Welcome back to the Texas 47, a weekly tier ranking of all 47 college football programs in the Lone Star State. From FBS to FCS to every division below, we place each program into tiers ranging from national title contender to the basement. The list is updated by Mike Craven and Cory Hogue every Tuesday throughout the college football season. 

National contenders

Angelo State (5-0) - The final score doesn’t show how dominating the Rams were at Western Oregon, and that’s because of a 2-of-12 performance on third down, which needs to improve for ASU to reach its goals.

Mary Hardin-Baylor (4-1) - It’s only concerning to see the Cru defense allow 2.7 yards per rush last week because they’ve conditioned us to expect a more dominant performance.

Trinity (4-0) - Any team ranked in the top 5 in the country is a national contender, but the Tigers must fix their offensive issues to compete against the best teams in the country.

Conference contenders

UTSA (3-2) - The Roadrunners welcomed the start of Conference USA play with a 15-point road win over a Middle Tennessee State team that was one week removed from thumping Miami. UTSA quarterback Frank Harris and his trio of talented receivers torched MTSU. 

TCU (4-0) - Sonny Dykes' first Big 12 game was a memorable one for the first-year man in Fort Worth. TCU scored 27 first-quarter points and tallied 668 yards of total offense while breaking an eight-game losing streak against Oklahoma. 

UIW (4-1) - The convincing win over McNeese was the response the Cardinals needed following a tough loss. 

Prairie View A&M (3-2) - That’s five straight wins over Grambling in the State Fair Classic for the Panthers. Also impressive to see the attendance figure of 53,971 inside the Cotton Bowl.

Hardin-Simmons (3-1) - The HSU offense put up 428 total yards despite having the ball for 21:27 against McMurry. The War Hawks ability to rush the ball against the Cowboys is a concern.

Texas A&M-Kingsville (5-0) - The Javelinas took care of business on the longest trip for any DII team this year, but the pass defense is an area that must improve to compete against the top of the LSC.

Texas Wesleyan (4-1) - The Rams defense played angry on Saturday and held WBU to -20 yards rushing while recording eight sacks and two interceptions. That’s impressive.

Trinity Valley (3-1) - The Cardinals are 2-0 in conference but have four challenging games in the month of October. Three of those four games at home is a considerable advantage for TVCC.

Stock rising

Rice (3-2) - The Owls are now 1-0 in C-USA play following their second consecutive victory over UAB. Rice could be bowl eligible by the end of October with winnable games against FAU, Louisiana Tech, and Charlotte on deck. 

Stephen F. Austin (2-3) - So, the ‘Jacks stock is rising after another loss in the Battle of the Piney Woods? Yes, because the defense seems to have corrected its issues and can be dominant again.

Houston Christian (2-2) - HCU’s stock is rising because the last time they won at least two games in a season was 2019. However, it’s tough to see another win on the schedule.

Sul Ross State (2-3) - The Lobos fell down by 28 points but showed how much they’ve improved by having an opportunity to take the lead in the fourth quarter. SRSU needs to remain healthy for the next two weeks against HSU and UMHB.

Howard Payne (4-1) - The offense continues to roll, gaining 676 total yards against SRSU. The Yellow Jackets should be 6-1 heading into a trip to Abilene to meet HSU at the end of October.

East Texas Baptist (2-2) - The Tigers defense locked down Southwestern after the first quarter allowing 27 rushing yards and 163 total yards over the final three quarters. ETBU now begins the UMHB and HSU gauntlet in the next two weeks.

Navarro (3-2) - The Bulldogs jumped out to another quick start and were able to hang on for the victory thanks to 145 rushing yards from T.J. Snowden

Kilgore (3-2) - The Rangers defense returned to its dominating form posting a shutout of Cisco, and has two weeks before returning to SWJCFC action.

Steady

Baylor (3-2) - A loss at home to Oklahoma State dampened expectations in Waco. The Bears never allowed more than 30 points and didn't lose at home during the 2021 season. They did both in Week 5. 

Texas (3-2) - The Longhorns rebounded from the overtime loss to Texas Tech in Week 4 with a home win over West Virginia. The Red River Showdown is up next. Who will start at quarterback for Texas in a must-win scenario? 

Texas Tech (3-2) - Joey McGuire's squad committed four turnovers in the road loss to Kansas State on Saturday. The Red Raiders are now 0-2 on the road thanks to losing the turnover battle by three in each of those contests. 

UTEP (3-3) - The Miners are on a two-game winning streak and ressurected their bowl hopes thanks to wins over Boise State and Charlotte in consecutive weeks. 

SMU (2-2) - Hurricane Ian caused UCF to move the Week 5 game against SMU to Wednesday. 

North Texas (3-3) - The Mean Green are 2-0 in Conference USA play and are on the brink of conference title contention. 

Tarleton (3-1) - The next two weeks against Southern Utah and SFA on the road will provide a great measuring stick for the Texans program in year three of transition to FCS.

Sam Houston (2-2) - The Bearkats found a way to win the only game that truly mattered during a transition year. Expect to see a lot of volatility in the gameday roster with players redshirting.

Abilene Christian (4-1) - The Wildcats have won four of their first five games, but the rest of the schedule is far more daunting and challenging to traverse.

Texas A&M-Commerce (2-2) - The Lions will receive their welcome to the Southland Conference with a road game against Southeastern Louisiana this week.

West Texas A&M (3-2) - The Buffs kept their fading playoff hopes alive in a game that can build confidence before a showdown with an equally desperate MSU program.

Texas Lutheran (1-3) - Congratulations to Neal LaHue on his first win as the Bulldogs coach. TLU seeks to secure a second consecutive win at Austin College on Saturday.

SAGU (2-2) - The Lions offense will need to produce its best game of the year on the road against a stout Texas Wesleyan team. SAGU’s defense should give them a chance for the upset.

Wayland Baptist (2-3) - The Pioneers predictably struggled against a solid Texas Wesleyan defense and meet an Oklahoma Panhandle State team on a three-game winning streak this week.

Tyler (2-2) - 5-0 was the actual score of a college football game last Saturday. The Apaches held NEO to 144 total yards and never allowed the Norsemen to reach the red zone.

Stock falling

Texas A&M (3-2) - A stagnant offense cost the Aggies in an SEC showdown with Mississippi State in Week 5. The Aggies were shut out in the first half and changed quarterbacks in the second. 

Houston (2-3) - The sky is falling in Houston as the Cougars dropped to 2-3 on the season. They only lost two games total in 2021. 

Texas Southern (1-4) - The Tigers opposition will study their loss to Alabama State to see how Andrew Body was held to 9-of-19 passing for 95 yards and 38 rushing yards.

Midwestern State (3-2) - The Mustangs two losses have come against teams that are a combined 5-5 this year, while MSU’s three wins are against teams with a combined 2-11 record.

UTPB (2-3) - The Falcons have had trouble with consistency thus far and have a home game against Simon Fraser this week to try and fix some issues.

Southwestern (2-3) - The month of October may not be kind to the Pirates, with HPU and HSU looming and three of their final five games on the road.

Blinn (3-3) - The Buccaneers were expected to lean on a potent offense this year, but that unit has yet to produce at a high level due to struggles in the passing game.

Basement

Texas State (2-3) - The Bobcats returned to rock bottom following a blowout loss to James Madison. The only wins in 2022 for Texas State are against FIU and an FCS team. 

Lamar (0-5) - Two fumbles returned for touchdowns were too much for the Cardinals to overcome. Lamar has yet to play a complete game, leading to a winless record thus far.

McMurry (0-5) - The War Hawks were able to move the ball on the ground and control time of possession, which needs to be the offensive recipe for the remainder of the season.

Austin College (0-4) - The ‘Roos put up a fight against the Cru, which shows how much the team loves playing for Loren Dawson and staff.

Texas College (0-4) - The Steers had a needed bye week before traveling to meet one of the top NAIA teams in the country this week.

Cisco (2-3) - The Wranglers have only scored 26 points in three conference games.