The No. 1 AP poll ranking is a reminder of how far the Longhorns have come

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Longhorns earned their first No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 poll since 2008 this week, and while its on-field meaning has diminished over time, it still means something to a couple of players who have seen the program at a low point.

The Associated Press poll used to be directly involved in declaring a national champion. It used to be part of the formula for the Bowl Championship Series rating that determined the national title game. Since its inception in 1936, its influence on the college football landscape has been great.

Now, with the College Football Playoff and the 12-team playoff bracket? The poll is just something for fans to fight about on social media and give media members fodder to use in columns. Once the CFP selection committee releases its first set of rankings at 7 p.m., Nov. 5, the AP poll becomes moot.

However, at least right now, for Longhorn seniors Jake Majors and Michael Taaffe, being at the top of the AP poll means something.

Both were on the 2021 Longhorns team that went 5-7 and missed a bowl game.

"The guys who were here for that 5-7 year know what it's like to be on a losing team, and it feels good to get the praise that we deserve," Taaffe said. "It's cool to get that recognition now because of how far we've come, but if we were to settle now then we're not going to be legendary. Our goal is to be legendary."

Majors said he was watching football when he heard about the big ranking.

"I was sitting on the couch watching the Cowboys get smoked," he said. "I talked to the O-line today that we can't be happy about being No. 1 in Week 4. I've been 5-7. I know how college football works. We've only been playing ball for about a month and we've got a couple of months to go."

Sarkisian addressed it in his press conference Monday, saying how the poll used to mean something tangible.

"Back in the day, the polls were huge because they dictated who played for a national championship. Now, you gotta go earn it," Sarkisian said. "It's good to show what we're capable of, but at the end of the day, we've gotta go earn it and the mission is far from over."

The impactful part of being the No. 1 team in the country right now is the reminder of what the program used to be. It has nothing to do with the postseason or bowl games or anything like that, but it serves as a reassurance to players who started at the bottom, and now they're here.

"As veterans, we've got to do a good job telling the younger guys that anything can happen in a season and that we have to stay true to who we are and stick to the culture to make sure we're No. 1 on Jan. 20," Majors said.