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Texas ranks No. 7 in ESPN's initial 2025 SP+ rankings

Joe Cookby:Joe Cook•about 10 hours•

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Arch Manning
Arch Manning (Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Bill Connelly is the caretaker of the SP+ rankings system, what he describes as a “tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football, not a résumé ranking.”

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For many college football fans, it’s how they dip their toe into the water of advanced analytics.

SP+ is built using a combination of three factors. First is returning production, a measure where Texas ranks 103rd. This makes up 60% of these initial SP+ rankings, per Connelly. Then there is recent recruiting, which uses ESPN’s rankings. This is 14% per Connelly. Finally, there is recent history, which looks at the last three seasons and makes up the remaining percentage.

In these initial rankings, Texas was No. 7.

That No. 7 features different rankings in offensive SP+, defensive SP+, and special teams SP+.

In offensive SP+, Texas was No. 28. The Longhorns had the top spot in defensive SP+, just ahead of No. 2 Ohio State.

Special teams was a woeful No. 135. Only Arizona State was worse.

Connelly listed Texas as a team to possibly sell based off SP+, but he admitted that the computer rankings aren’t exactly able to quantify the effect Arch Manning could have on the 2025 offense based off his limited 2024 opportunities. He also explains SP+ didn’t love Texas all that much last year, with the Longhorns finishing No. 7 in 2024.

The Southeastern Conference was the strongest team in SP+ by far. Within the top 30 alone was No. 2 Alabama, No. 4 Georgia, No. 8 Tennessee, No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 10 LSU, No. 12 Texas A&M, No. 15 Missouri, No. 16 South Carolina, No. 17 Florida, No. 20 Oklahoma, and No. 23 Auburn.

Arkansas and Kentucky were in the top 40. Vanderbilt made the top 60. Mississippi State was the lowest ranked team at No. 65.

Teams on Texas’ schedule included No. 1 Ohio State, No. 85 San Jose State, No. 124 UTEP, and No. 111 Sam Houston.

Teams from the state of Texas in the rankings include No. 12 Texas A&M, No. 18 SMU, No. 26 TCU, No. 33 Texas Tech, No. 36 Baylor, No. 61 UTSA, No. 79 Texas State, No. 92 North Texas, No. 111 Sam Houston, No. 117 Rice, and No. 124 UTEP.

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SP+ initial rankings

  1. Ohio State
  2. Alabama
  3. Penn State
  4. Georgia
  5. Notre Dame
  6. Oregon
  7. Texas
  8. Tennessee
  9. Ole Miss
  10. LSU
  11. Clemson
  12. Texas A&M
  13. Micigan
  14. Miami (Fla.)
  15. Missouri
  16. South Carolina
  17. Florida
  18. SMU
  19. Kansas State
  20. Oklahoma
  21. Iowa
  22. Louisville
  23. Auburn
  24. Indiana
  25. Illinois

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