Ballot Type: Human
Submitted: Sept. 13, 2026, 10:04 p.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 |
Texas Longhorns
|
(2-0) (up 1) W: 24-23 vs #1 Ohio State (1-1) Next Week: vs UTSA (2-0) Projected Bowl: Cotton Bowl vs Miami/Alabama |
| 2 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
(2-0) (up 1) W: 52-0 vs Rice (1-1) Next Week: vs Michigan State (2-0) Projected Bowl: Peach Bowl vs Georgia/Texas A&M |
| 3 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
(2-0) (up 2) W: 55-0 vs Howard (1-2) Next Week: vs Western Kentucky (0-2) Projected Bowl: Rose Bowl vs Ole Miss/BYU |
| 4 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
(1-1) (down 3) L: 23-24 @ #2 Texas (2-0) Next Week: vs Kent State (1-1) Projected Bowl: Fiesta Bowl vs LSU/Tulsa |
| 5 |
LSU Tigers
|
(2-0) (down 1) W: 45-14 vs Louisiana Tech (1-1) Next Week: @ #6 Ole Miss (2-0) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 vs Tulsa |
| 6 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
(2-0) (no change) W: 41-9 vs Charlotte (0-2) Next Week: vs #5 LSU (2-0) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 vs BYU |
| 7 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
(2-0) (no change) W: 70-20 vs Western Kentucky (0-2) Next Week: @ Arkansas (1-1) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 vs Texas A&M |
| 8 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
(2-0) (up 1) W: 77-7 vs Florida A&M (1-2) Next Week: @ Wake Forest (2-0) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 vs Alabama |
| 9 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
(2-0) (up 1) W: 45-17 @ Kentucky (1-1) Next Week: vs Florida State (1-1) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 @ Miami |
| 10 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
(2-0) (up 1) W: 48-20 vs Arizona State (1-1) Next Week: vs Kentucky (1-1) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 @ Georgia |
| 11 |
BYU Cougars
|
(2-0) (up 3) W: 28-17 vs Arizona (1-1) Next Week: @ Colorado State (2-0) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 @ Ole Miss |
| 12 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
(2-0) (up 1) W: 35-24 @ Oregon State (0-2) Next Week: vs #21 Houston (2-0) (JTGOTW) Projected Bowl: Alamo Bowl vs Utah |
| 13 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
(2-0) (up 3) W: 45-24 @ Georgia Tech (0-2) Next Week: vs Kennesaw State (1-1) Projected Bowl: Citrus Bowl vs Iowa |
| 14 |
Utah Utes
|
(2-0) (up 3) W: 43-10 vs Arkansas (1-1) Next Week: vs Utah State (0-2) Projected Bowl: Alamo Bowl vs Utah |
| 15 |
USC Trojans
|
(3-0) (no change) W: 49-30 vs Louisiana (1-1) Next Week: @ Rutgers (0-2) Projected Bowl: Holiday Bowl vs Clemson |
| 16 |
Michigan Wolverines
|
(2-0) (up 10) W: 17-10 vs #12 Oklahoma (1-1) Next Week: vs UTEP (1-1) Projected Bowl: Music City Bowl vs South Carolina |
| 17 |
Penn State Nittany Lions
|
(2-0) (up 2) W: 27-9 @ Temple (1-1) Next Week: vs Buffalo (1-1) Projected Bowl: ReliaQuest Bowl vs Missouri |
| 18 |
Virginia Cavaliers
|
(2-0) (up 3) W: 59-3 vs Norfolk State (1-2) Next Week: vs West Virginia (2-0) (in Charlotte) Projected Bowl: Pop-Tarts Bowl vs Houston |
| 19 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
(2-0) (up 1) W: 16-13 vs Iowa State (1-1) Next Week: vs Northern Iowa (1-1) Projected Bowl: Citrus Bowl vs Tennessee |
| 20 |
SMU Mustangs
|
(2-0) (up 2) W: 56-10 vs UC Davis (2-1) Next Week: @ #28 Louisville (1-1) Projected Bowl: Sun Bowl vs Oregon |
| 21 |
Houston Cougars
|
(2-0) (up 2) W: 77-6 vs Southern (1-2) Next Week: @ #12 Texas Tech (2-0) (JTGOTW) Projected Bowl: Pop-Tarts Bowl vs Virginia |
| 22 |
Missouri Tigers
|
(2-0) (up 2) W: 38-21 @ Kansas (1-1) Next Week: vs Troy (2-0) Projected Bowl: ReliaQuest Bowl vs Penn State |
| 23 |
Florida Gators
|
(2-0) (up 2) W: 52-3 vs Campbell (2-1) Next Week: @ Auburn (2-0) Projected Bowl: Gator Bowl vs Louisville |
| 24 |
Oklahoma Sooners
|
(1-1) (down 12) L: 10-17 vs #26 Michigan (2-0) Next Week: vs New Mexico (2-0) Projected Bowl: Texas Bowl vs Kansas State |
| 25 |
Washington Huskies
|
(2-0) (down 7) W: 16-14 vs Utah State (0-2) Next Week: vs Eastern Washington (1-2) Projected Bowl: Las Vegas Bowl vs Illinois Next 5: #26: Oregon (1-1) (down 18) #27: South Carolina (2-0) (no change) #28: Louisville (1-1) (no change) #29: Tulsa (2-0) (was unranked) #30: Boise State (1-1) (no change) Fell out of T30: Vanderbilt (2-0) (was #29) Biggest Riser: Michigan (#26 -> #16) Biggest Faller: Oregon (#8 -> #26) |
Teams Ranked:
| Rank | Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Texas Longhorns
|
0.00 |
| 2 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
0.15 |
| 3 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
0.00 |
| 4 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
0.24 |
| 5 |
LSU Tigers
|
0.00 |
| 6 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
0.13 |
| 7 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
0.00 |
| 8 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
0.00 |
| 9 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
0.00 |
| 10 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
0.00 |
| 11 |
BYU Cougars
|
0.00 |
| 12 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
0.00 |
| 13 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
0.00 |
| 14 |
Utah Utes
|
0.00 |
| 15 |
USC Trojans
|
0.00 |
| 16 |
Michigan Wolverines
|
0.56 |
| 17 |
Penn State Nittany Lions
|
0.00 |
| 18 |
Virginia Cavaliers
|
0.00 |
| 19 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
0.00 |
| 20 |
SMU Mustangs
|
0.00 |
| 21 |
Houston Cougars
|
0.00 |
| 22 |
Missouri Tigers
|
0.00 |
| 23 |
Florida Gators
|
0.00 |
| 24 |
Oklahoma Sooners
|
0.00 |
| 25 |
Washington Huskies
|
0.00 |