Darth_Ra Ballot for 2026 Preseason
Ballot Type: Computer
Submitted: Aug. 18, 2026, 4:38 p.m.
Overall Rationale: #[Average Ranking Rankings (ARR!)](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZYmPNWmH1ReYNV40yN7S6GgcjHeQ_DIc0UZYYcV5IpI/edit?usp=sharing)
For those who haven't seen my computer poll before, the general rundown is that it attempts to average an easily understandable "Master Ranking" number from all of the *rankings* of stats, power rankings, and other data I can get that includes all ~~130~~ ~~131~~ ~~133~~ ~~134~~ ~~136~~ 138 teams that fairly compare teams and coaches across systems and conferences. In other words, I want to end up with a master number that is easily grokkable (#1ndiana avg ranking 19.47, #68 Baylor avg ranking 75.55, & #138 Sacramento St avg ranking 132.53) that will tell you what the average ranking of a team is across a large spectrum of criteria that hopefully encapsulates what makes a football team "good".
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
|
| 2 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
|
| 3 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
|
| 4 |
Oregon Ducks
|
|
| 5 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
|
| 6 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
|
| 7 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
|
| 8 |
USC Trojans
|
|
| 9 |
BYU Cougars
|
|
| 10 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
|
| 11 |
Texas Longhorns
|
|
| 12 |
Oklahoma Sooners
|
|
| 13 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
|
| 14 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
|
| 15 |
Utah Utes
|
|
| 16 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
|
| 17 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
|
| 18 |
Missouri Tigers
|
|
| 19 |
SMU Mustangs
|
|
| 20 |
Clemson Tigers
|
|
| 21 |
Vanderbilt Commodores
|
|
| 22 |
Michigan Wolverines
|
|
| 23 |
Louisville Cardinals
|
|
| 24 |
Boise State Broncos
|
|
| 25 |
Washington Huskies
|
Teams Ranked:
| Rank | Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
0.40 |
| 2 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
0.00 |
| 3 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
0.05 |
| 4 |
Oregon Ducks
|
-0.03 |
| 5 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
0.00 |
| 6 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
0.58 |
| 7 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
0.84 |
| 8 |
USC Trojans
|
0.86 |
| 9 |
BYU Cougars
|
0.48 |
| 10 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
0.00 |
| 11 |
Texas Longhorns
|
-0.78 |
| 12 |
Oklahoma Sooners
|
0.00 |
| 13 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
0.00 |
| 14 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
-2.37 |
| 15 |
Utah Utes
|
0.43 |
| 16 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
1.21 |
| 17 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
0.08 |
| 18 |
Missouri Tigers
|
2.37 |
| 19 |
SMU Mustangs
|
0.00 |
| 20 |
Clemson Tigers
|
1.57 |
| 21 |
Vanderbilt Commodores
|
1.70 |
| 22 |
Michigan Wolverines
|
-0.80 |
| 23 |
Louisville Cardinals
|
0.00 |
| 24 |
Boise State Broncos
|
0.00 |
| 25 |
Washington Huskies
|
-0.69 |
Omissions:
| Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|
LSU Tigers
|
1.69 |
Penn State Nittany Lions
|
0.53 |
Houston Cougars
|
0.31 |
Total Score: 17.77