Ballot Type: Human
Submitted: Aug. 14, 2026, 12:45 p.m.
Overall Rationale: Preseason ballots give a general sense of who one expects to have a strong season based on last year's results and off-season changes. There will be a lot of movement throughout the season, but for now on-field results from the previous season still matter a great deal. Perhaps more so than other submissions, I see all the conferences as being important and make room at the lower end of the ballot for strong performances or expectations from non-Autonomy conferences, so I include some expected conference champions or those with high expectations for the season. Obviously in the preseason we don't know much about what is likely to happen, so this submission is something of a hybrid of last-year results and predictions for 2026. Again, this will change wildly throughout the season in response to what happens on the field of play.
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
|
| 2 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
|
| 3 |
Oregon Ducks
|
|
| 4 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
|
| 5 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
|
| 6 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
|
| 7 |
BYU Cougars
|
|
| 8 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
|
| 9 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
|
| 10 |
Utah Utes
|
|
| 11 |
Michigan Wolverines
|
|
| 12 |
Texas Longhorns
|
|
| 13 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
|
| 14 |
Houston Cougars
|
|
| 15 |
USC Trojans
|
|
| 16 |
Oklahoma Sooners
|
|
| 17 |
Virginia Cavaliers
|
|
| 18 |
LSU Tigers
|
|
| 19 |
Washington Huskies
|
|
| 20 |
Boise State Broncos
|
|
| 21 |
Tulane Green Wave
|
|
| 22 |
James Madison Dukes
|
|
| 23 |
Western Michigan Broncos
|
|
| 24 |
Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors
|
|
| 25 |
Fresno State Bulldogs
|
Teams Ranked:
| Rank | Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
0.40 |
| 2 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
0.88 |
| 3 |
Oregon Ducks
|
0.00 |
| 4 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
-0.39 |
| 5 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
0.86 |
| 6 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
-0.12 |
| 7 |
BYU Cougars
|
0.99 |
| 8 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
0.04 |
| 9 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
-0.47 |
| 10 |
Utah Utes
|
1.48 |
| 11 |
Michigan Wolverines
|
0.77 |
| 12 |
Texas Longhorns
|
-1.08 |
| 13 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
0.00 |
| 14 |
Houston Cougars
|
1.73 |
| 15 |
USC Trojans
|
0.00 |
| 16 |
Oklahoma Sooners
|
-0.52 |
| 17 |
Virginia Cavaliers
|
4.12 |
| 18 |
LSU Tigers
|
-0.05 |
| 19 |
Washington Huskies
|
0.00 |
| 20 |
Boise State Broncos
|
2.25 |
| 21 |
Tulane Green Wave
|
3.73 |
| 22 |
James Madison Dukes
|
1.58 |
| 23 |
Western Michigan Broncos
|
2.22 |
| 24 |
Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors
|
1.22 |
| 25 |
Fresno State Bulldogs
|
0.22 |
Omissions:
| Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
3.21 |
SMU Mustangs
|
0.79 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
0.59 |
Penn State Nittany Lions
|
0.53 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
0.51 |
Louisville Cardinals
|
0.29 |
Missouri Tigers
|
0.06 |
Total Score: 31.07