Back to poll results >>

MADBuc49 Ballot for 2025 Week 7

Ballot Type: Hybrid

Submitted: Oct. 5, 2025, 8:57 p.m.

Overall Rationale: Week 7 notes: 2-loss teams such as Notre Dame and Florida State stuck behind 0-loss BYU. 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 +0. Would be the #1 playoff seed in this scenario, playing the winner of #8 Texas Tech/#9 Michigan in the Rose Bowl
2 Ohio State Buckeyes +0. Would be the #2 playoff seed in this scenario, playing the winner of #7 Texas A&M/#10 LSU in the Orange Bowl
3 Miami Hurricanes +0. Would be the #3 playoff seed in this scenario, playing the winner of #6 Ole Miss/#11 Virginia in the Sugar Bowl
4 Indiana Hoosiers +1. Would be the #4 playoff seed in this scenario, playing the winner of #5 Oklahoma/#12 Tulane in the Cotton Bowl
5 Oklahoma Sooners +1
6 Ole Miss Rebels +1
7 Texas A&M Aggies +4
8 Texas Tech Red Raiders +7
9 Michigan Wolverines +1
10 LSU Tigers +4
11 Virginia Cavaliers +5. Deservedness holding 2-loss Notre Dame behind 0-loss BYU
12 Alabama Crimson Tide +6. Deservedness holding 2-loss Notre Dame and FSU behind 0-loss BYU
13 Georgia Bulldogs +6. Deservedness holding 2-loss Notre Dame and FSU behind 0-loss BYU
14 Tennessee Volunteers +6. Deservedness holding 2-loss Notre Dame and FSU behind 0-loss BYU
15 Nebraska Cornhuskers NEW. Deservedness holding 2-loss Notre Dame and FSU behind 0-loss BYU
16 Vanderbilt Commodores -4. Deservedness holding 2-loss Notre Dame and FSU behind 0-loss BYU
17 Louisville Cardinals +7. Rare time when a team loses and then rises in rankings - due to Deservedness holding back many teams. Deservedness holding 2-loss Notre Dame and FSU behind 0-loss BYU
18 Cincinnati Bearcats NEW. Deservedness holding 2-loss Notre Dame and FSU behind 0-loss BYU
19 Iowa State Cyclones -11. Deservedness holding 2-loss Notre Dame and FSU behind 0-loss BYU
20 Illinois Fighting Illini +5. Deservedness holding 2-loss Notre Dame and FSU behind 0-loss BYU
21 Arizona State Sun Devils +1. Deservedness holding 2-loss Notre Dame, FSU, and Mississippi State behind 0-loss BYU
22 USC Trojans NEW. Deservedness holding 2-loss Notre Dame, FSU, and Mississippi State behind 0-loss BYU
23 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets -10. Wins don’t hold up as well compared to others’. Deservedness holding 2-loss Notre Dame, FSU, and Mississippi State behind 0-loss BYU
24 Missouri Tigers -1. Deservedness holding 2-loss Notre Dame, FSU, and Mississippi State behind 0-loss BYU
25 TCU Horned Frogs NEW. Tulane would be the #12 playoff seed in this scenario, playing at #5 Indiana in the first round. Deservedness holding 2-loss Notre Dame, FSU, and Mississippi State behind 0-loss BYU

Back to poll results >>