For the first time, Texas will open a college football season ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25. Alabama is ranked No. 8, and while Auburn received votes, it didn’t make the Top 25 cut.

The Longhorns hardly have a mandate in the poll released today: They edged out Penn State by just five points in the closest preseason vote since 1998.

Texas received 25 first-place votes and 1,552 points to give the Southeastern Conference the preseason No. 1 team for a record fifth straight year. The Nittany Lions got 23 first-place votes and 1,547 points for their highest preseason ranking since they were No. 1 to open the 1997 season.

The Longhorns face a major test right away. Their Aug. 30 opener at defending champion and third-ranked Ohio State is a rematch of last season’s College Footb

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