Stephen A. Smith questions whether Texas deserves to be ranked No. 7 in first CFP rankings
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The first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2026 season were quite polarizing, to say the least. Fans are up in arms about the slots many SEC teams occupy, particularly those held by Alabama and Texas.
Most people are peeved about the Crimson Tide sliding ahead of the Longhorns, believing Kalen DeBoer‘s team’s resume is inferior. However, Stephen A. Smith is blasting the committee for giving Texas so much respect.
“I understand the quality of their wins. What about the quality of their losses? You lost to two unranked teams!” Smith said on First Take. “I don’t have a problem with them being in the top 12 to 15… No. 7?! With two losses to unranked teams… you got to be kidding me.”
To Smith, the initial placement of the Longhorns indicates they have margin for error with battles against Missouri and LSU on tap.
“[The committee is] gonna do everything they can to make sure that Texas… [is] in these playoffs. Cause if you dropped them lower, and they lost another game, you definitely gotta push them out,” Smith claimed. “Meanwhile, at No. 7… [they] can drop as low as 11th or 12th, but not completely out of the picture… that’s the impression that I get.”
Texas’ loss to Florida, who earned the No. 23 spot in the CFP rankings, helps lessen the blow of that defeat. The Longhorns and Mizzou, who is No. 18 in the CFP poll, kick off at noon ET on Saturday (ESPN).
