Back to poll results >>

Maladroit44 Ballot for 2026 Week 5

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Sept. 27, 2026, 1:44 p.m.

Overall Rationale: Eli Drinkwitz could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and Mizzou would still be a respectable #24 in the AP Poll the next week

Rank Team Reason
1 Georgia Bulldogs Only team in S+ tier. I still have my reservations about them, of course, but they've looked the part of the sole surefire natty contender so far.
2 Indiana Hoosiers Top of S tier. Teams that have largely looked very solid and can probably be trusted as playoff favorites, but have either shown moments of weakness (e.g., Indiana vs NW, Ohio State vs TEX) or haven't played anybody great (e.g., ND, Utah).
3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
4 Miami Hurricanes
5 Ohio State Buckeyes
6 Utah Utes
7 BYU Cougars Bottom of S tier.
8 Florida Gators Top of A tier. Teams that have shown incredible upside in some games (e.g., Florida vs MISS, Ole Miss vs LSU, Boise State vs WMU) but are markedly inconsistent (e.g. Florida vs AUB, Ole Miss vs UF, Boise State vs USD).
9 Texas Longhorns
10 Ole Miss Rebels
11 Duke Blue Devils It is baffling that this team is still unranked in the AP Poll.
12 Iowa Hawkeyes
13 LSU Tigers
14 Boise State Broncos
15 Louisville Cardinals Bottom of A tier. They're 2-2, so what? Both of their losses are close against 3-1 teams that I have ranked. They shouldn't be punished for playing actual competition early in the season, unlike a lot of teams.
16 Alabama Crimson Tide Top of B tier. Similar to A tier, but the stretches of poor play are generally longer and more glaring (e.g., Alabama vs FSU, Oklahoma State vs TLSA).
17 Oklahoma State Cowboys
18 Oregon Ducks
19 Northwestern Wildcats I think if CFB voters were more comfortable with ranking teams after a close loss like CBB voters are, Northwestern would absolutely be in this week. They were decent last year, looked really good in their first two games, and if anything looked *better* in a one-score road loss at the reigning national champs with questionable officiating. But they'll lose votes for it in most rankings, because people get SEC war flashbacks whenever they hear the phrase "quality loss".
20 Mississippi State Bulldogs
21 Tennessee Volunteers
22 SMU Mustangs Bottom of B tier.
23 Wake Forest Demon Deacons Top of C tier. There's a lot of teams down here with plenty of questions, and the ones left out are pretty interchangeable. I feel decently confident in ranking Wake Forest, which is maybe a sign they belong at the bottom of B tier instead, but TTU and Virginia I could comfortably leave out.
24 Texas Tech Red Raiders
25 Virginia Cavaliers Rest of C tier: North Dakota State, Nebraska, Arizona, Virginia Tech, Memphis, West Virginia, USC.

Back to poll results >>