Ballot Type: Human
Submitted: Oct. 5, 2025, 4:50 p.m.
Overall Rationale: Early season rankings are based largely on expected results versus other ranked teams, and as the season goes leans more heavily on actual resume. By the end of the season, rankings are based entirely on resume. I lean heavily into head to head results and results against common opponents. I also sort teams into 6 tiers based on championship/playoff likelihood. Tier 1: Championship Frontrunners, near lock to make playoffs Tier 2: Championship Contenders with excellent chance of making playoffs Tier 3: Decent possibility to make playoffs, unlikely to compete for championship Tier 4: Outside playoff shot Tier 5: Unlikely to make playoffs but not quite eliminated Tier 6: No shot at playoffs
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
Tier 1. |
| 2 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
Tier 1. Almost moved them to #1. Probably the most impressive resume so far this season. |
| 3 |
Oregon Ducks
|
Tier 2. Win over PSU not as impressive as it was a week ago, but this is still an excellent team. |
| 4 |
Oklahoma Sooners
|
Tier 3. |
| 5 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
Tier 3. Another impressive resume. ND, Auburn, and Miss St are all solid wins. |
| 6 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
Tier 3. |
| 7 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
Tier 3. 2-1 vs ranked teams. Again, Bama's death is greatly exaggerated. |
| 8 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
Tier 3. |
| 9 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
Tier 3. |
| 10 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
Tier 3. |
| 11 |
LSU Tigers
|
Tier 4. |
| 12 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
Tier 4. The tortillas continue to fly. This may very well be a legit playoff team. |
| 13 |
Michigan Wolverines
|
Tier 4. |
| 14 |
Virginia Cavaliers
|
Tier 4. Barely scraped by Louisville and the NC State loss is hurting them, but the FSU win keeps them up here. |
| 15 |
Florida State Seminoles
|
Tier 4. Tough loss to Miami but the win over Bama is going a long way. |
| 16 |
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
|
Tier 4. |
| 17 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
Tier 4. |
| 18 |
Missouri Tigers
|
Tier 4. |
| 19 |
Illinois Fighting Illini
|
Tier 4. |
| 20 |
Memphis Tigers
|
Tier 4. |
| 21 |
BYU Cougars
|
Tier 4. |
| 22 |
Vanderbilt Commodores
|
Tier 4. |
| 23 |
Arizona State Sun Devils
|
Tier 4. |
| 24 |
Nebraska Cornhuskers
|
Tier 4. Win over Cincy keeps getting better. |
| 25 |
Mississippi State Bulldogs
|
Tier 4. |
Teams Ranked:
| Rank | Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
0.00 |
| 2 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
0.00 |
| 3 |
Oregon Ducks
|
0.00 |
| 4 |
Oklahoma Sooners
|
0.17 |
| 5 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
0.00 |
| 6 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
0.00 |
| 7 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
0.07 |
| 8 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
0.41 |
| 9 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
-0.64 |
| 10 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
0.48 |
| 11 |
LSU Tigers
|
0.32 |
| 12 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
-0.49 |
| 13 |
Michigan Wolverines
|
0.21 |
| 14 |
Virginia Cavaliers
|
0.48 |
| 15 |
Florida State Seminoles
|
2.86 |
| 16 |
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
|
0.00 |
| 17 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
0.06 |
| 18 |
Missouri Tigers
|
-0.85 |
| 19 |
Illinois Fighting Illini
|
0.00 |
| 20 |
Memphis Tigers
|
0.00 |
| 21 |
BYU Cougars
|
-0.31 |
| 22 |
Vanderbilt Commodores
|
0.00 |
| 23 |
Arizona State Sun Devils
|
0.00 |
| 24 |
Nebraska Cornhuskers
|
0.00 |
| 25 |
Mississippi State Bulldogs
|
0.12 |
Omissions:
| Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|
Iowa State Cyclones
|
0.33 |
Cincinnati Bearcats
|
0.17 |
North Texas Mean Green
|
0.02 |
Total Score: 7.97