tbraptors Ballot for 2026 Week 3
Ballot Type: Human
Submitted: Sept. 13, 2026, 2:52 p.m.
Overall Rationale: General focus is to reward resume over predictive measures, though an element of prediction is required this early in the season, with most teams not having played a quality opponent.
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Texas Longhorns
|
Texas beat the most talented team in the country, even after 3 bad quarters, and are therefore #1 |
| 2 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
|
| 3 |
LSU Tigers
|
LSU drops a spot in my ranking after a poor 1H against Louisiana Tech |
| 4 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
Ohio State lost by 1 on the road against a talented Texas team, so they stay in the top 5, but that may change as other teams begin to start their seasons. |
| 5 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
|
| 6 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
|
| 7 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
|
| 8 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
|
| 9 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
|
| 10 |
BYU Cougars
|
|
| 11 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
|
| 12 |
USC Trojans
|
|
| 13 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
|
| 14 |
Utah Utes
|
Utah benefits from poor performances from the teams above them, while also dismantling against an admittedly bad Arkansas team |
| 15 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
Texas Tech has still yet to put in a great all around performance, but Oregon State's efforts against Houston and TTU means they might be better than initially thought |
| 16 |
Virginia Cavaliers
|
|
| 17 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
|
| 18 |
Penn State Nittany Lions
|
|
| 19 |
Michigan Wolverines
|
Michigan is in after beating Oklahoma in a game of two teams with middling offenses and elite defenses. Oklahoma is probably #26 or #27. |
| 20 |
Houston Cougars
|
|
| 21 |
Missouri Tigers
|
|
| 22 |
UCLA Bruins
|
UCLA took apart a solid Cal team in week 1 and beat a good SDSU team this week |
| 23 |
Mississippi State Bulldogs
|
Mississippi State was much better than Minnesota, and with so few teams with a win as good as that, they are in the top 25 |
| 24 |
SMU Mustangs
|
SMU is jumped by teams that have been better across both games, while I am not convinced by their game against FSU, where they should've pulled away earlier. |
| 25 |
Louisville Cardinals
|
Louisville remain in the top 25 as a result of a good performance against Ole Miss in a losing effort in week 1 |
Teams Ranked:
| Rank | Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Texas Longhorns
|
0.00 |
| 2 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
0.03 |
| 3 |
LSU Tigers
|
0.27 |
| 4 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
0.24 |
| 5 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
0.00 |
| 6 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
0.00 |
| 7 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
-0.22 |
| 8 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
0.00 |
| 9 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
0.00 |
| 10 |
BYU Cougars
|
0.03 |
| 11 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
0.00 |
| 12 |
USC Trojans
|
0.00 |
| 13 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
0.00 |
| 14 |
Utah Utes
|
0.00 |
| 15 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
0.00 |
| 16 |
Virginia Cavaliers
|
0.01 |
| 17 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
0.00 |
| 18 |
Penn State Nittany Lions
|
0.00 |
| 19 |
Michigan Wolverines
|
0.00 |
| 20 |
Houston Cougars
|
0.00 |
| 21 |
Missouri Tigers
|
0.00 |
| 22 |
UCLA Bruins
|
0.00 |
| 23 |
Mississippi State Bulldogs
|
0.00 |
| 24 |
SMU Mustangs
|
-0.69 |
| 25 |
Louisville Cardinals
|
0.00 |
Florida Gators
Oregon Ducks