes it five consecutive years in which the Longhorns begin the season ranked among the AP’s top 25 teams.

Entering its first season under new head coach Steve Sarkisian, Texas is one of three Big 12 teams appearing in the poll: Oklahoma, which like Texas is headed to the Southeastern Conference, was voted second in the AP Preseason top 25 behind Alabama and received six first-place votes, while Iowa State was voted seventh.

The Longhorns’ and Sooners future conference, the SEC, backs up its reputation as the nation’s toughest football conference with five entries on the list (not including UT and OU). Alabama was voted as the prohibitive top team in the poll, receiving 47 first-place votes (the other programs that received first-place votes — OU, Clemson, Ohio State and Georgia — gathered 16 first-place votes between them). Also representing the SEC as it is currently constructed are Georgia (fifth), Texas A&M (sixth), Florida (13) and LSU (16).

If preseason rankings are accurate, the Horns will begin the season with a strong test, as UT hosts No. 23 Louisiana at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 4 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in a game that will be televised on Fox.

2021 Preseason AP Top 25 (first-place votes)
1. Alabama (47)
2. Oklahoma (6)
3. Clemson (6)
4. Ohio State (1)
5. Georgia (3)
6. Texas A&M
7. Iowa State
8. Cincinnati
9. Notre Dame
10 North Carolina
11. Oregon
12. Wisconsin
13. Florida
14. Miami (Fla.)
15. USC
16. LSU
17. Indiana
18. Iowa
19. Penn State
20. Washington
21. Texas
22. Coastal Carolina
23. Louisiana
24. Utah
25. Arizona State