DALLAS — The second batch of rankings for what, as it turns out, will be the final version of the College Football Playoff's 12-team bracket was released on Tuesday night. Here are three observations from the latest rankings drop: Texas gets a bump before Death Valley showdown The No. 6-ranked Longhorns get a small bump up one spot after their win over a ranked Missouri team last Saturday. ...

Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire looks on before a game against Oregon State at Reser Stadium on Sept. 12, 2026, in Corvallis, Oregon.

Tom Hauck/Getty Images North America/TNS

DALLAS — The second batch of rankings for what, as it turns out, will be the final version of the College Football Playoff's 12-team bracket was released on Tuesday night.

Here are three observations from the latest rankings drop:

Texas gets a bump before Death Valley showdown

The No. 6-ranked Longhorns get a small bump up one spot after their win over a ranked Missouri team last Saturday.

Texas now holds wins over four ranked teams in Missouri, Ohio State, Tennessee and Ole Miss. The Horns are clearly benefiting from their strength of schedule, with only one other two-loss team (SEC bunkmate Alabama) in front of them.

It's a precarious position for Steve Sarkisian's group — Texas is a loss away from falling out of the SEC championship race, and their remaining schedule isn't a walk in the park with games on the road against LSU and rival Texas A&M, with Arkansas in between those.

Still, the Longhorns could potentially move into a bye spot with a win over the No. 21 Tigers on Saturday, adding another quality win to their resume.

Texas Tech wears the 'first out' hat

Never an enviable position. The Red Raiders come in at No. 12 in the rankings, but would be the first team booted if the Playoff started today.

That would be in lieu of No. 24 Boise State, as the highest-ranked team in the group of six gets an automatic bid to the dance.

That leaves Joey McGuire's group with some work to do over their final three games. They'll face a tough matchup against No. 25 Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Saturday, the Cowboys with a chance to vault themselves into a tie for second place in the Big 12 with a win.

The Red Raiders' loss to Cincinnati really put them in a bind, especially with Utah in front of them. Will the committee send two Big 12 teams to the Playoff? A few convincing wins from Tech over the coming weeks could go a long way in swaying them.

SMU still on the outs ... for now

The Mustangs were good enough to sneak back into the AP Poll. Not quite the CFP rankings, two-loss SMU behind several three-loss teams like Oregon, Missouri and that Oklahoma State team.

SMU bounced back from its upset loss to Syracuse with an explosive 51-28 win over Virginia Tech last Saturday. SMU came in at No. 25 in AP's Sunday rankings but remain just on the outs of the CFP Top 25.

The good news? The Mustangs are presented with a sure-fire opportunity for a big boost on Saturday when they take on 8-1 Wake Forest, which comes in at No. 13 in the new batch of rankings, then follow that up with a matchup against No. 5 Notre Dame the following week.

SMU is currently tied with Louisville for third place in the ACC, behind Wake Forest and No. 7 Miami, though Louisville has the tiebreaker with a head-to-head win earlier in the season.

The Mustangs still have a shot at the 12-team bracket, but their chances start with a must-win matchup on Saturday.

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