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MADBuc49 Ballot for 2025 Week 4

Ballot Type: Hybrid

Submitted: Sept. 14, 2025, 10:24 a.m.

Overall Rationale: Week 4 notes: So many teams are still insignificantly different from each other that this is really more like four tiers and I just have to put one team before another. Methodology: FIRST layer (computer portion): SP+, opponents’ SP+, opponents’ opponents’ SP+, opponents’ win %, opponents’ opponents’ win %. SECOND layer (human portion): home/field/away, key injuries, P5/G5 status, watched game factors (ex: offensive/defensive line domination, rush yards after contact, average point of first contact, defensive penetration on non-inside screens, missed tackles, quarterback throwing release speed, overall turnovers, average starting field position, etc). THIRD layer (human portion): wins/losses vs higher-/lower-/non-ranked teams, recency of those results. FOURTH layer (computer portion): Deservedness = Team A cannot be ranked over Team B that has 2+ fewer losses (ex: 9-3 LSU can be ranked over 10-2 Missouri, but 9-3 LSU cannot be ranked over 11-1 Tulane even if LSU beat Tulane heads up, rankings have LSU over Tulane, and/or I think LSU is better than Tulane) unless Team B is giving a X loss allowance to Team A due to significantly fewer P4 games played. Loss allowances come into play when: P5 teams play 2 fewer P5 games than another P5 team (ex: 9-3 Arizona plays 10 P5 games, 11-1 Syracuse plays 8 P5 games, 10-8=2, 9-3 Arizona can be ranked over 11-1 Syracuse); P5 teams play 6 fewer P5 games than a G5 team (11-1 Syracuse plays 8 P5 teams, 9-3 Charlotte plays 2 P5 teams, 8-2=6, 9-3 Charlotte can be ranked over 11-1 Syracuse); G5 teams play 10 fewer P5 teams than a P5 team (ex: 9-3 Arizona plays 10 P5 games, 11-1 Liberty plays 0 P5 games, 10-0=0, 9-3 Arizona can be ranked over 11-1 Liberty); or G5 teams play 2 fewer P5 games than another G5 team (ex: 9-3 Charlotte plays 2 P5 games, 11-1 Liberty plays 0 P5 games, 2-0=2, 9-3 Charlotte can be ranked over 11-1 Liberty). If the game differential exceeds more than 2/6/10/2 in those scenarios, add another loss allowance for each additional P5 game played difference in that scenario.

Rank Team Reason
1 Oregon Ducks NEW. Would be the #1 playoff seed in this scenario, playing the winner of #8 Iowa State/#9 Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl
2 Ohio State Buckeyes NEW. Would be the #2 playoff seed in this scenario, playing the winner of #7 Georgia/#10 Alabama in the Orange Bowl
3 Penn State Nittany Lions NEW. Would be the #3 playoff seed in this scenario, playing the winner of #6 Florida State/#11 Tennessee in the Cotton Bowl
4 LSU Tigers NEW. Would be the #4 playoff seed in this scenario, playing the winner of #5 Miami/#12 Tulane in the Sugar Bowl
5 Miami Hurricanes NEW. Would be the #5 playoff seed in this scenario, hosting #12 Tulane in the first round
6 Florida State Seminoles NEW. Would be the #6 playoff seed in this scenario, hosting #11 Tennessee in the first round
7 Georgia Bulldogs NEW. Would be the #7 playoff seed in this scenario, hosting #10 Alabama in the first round
8 Iowa State Cyclones NEW. Would be the #8 playoff seed in this scenario, hosting #9 Oklahoma in the first round
9 Oklahoma Sooners NEW. Would be the #9 playoff seed in this scenario, playing at #8 Iowa State in the first round
10 Alabama Crimson Tide NEW. Would be the #10 playoff seed in this scenario, playing at #7 Georgia in the first round
11 Tennessee Volunteers NEW. Would be the #11 playoff seed in this scenario, playing at #6 Florida State in the first round
12 Texas Longhorns NEW. Rule of thumb: don't get mad at individual polls before week 10 - they don't matter early in the season
13 Michigan Wolverines NEW
14 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets NEW
15 Illinois Fighting Illini NEW
16 Indiana Hoosiers NEW
17 Vanderbilt Commodores NEW
18 Ole Miss Rebels NEW
19 Utah Utes NEW
20 Nebraska Cornhuskers NEW
21 Auburn Tigers NEW
22 USC Trojans NEW
23 Missouri Tigers NEW
24 Texas Tech Red Raiders NEW
25 Louisville Cardinals NEW. Tulane would be the #12 playoff seed in this scenario, playing at #5 Miami in the first round

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