Ballot Type: Computer
Submitted: Sept. 9, 2026, 10:19 a.m.
Overall Rationale: Relying on a combination base of SP+ and ESPN FPI ratings, I've devised my own "Game Grader" type system which tracks a Power Score for each game (opponent adjusted).
I keep it simple, I’m relatively newer at this, but how did your offense fare against the opponent defense rating? How did your defense fare against the opponent offense rating?
All games are opponent adjusted using SP+ Off and Def ratings, and compared to season averages. If you scored twice the amount of points that an opponent defense has been letting up all year, that’s a good bonus. But if your defense allowed the opponent offense to score more than they usually do per year. That’s a slight negative. It all relatively compares and boils down to a game score for each team. Reduced scores against FCS teams.
EARLY SEASON RANKINGS ARE NOT THE MOST ACCURATE. Early season shutout's seem to cause issues. I've found the first 4-5 weeks can be pretty sporadic, but I guess that's how computer polls go sometimes. Once conference play hits, things look more normal.
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
|
| 2 |
SMU Mustangs
|
|
| 3 |
North Dakota State Bison
|
|
| 4 |
Penn State Nittany Lions
|
|
| 5 |
UMass Minutemen
|
|
| 6 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
|
| 7 |
Auburn Tigers
|
|
| 8 |
North Carolina Tar Heels
|
|
| 9 |
USC Trojans
|
|
| 10 |
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
|
|
| 11 |
Memphis Tigers
|
|
| 12 |
Air Force Falcons
|
|
| 13 |
Kennesaw State Owls
|
|
| 14 |
Colorado Buffaloes
|
|
| 15 |
Oregon Ducks
|
|
| 16 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
|
| 17 |
Virginia Cavaliers
|
|
| 18 |
LSU Tigers
|
|
| 19 |
Georgia Southern Eagles
|
|
| 20 |
Oklahoma Sooners
|
|
| 21 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
|
| 22 |
South Carolina Gamecocks
|
|
| 23 |
UCLA Bruins
|
|
| 24 |
James Madison Dukes
|
|
| 25 |
Maryland Terrapins
|
Teams Ranked:
| Rank | Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
0.56 |
| 2 |
SMU Mustangs
|
2.57 |
| 3 |
North Dakota State Bison
|
11.82 |
| 4 |
Penn State Nittany Lions
|
2.48 |
| 5 |
UMass Minutemen
|
19.84 |
| 6 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
0.35 |
| 7 |
Auburn Tigers
|
12.57 |
| 8 |
North Carolina Tar Heels
|
16.72 |
| 9 |
USC Trojans
|
0.25 |
| 10 |
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
|
14.95 |
| 11 |
Memphis Tigers
|
3.42 |
| 12 |
Air Force Falcons
|
13.19 |
| 13 |
Kennesaw State Owls
|
12.15 |
| 14 |
Colorado Buffaloes
|
8.92 |
| 15 |
Oregon Ducks
|
-1.36 |
| 16 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
0.62 |
| 17 |
Virginia Cavaliers
|
0.14 |
| 18 |
LSU Tigers
|
-1.29 |
| 19 |
Georgia Southern Eagles
|
6.15 |
| 20 |
Oklahoma Sooners
|
-1.61 |
| 21 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
-1.58 |
| 22 |
South Carolina Gamecocks
|
0.29 |
| 23 |
UCLA Bruins
|
0.08 |
| 24 |
James Madison Dukes
|
0.92 |
| 25 |
Maryland Terrapins
|
0.00 |
Omissions:
| Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
5.82 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
4.08 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
4.90 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
4.13 |
Texas Longhorns
|
3.99 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
2.96 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
1.71 |
BYU Cougars
|
1.88 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
0.86 |
Utah Utes
|
0.66 |
Washington Huskies
|
0.81 |
Houston Cougars
|
0.31 |
Louisville Cardinals
|
0.02 |
Total Score: 165.96