It doesn't matter who the quarterback is at Texas.
They are No. 1 either way. Arch Manning made his first career start in place of an injured Quinn Ewers against UL-Monroe on Saturday, and all that fan-fare resulted in an …
Interception? Manning threw a pick on the first series, but he settled in with ease in a 52-3 blowout. Manning finished 15 of 29 passing for 258 yards, two TDs and two interceptions which likely squashed the fantasy that Ewers will not start when he returns from an abdominal strain. Manning is good and the upside is high, but this is still Ewers' team.
That has taken at least some attention away from how dominant the Longhorns have been in non-conference play. Texas has outscored four opponents 190-22 heading into SEC play, and that dominance should continue in the SEC opener against Mississippi State.
There is no reason to drop Texas, even with the first top-five showdown of the season coming in Week 5. Georgia and Alabama had a bye week to prepare for that matchup, and the winner theoretically could jump the Longhorns depending on the result. That is, if Texas gives them reason to. Given the situation at quarterback, it is doubtful that the Longhorns leave any doubt.
We have Texas at No. 1, followed by No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Alabama. The SEC also has two other top-10 teams in No. 6 Ole Miss and No. 8 Tennessee.
MORE: College Football Playoff projection after Week 4
Here is a closer look at The Sporting News top 25 rankings:
Sporting News Top 25 rankings for Week 5
Here is a closer look at our latest top 25 ranking heading into Week 5:
| RANK | SCHOOL | RECORD | PREVIOUS | WEEK RESULT |
| 1 | Texas | 4-0 | 1 | Beat UL-Monroe 51-3 |
| 2 | Georgia | 3-0 | 2 | Bye |
| 3 | Ohio State | 3-0 | 3 | Beat Marshall 49-14 |
| 4 | Alabama | 3-0 | 4 | Bye |
| 5 | Oregon | 3-0 | 5 | Bye |
| 6 | Ole Miss | 4-0 | 6 | Beat Georgia Southern 52-13 |
| 7 | Miami, Fla. | 4-0 | 8 | Beat South Florida 50-15 |
| 8 | Tennessee | 4-0 | 9 | Beat Oklahoma 25-15 |
| 9 | Penn State | 3-0 | 11 | Beat Kent State 56-0 |
| 10 | Utah | 4-0 | 14 | Beat Oklahoma State 22-19 |
| 11 | Missouri | 4-0 | 10 | Beat Vanderbilt 30-27 |
| 12 | Louisville | 3-0 | 18 | Beat Georgia Tech 31-19 |
| 13 | Clemson | 2-1 | 17 | Beat NC State 59-35 |
| 14 | Michigan | 3-1 | 22 | Beat USC 27-24 |
| 15 | USC | 2-1 | 7 | Lost to Michigan 27-24 |
| 16 | LSU | 3-1 | 16 | Beat UCLA 34-17 |
| 17 | Notre Dame | 3-1 | 20 | Beat Miami 28-3 |
| 18 | Illinois | 4-0 | NR | Beat Nebraska 31-24 |
| 19 | Oklahoma State | 3-1 | 13 | Lost to Utah 22-19 |
| 20 | Oklahoma | 3-1 | 15 | Lost to Tennessee 25-15 |
| 21 | BYU | 4-0 | 37 | Beat Kansas State 38-9 |
| 22 | Iowa State | 3-0 | 23 | Beat Arkansas State 52-7 |
| 23 | UCF | 3-0 | 25 | Bye |
| 24 | Kansas State | 3-1 | 12 | Lost to BYU 38-9 |
| 25 | UNLV | 3-0 | NR | Bye |
