Ballot Type: Human
Submitted: Sept. 20, 2026, 8 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
|
(3-0) (no change) W: 30-6 vs UTSA (2-1) Next Week: @ #11 Tennessee (3-0) Projected Bowl: Cotton Bowl vs Alabama/Texas Tech |
| 2 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
(3-0) (up 4) W: 32-24 vs #5 LSU (2-1) Next Week: @ #19 Florida (3-0) (JTGOTW) Projected Bowl: Peach Bowl vs Miami/BYU |
| 3 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
(3-0) (down 1) W: 27-10 vs Michigan State (2-1) Next Week: @ Purdue (1-2) Projected Bowl: Fiesta Bowl vs Georgia/Tennessee |
| 4 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
(3-0) (down 1) W: 38-0 vs Western Kentucky (0-3) Next Week vs Northwestern (2-0) Projected Bowl: Rose Bowl vs Ohio State/Tulsa |
| 5 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
(2-1) (down 1) W: 59-3 vs Kent State (1-2) Next Week: vs Illinois (2-1) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 vs Tulsa |
| 6 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
(3-0) (up 1) W: 45-17 @ Arkansas (1-2) Next Week: vs #28 Oklahoma (2-1) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 vs Tennessee |
| 7 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
(3-0) (up 1) W: 33-20 @ Wake Forest (2-1) Next Week: vs Central Michigan (2-1) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 vs BYU |
| 8 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
(3-0) (up 1) W: 50-36 vs Florida State (1-2) Next Week: vs South Carolina (2-1) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 vs Texas Tech |
| 9 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
(3-0) (up 3) W: 28-26 vs #21 Houston (2-1) Next Week: vs Sam Houston (1-2) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 @ Alabama |
| 10 |
BYU Cougars
|
(3-0) (up 1) W: 41-23 @ Colorado State (2-1) Next Week: Bye Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 @ Miami |
| 11 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
(3-0) (up 2) W: 42-9 vs Kennesaw State (1-2) Next Week: vs #1 Texas (3-0) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 @ Georgia |
| 12 |
LSU Tigers
|
(2-1) (down 7) L: 24-32 @ #6 Ole Miss (3-0) Next Week: vs #23 Texas A&M (2-1) Projected Bowl: Citrus Bowl vs Iowa |
| 13 |
Utah Utes
|
(3-0) (up 1) W: 33-0 vs Utah State (0-3) Next Week: @ Iowa State (2-1) Projected Bowl: Sun Bowl vs SMU |
| 14 |
Penn State Nittany Lions
|
(3-0) (up 3) W: 55-13 vs Buffalo (1-2) Next Week: vs Wisconsin (2-1) Projected Bowl: ReliaQuest Bowl vs Florida |
| 15 |
Michigan Wolverines
|
(3-0) (up 1) W: 52-17 vs UTEP (1-2) Next Week: vs #16 Iowa (3-0) Projected Bowl: Music City Bowl vs Kentucky |
| 16 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
(3-0) (up 3) W: 55-0 vs Northern Iowa (1-2) Next Week: @ #15 Michigan (3-0) Projected Bowl: Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs Duke |
| 17 |
USC Trojans
|
(4-0) (down 2) W: 42-35 vs Rutgers (0-3) Next Week: vs #22 Oregon (2-1) Projected Bowl: Holiday Bowl vs Pittsburgh |
| 18 |
Louisville Cardinals
|
(2-1) (up 10) W: 41-31 vs #20 SMU (2-1) Next Week: vs Wake Forest (2-1) Projected Bowl: Gator Bowl vs Mississippi State |
| 19 |
Florida Gators
|
(3-0) (up 4) W: 44-39 @ Auburn (2-1) Next Week: vs #2 Ole Miss (3-0) (JTGOTW) Projected Bowl: ReliaQuest Bowl vs Penn State |
| 20 |
Mississippi State Bulldogs
|
(3-0) (was unranked) W: 41-34 @ #27 South Carolina (2-1) Next Week: vs #25 Missouri (3-0) Projected Bowl: Gator Bowl vs Louisville |
| 21 |
Kentucky Wildcats
|
(2-1) (was unranked) W: 31-21 @ #10 Texas A&M (2-1) Next Week: vs South Alabama (2-1) Projected Bowl: Music City Bowl vs Michigan |
| 22 |
Oregon Ducks
|
(2-1) (up 4) W: 84-0 vs Portland State (0-4) Next Week: @ #17 USC (4-0) Projected Bowl: Alamo Bowl vs Houston |
| 23 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
(2-1) (down 13) L: 21-31 vs Kentucky (2-1) Next Week: @ #12 LSU (2-1) Projected Bowl: Texas Bowl vs Oklahoma State |
| 24 |
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
|
(3-0) (up 5) W: 42-0 vs East Texas A&M (1-3) Next Week: @ Arkansas (1-2) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 @ Ohio State |
| 25 |
Missouri Tigers
|
(3-0) (down 3) W: 27-17 vs Troy (2-1) Next Week: @ #20 Mississippi State (3-0) Projected Bowl: Liberty Bowl vs Kansas State Next 5: #26: Washington (3-0) (down 1) #27: Houston (2-1) (down 6) #28: Oklahoma (2-1) (down 4) #29: West Virginia (3-0) (was unranked) #30: SMU (2-1) (down 10) Fell out of T30: Virginia (2-1) (was #18) South Carolina (2-1) (was #27) Boise State (2-1) (was #30) Biggest Riser: Mississippi State (3-0) (UR -> #20) Biggest Faller: Texas A&M (2-1) (#10 -> #23) |
Teams Ranked:
| Rank | Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Texas Longhorns
|
0.00 |
| 2 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
0.07 |
| 3 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
0.00 |
| 4 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
0.00 |
| 5 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
0.11 |
| 6 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
0.00 |
| 7 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
0.00 |
| 8 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
0.00 |
| 9 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
0.04 |
| 10 |
BYU Cougars
|
0.00 |
| 11 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
0.13 |
| 12 |
LSU Tigers
|
0.00 |
| 13 |
Utah Utes
|
0.00 |
| 14 |
Penn State Nittany Lions
|
0.00 |
| 15 |
Michigan Wolverines
|
0.21 |
| 16 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
0.00 |
| 17 |
USC Trojans
|
0.00 |
| 18 |
Louisville Cardinals
|
0.00 |
| 19 |
Florida Gators
|
0.00 |
| 20 |
Mississippi State Bulldogs
|
0.00 |
| 21 |
Kentucky Wildcats
|
1.21 |
| 22 |
Oregon Ducks
|
0.00 |
| 23 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
0.00 |
| 24 |
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
|
0.00 |
| 25 |
Missouri Tigers
|
-0.15 |
Omissions:
| Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|
Duke Blue Devils
|
0.00 |
West Virginia Mountaineers
|
0.10 |
Virginia Tech Hokies
|
0.01 |
Total Score: 2.04