Texas is enjoying its return to the top of the college football rankings but knows staying there will be much harder.

The Longhorns moved to No. 1 after a thrilling 24-23 win over Ohio State, which dropped from No. 1 to No. 6. Texas, now 2-0, will face UTSA this week before opening its Southeastern Conference schedule against No. 15 Tennessee on Sept. 26.

“A week ago, the narrative was we can’t win the big game,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday. “The opinion now is we’re the best team in the country, allegedly, and so everybody is patting us on the back.”

Sarkisian warned his players not to become distracted by the praise.

“This is the third straight year we’ve been ranked No. 1 at some part of the season,” he said. “I don’t know how we handled it. And I don’t know how worthy we were of those rankings, of the opinions of others.”

Texas appears deserving of the top ranking for now, but its position at the end of the season remains uncertain.

The Longhorns reached No. 1 in 2024 for the first time since 2008. They held the top spot for a month before losing to Georgia. Texas did not return to No. 1 that season but reached the College Football Playoff semifinals, where it lost to eventual national champion Ohio State.

Last season, however, Texas experienced a much steeper decline. The Longhorns began the year ranked No. 1 but lost their opening game at Ohio State. They fell to 3-2 several weeks later and dropped out of the rankings. After finishing the regular season 9-3, they missed the playoffs.

Senior linebacker Justin Cryer, who transferred from Florida State, said the No. 1 ranking is not a major concern.

“It’s cool to post on Instagram or whatever,” Cryer said. “We have 10 more games to play.”

Quarterback Arch Manning also said the team should keep its attention on the games ahead. He remembers how quickly Texas fell from No. 1 last season and ultimately missed the postseason.

“The rankings don’t really matter until the playoffs,” Manning said. “We’ve got a lot to prove.”