Poll shutout for Texas teams considered aberration, not trend

For the first time this season, Texas residents began the week Monday with no local teams in the Associated Press’ college football poll.

Both Houston and Texas A&M, two reams ranked in last week’s poll, dropped out Sunday after losses and no other teams from the Lone Star State replaced them in the rankings. Based on AP research, it marks the first weekly poll since the one released Sept. 14, 1997 that does not include a Top 25 team from Texas.

Big 12 coaches said Monday that the lack of a Texas team should not be construed as a reflection on the quality of high school prospects in the state, long considered one of the nation’s top locations for blue-chip talent.

“It’s an aberration. It’s just unusual it happened here, this one year,” said Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who estimated that “85 to 90 percent” of his roster typically is comprised of players from Texas or Oklahoma. “There’s always great players here.”

Asked if elite Texas recruits are harder to find these days, TCU coach Gary Patterson said: “No. I think some of the better players have left the state in the last three to four years. We’ve got to do a better job keeping guys at home.”

This story was originally published November 28, 2016 at 3:49 PM with the headline "Poll shutout for Texas teams considered aberration, not trend."