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ToeInDigDeep Ballot for 2026 Week 4

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Sept. 20, 2026, 12:10 p.m.

Overall Rationale: This ballot privileges wins, and doesn't rank any teams with losses for the first few weeks. There will continue be a lot of movement throughout the season, but these teams are the ones who have won in the biggest contests on the field of play so far.

My contention is that early losses can and should challenge priors folks have about teams from preseason expectations and talent composites. We've already seen a number of favorites get upset, and I contend that wins really do matter and losses can invite reconsideration or at least allow space for the teams that have won to rise to the top of the rankings.

Teams that have close losses to challenging opponents will rise in the next weeks, and and no one is being "punished" for not being ranked. There are only 35 teams who are undefeated already, so this group is pretty special!

Perhaps more so than other submissions, I see all the conferences as being important and make room at the lower end of the ballot for strong performances or expectations from non-Autonomy conferences, so I include some expected conference champions or those with high expectations for the season.

Again, this will change wildly throughout the season in response to what happens on the field of play and I make an effort to avoid biases and poll inertia, even when it provides ballot submissions that differ from other national polls.

Rank Team Reason
1 Indiana Hoosiers North Texas, FCS, W. Kentucky. Reigning national champions
2 Ole Miss Rebels Louisville, Charlotte, LSU
3 Miami Hurricanes at Stanford, FCS, at Wake. Reigning national runners-up
4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Wisconsin, Rice, Michigan State
5 Texas Longhorns Texas State, Ohio State, UTSA
6 BYU Cougars FCS, Arizona, at Colorado State
7 Georgia Bulldogs FCS, W. Kentucky, at Arkansas
8 Texas Tech Red Raiders FCS, at Oregon State, Houston
9 USC Trojans SJSU, Fresno State, ULL, at Rutgers
10 Utah Utes FCS, Arkansas, Utah St.
11 Duke Blue Devils Tulane, at Illinois, Stanford
12 Alabama Crimson Tide ECU, at Kentucky, Florida State
13 Penn State Nittany Lions Marshall, Temple, Buffalo
14 West Virginia Mountaineers Coastal Carolina, FCS, Virginia
15 Mississippi State Bulldogs ULM, Minnesota, South Carolina
16 UCLA Bruins UC Berkeley, SDSU, Purdue
17 Tulsa Golden Hurricane Oklahoma St., Sam Houston, FCS
18 Kansas State Wildcats FCS, Wazzu, Tulane
19 Pittsburgh Panthers Miami OH, UCF, Syracuse
20 Tennessee Volunteers FCS, at Georgia Tech, Kennesaw St.
21 USF Bulls FIU, Army, FCS
22 North Dakota State Bison Jax St., FCS, at Air Force, Sac State
23 James Madison Dukes Liberty, FCS, at SDSU
24 Appalachian State Mountaineers FCS, at ECU, Charlotte
25 UMass Minutemen at Rutgers, FCS, FCS

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