After losing at Gators, former No. 1 Texas tumbles to unranked ahead of rivalry game with No. 6 Oklahoma

By JIM VERTUNO

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas has troubles.

The preseason No. 1 is now unranked . Preseason Heisman Trophy favorite quarterback Arch Manning has struggled and is taking a beating behind an offensive line that can’t protect him.

Next up: resurgent No. 6 Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl in one of the great rivalries in college football. And the Sooners will be eager for payback after taking a beating in Dallas last season.

After two consecutive appearances in the College Football Playoff, the Longhorns’ season is on the brink at the midway point. The Longhorns (3-2, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) were beaten by Florida last week and now try to avoid consecutive losses for the first time since 2021.

“There’s no such thing as a championship team without going through some adv