Texas is back — and so is the SEC.

The Longhorns rallied from 20 points down in the fourth quarter over previously No. 1 ranked Ohio State for a 24-23 win to stake claim to the top spot in the nation.

It’s likely to prove a pivotal win for the entire conference when the College Football Playoff selection committee sits down to determine its first rankings order come Nov. 3.

That said, most all of the SEC teams are doing just fine for themselves, as the league boasts six of the top 10 teams ranked in the AP Top 25 poll.

If the season were to end today and the CFP rankings were to mirror the APs, six of the 12 teams in the College Football Playoff field would be from the SEC.

The five highest-ranked conference champions from the Power Four conferences and one from the Group of Six will make the CFP field.

The other seven spots go to the next highest-ranked teams. Notre Dame will be one of those at-large teams if the Irish are among the top 12 in the CFP’s final rankings.

Many of the top SEC teams will, of course, play one another and deal one another losses.

The cannibalism will be more severe than ever as the league has moved from an eight- to nine-game conference schedule.

LSU travels to play Ole Miss on Saturday in a game expected to have CFP field implications, as the Tigers and Rebels are among the teams projected to be of College Football Playoff caliber.

For now, there’s great hope spread across the league, with stock up for the vast majority of SEC teams.

STOCK SOARING

Texas’ stunning comeback quiets hot-seat talk surrounding Coach Steve Sarkisian, but more importantly, it should bring confidence to scrutinized quarterback Arch Manning and his talented Longhorns’ team after missing the CFP field last season.

Two-time defending SEC champ Georgia has scored 133 points through two games, but Kirby Smart has managed to keep a firm chip on his program’s shoulder by pointing out sloppy scout team players in the fourth quarter.

The No. 2-ranked Bulldogs are off to an optimal start, with star players healthy and well-rested after playing less than half of the snaps in the first two games.

LSU coach Lane Kiffin seemingly thrives on controversy, and there has been no shortage of that leading up to the Tigers trip to play Ole Miss — the program Kiffin abandoned for the NIL riches his current program offers.

Kiffin’s off-field battle to add NFL players has overshadowed much of the lead-up for what figures to be a dramatic showdown with the Rebels and their talented quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss.

Texas A&M has yet to appear in the SEC Championship Game, but third-year Aggies coach Mike Elko has his culture in place and the talent to go with it.

Texas A&M’s opportunistic defense forced four turnovers in defeating a game Arizona State team by a 48-20 count last Saturday. The Aggies returned 65% of their total production — 14th in the nation, and fifth in the SEC.

STOCK UP

Alabama opened the SEC portion of its schedule with a 45-17 road win at Kentucky after spotting the Wildcats a 7-0 lead when freshman quarterback Keelon Russell threw a Pick-6.

A potentially devastating mistake turned into a teaching point for Coach Kalen DeBoer, whose offensive genius and quarterback development has been evident in Tuscaloosa.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel is another SEC coach known for his offensive prowess, and like Alabama the Vols have seen a positive start for their 5-star freshman quarterback, Faizon Brandon.

Buoyed by a strong run game that produced 299 yards on the ground, Brandon won his first road start at Georgia Tech (45-24) while completing 10 of 21 passes for 148 yards and 2 TDs, also rushing for 22 yards on 5 carries.

STOCK DOWN

Oklahoma wasn’t as successful carrying the SEC flag into Ann Arbor, Michigan, losing to the then-unranked Wolverines 17-10 as Heisman Trophy hopeful QB John Mateer struggled with a 17-of-33 passing performance that produced 189 yards with a TD and interception.

The Sooners lauded defense showed up, holding Michigan to 263 total yards, but Mateer’s offense was just 3 of 13 on third-down conversions and the celebrated quarterback threw a costly fourth-quarter interception that set up the Wolverines’ winning score.

Arkansas had modest hopes entering the season with first-year coach Ryan Silverfield, having added 81 new players to its roster, but losing 43-10 on the road to Utah as a 12.5-point underdog was worse than most anyone expected.

Silverfield watched his Arkansas team struggle to move the ball on the Big 12’s Utes, and next up for the Razorbacks in their SEC home opener is a date with league favorite Georgia.