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(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Texas safety Earl Thomas, left, takes his third-quarter interception back 31 yards for a touchdown as Oklahoma State's Hubert Anyiam, right, trails, in an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009. Texas won 41-14.
NEW YORK— Texas is back to No. 2 in the AP college football poll.
The Longhorns jumped Alabama and landed right behind top-ranked Florida on Sunday, a day after winning 41-14 at Oklahoma State in their best performance of the season.
Florida, No. 1 for all but one week this season, received 38 first-place votes after a 41-17 victory over Georgia.
The Longhorns started the season ranked second, but have been No. 3 behind the Gators and Crimson Tide the last three weeks. Texas received 13 first-place votes from the media panel. Many voters were swayed by the ease with which Longhorns handled Oklahoma State.
Doug Lesmerises of the Cleveland Plain Dealer jumped Texas from No. 3 to No. 1, past both Florida and Alabama.
"The Longhorns haven't had the same type of struggles that Florida and Alabama have experienced in some down-to-the-wire games, and a blowout win over their toughest opponent of the season finally added some heft to the Longhorns' schedule," he said. "But I still think Texas, Florida and Alabama are separated by very little at the top."
Alabama, which spent a week at No. 1, slipped to No. 3 during an off week. The Crimson Tide received eight first-place votes.
"Pretty easy decision for me: Texas is simply a more complete team than Alabama right now," said Craig James of ABC.
Cincinnati and Boise State round out the top five. Unbeaten TCU is No. 6.
In the BCS standings released Sunday, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Iowa and Cincinnati were the top five, followed, by TCU and Boise State.
