Between September 20 and November 1 — the span in which the Texas Longhorns hosts Sam Houston and, finally, Vanderbilt the day after Halloween — the football program will play six consecutive away games.

After coaches voting in the US LBM-sponsored poll tabbed the Longhorns as the nation's top team last week, Texas was voted as the No. 1 team in the first AP Poll of the campaign released Monday. Since 2000, only USC and Alabama have won the national championship after starting the season ranked first.

Texas' No. 1 AP preseason ranking is a first for the Longhorns and their highest to start the season since being No. 2 in 2009, the last time they played for a national title.