AJ_CC Ballot for 2026 Week 2
Ballot Type: Human
Submitted: Sept. 8, 2026, 9:11 a.m.
Overall Rationale: I don't really consider myself beholden to poll inertia, especially in the first few weeks of the season. Ultimately my top 4 are the teams I thought had the four most impressive wins in week 1. After that it came down to personal evaluations of strength and performance, which I admit at this point is still tied to my pre-conceived notions of these teams, though I am very open to making big changes in the first few weeks as we get more data. I do feel a little bad for Louisville and Boise St, both of whom I rate highly, but can't justify a team with no wins at this stage. They'll have their opportunity to claw their way back up the rankings, that I'm sure of. Western Michigan-Michgian did present a challenge, ultimately did not think that was a performance that deserved a ranking for either team. First five out: Colorado, Navy, Missouri, Penn St, Duke.
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
|
| 2 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
|
| 3 |
Oregon Ducks
|
|
| 4 |
LSU Tigers
|
|
| 5 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
|
| 6 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
|
| 7 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
|
| 8 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
|
| 9 |
Texas Longhorns
|
|
| 10 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
|
| 11 |
BYU Cougars
|
|
| 12 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
|
| 13 |
Oklahoma Sooners
|
|
| 14 |
Utah Utes
|
|
| 15 |
USC Trojans
|
|
| 16 |
SMU Mustangs
|
|
| 17 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
|
| 18 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
|
| 19 |
Virginia Cavaliers
|
|
| 20 |
Houston Cougars
|
|
| 21 |
UCLA Bruins
|
|
| 22 |
Washington Huskies
|
|
| 23 |
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
|
|
| 24 |
Memphis Tigers
|
|
| 25 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
Teams Ranked:
| Rank | Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
0.56 |
| 2 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
1.20 |
| 3 |
Oregon Ducks
|
0.34 |
| 4 |
LSU Tigers
|
0.02 |
| 5 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
0.00 |
| 6 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
0.00 |
| 7 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
0.00 |
| 8 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
-0.18 |
| 9 |
Texas Longhorns
|
0.00 |
| 10 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
0.25 |
| 11 |
BYU Cougars
|
0.32 |
| 12 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
0.00 |
| 13 |
Oklahoma Sooners
|
0.00 |
| 14 |
Utah Utes
|
0.88 |
| 15 |
USC Trojans
|
0.00 |
| 16 |
SMU Mustangs
|
0.00 |
| 17 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
-0.53 |
| 18 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
0.06 |
| 19 |
Virginia Cavaliers
|
0.00 |
| 20 |
Houston Cougars
|
0.17 |
| 21 |
UCLA Bruins
|
1.02 |
| 22 |
Washington Huskies
|
0.00 |
| 23 |
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
|
1.95 |
| 24 |
Memphis Tigers
|
0.00 |
| 25 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
-0.61 |
Omissions:
| Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|
Penn State Nittany Lions
|
1.03 |
Louisville Cardinals
|
0.02 |
Total Score: 9.14