Ballot Type: Human
Submitted: Sept. 8, 2026, 12:36 a.m.
Overall Rationale: I use a methodology similar to that used by the voter polls that bases teams based primarily on wins/losses, but with other factors such as how those teams looked in their wins and losses, head to head, roster depth, etc, in play.
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
(1-0) (no change) W: 56-3 vs Ball State (0-1) Next Week: @ #2 Texas (1-0) Projected Bowl: Rose Bowl vs Oregon/Miami |
| 2 |
Texas Longhorns
|
(1-0) (no change) W: 59-7 vs Texas State (0-1) Next Week: vs #1 Ohio State (1-0) Projected Bowl: Cotton Bowl vs Georgia/Alabama |
| 3 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
(1-0) (no change) W: 41-13 vs Wisconsin (0-1) (in Green Bay) Next Week: vs Rice (1-0) Projected Bowl: Peach Bowl vs Ole Miss/Texas Tech |
| 4 |
LSU Tigers
|
(1-0) (up 5) W: 51-10 vs #28 Clemson (0-1) Next Week: vs Louisiana Tech (1-0) Projected Bowl: Fiesta Bowl vs Indiana/Boise State |
| 5 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
(1-0) (no change) W: 52-16 vs North Texas (0-1) Next Week: Howard (1-1) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 vs Boise State |
| 6 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
(1-0) (up 1) W: 41-38 vs #23 Louisville (0-1) (in Nashville) Next Week: vs Charlotte (0-1) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 vs Texas Tech |
| 7 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
(1-0) (down 1) W: 63-3 vs Tennessee State (0-2) Next Week: vs Western Kentucky (0-1) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 vs Alabama |
| 8 |
Oregon Ducks
|
(1-0) (down 4) W: 34-27 vs #25 Boise State (0-1) Next Week: Oklahoma State (0-1) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 vs Miami |
| 9 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
(1-0) (down 1) W: 42-6 @ Stanford (1-1) Next Week: vs Florida A&M (1-1) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 @ Oregon |
| 10 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
(1-0) (no change) W: 48-10 vs East Carolina (0-1) Next Week: @ Kentucky (1-0) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 @ Georgia |
| 11 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
(1-0) (no change) W: 50-0 vs Missouri State (0-1) Next Week: vs Arizona State (1-0) Projected Bowl: Citrus Bowl vs Penn State |
| 12 |
Oklahoma Sooners
|
(1-0) (up 1) W: 51-0 vs UTEP (0-1) Next Week: @ #26 Michigan (1-0) (JTGOTW) Projected Bowl: Texas Bowl vs Kansas State |
| 13 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
(1-0) (down 1) W: 33-10 vs Abilene Christian (0-2) Next Week: @ Oregon State (0-1) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 @ Ole Miss |
| 14 |
BYU Cougars
|
(1-0) (up 1) W: 63-7 vs Utah Tech (0-2) Next Week: vs Arizona (1-0) Projected Bowl: Alamo Bowl vs Washington |
| 15 |
USC Trojans
|
(2-0) (up 2) W: 42-26 vs San José State (1-1) W: 39-0 vs Fresno State (0-1) Next Week: vs Louisiana (1-0) Projected Bowl: Holiday Bowl vs Clemson |
| 16 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
(1-0) (no change) W: 56-9 vs Furman (1-1) Next Week: @ Georgia Tech (0-1) Projected Bowl: ReliaQuest Bowl vs Michigan |
| 17 |
Utah Utes
|
(1-0) (up 1) W: 66-14 vs Idaho (0-2) Next Week: vs Arkansas (1-0) Projected Bowl: Sun Bowl vs SMU |
| 18 |
Washington Huskies
|
(1-0) (up 1) W: 24-10 vs Washington State (0-1) (JTGOTW) Next Week: vs Utah State (0-1) Projected Bowl: Alamo Bowl vs BYU |
| 19 |
Penn State Nittany Lions
|
(1-0) (up 1) W: 45-0 vs Marshall (0-1) Next Week: @ Temple (1-0) Projected Bowl: Citrus Bowl vs Texas A&M |
| 20 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
(1-0) (up 1) W: 40-0 vs Northern Illinois (0-1) Next Week: vs Iowa State (1-0) Projected Bowl: Mayo Bowl vs Pittsburgh |
| 21 |
Virginia Cavaliers
|
(1-0) (was unranked) W: 34-8 vs NC State (0-1) Next Week: vs Norfolk State (1-1) Projected Bowl: Pop-Tarts Bowl vs Houston |
| 22 |
SMU Mustangs
|
(1-0) (no change) W: 27-24 @ Florida State (1-1) Next Week: vs UC Davis (2-0) Projected Bowl: Sun Bowl vs Utah |
| 23 |
Houston Cougars
|
(1-0) (up 1) W: 33-20 vs Oregon State (0-1) Next Week: vs Southern (1-1) Projected Bowl: Pop-Tarts Bowl vs Virginia |
| 24 |
Missouri Tigers
|
(1-0) (up 3) W: 54-14 vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-1) Next Week: @ Kansas (1-0) Projected Bowl: Las Vegas Bowl vs Arizona |
| 25 |
Florida Gators
|
(1-0) (was unranked) W: 66-21 vs Florida Atlantic (0-1) Next Week: vs Campbell (2-0) Projected Bowl: Gator Bowl vs Louisville Next 5: #26: Michigan (1-0) (down 12) #27: South Carolina (1-0) (was unranked) #28: Louisville (0-1) (down 5) #29: Vanderbilt (1-0) (no change) #30: Boise State (0-1) (down 5) Fell out of T30: TCU (0-1) (was #26); Clemson (0-1) (was #28); UNLV (1-1) (was #30) Biggest Riser: Virginia (1-0) (unranked -> #21) Biggest Faller: Michigan (1-0) (#14 -> #26) |
Teams Ranked:
| Rank | Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
0.00 |
| 2 |
Texas Longhorns
|
0.29 |
| 3 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
0.00 |
| 4 |
LSU Tigers
|
0.02 |
| 5 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
0.00 |
| 6 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
0.35 |
| 7 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
0.00 |
| 8 |
Oregon Ducks
|
0.00 |
| 9 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
-0.50 |
| 10 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
0.00 |
| 11 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
0.00 |
| 12 |
Oklahoma Sooners
|
0.00 |
| 13 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
0.00 |
| 14 |
BYU Cougars
|
0.00 |
| 15 |
USC Trojans
|
0.00 |
| 16 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
0.13 |
| 17 |
Utah Utes
|
0.12 |
| 18 |
Washington Huskies
|
0.00 |
| 19 |
Penn State Nittany Lions
|
0.00 |
| 20 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
0.00 |
| 21 |
Virginia Cavaliers
|
0.00 |
| 22 |
SMU Mustangs
|
0.00 |
| 23 |
Houston Cougars
|
0.00 |
| 24 |
Missouri Tigers
|
0.00 |
| 25 |
Florida Gators
|
0.00 |