Ballot Type: Human
Submitted: Sept. 27, 2026, 8:19 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
|
(4-0) (no change) W: 20-17 @ #11 Tennessee (3-1) Next Week: Bye Projected Bowl: Cotton Bowl vs Florida/Texas Tech |
| 2 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
(4-0) (up 1) W: 49-10 @ Purdue (1-3) Next Week: @ North Carolina (2-1) Projected Bowl: Peach Bowl vs Alabama/BYU |
| 3 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
(4-0) (up 3) W: 41-13 vs #28 Oklahoma (2-2) Next Week: vs Vanderbilt (3-1) Projected Bowl: Fiesta Bowl vs Miami/Ole Miss |
| 4 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
(4-0) (no change) W: 29-23 vs Northwestern (2-1) Next Week: @ Rutgers (1-3) Projected Bowl: Rose Bowl vs Ohio State/Boise State |
| 5 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
(3-1) (no change) W: 42-19 vs Illinois (2-2) Next Week: @ #13 Iowa (4-0) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 vs Boise State |
| 6 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
(4-0) (up 1) W: 52-3 vs Central Michigan (2-2) Next Week: @ Clemson (3-1) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 vs Ole Miss |
| 7 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
(4-0) (up 1) W: 49-18 vs South Carolina (2-2) Next Week: @ #14 Mississippi State (4-0) (JTGOTW) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 vs BYU |
| 8 |
Florida Gators
|
(4-0) (up 11) W: 52-28 vs #2 Ole Miss (3-1) Next Week: @ Missouri (3-1) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 vs Texas Tech |
| 9 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
(4-0) (no change) W: 49-14 vs Sam Houston (1-3) Next Week: @ Colorado (2-2) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 @ Florida |
| 10 |
BYU Cougars
|
(3-0) (no change) Bye Next Week: @ TCU (2-2) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 @ Alabama |
| 11 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
(3-1) (down 9) L: 28-52 @ #19 Florida (4-0) Next Week: Bye Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 @ Miami |
| 12 |
LSU Tigers
|
(3-1) (no change) W: 35-6 vs #23 Texas A&M (2-2) Next Week: vs McNeese (2-3) Projected Bowl: Citrus Bowl vs Iowa |
| 13 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
(4-0) (up 3) W: 20-19 @ #15 Michigan (3-1) Next Week: vs #5 Ohio State (3-1) Projected Bowl: Citrus Bowl vs LSU |
| 14 |
Mississippi State Bulldogs
|
(4-0) (up 6) W: 31-24 vs #25 Missouri (3-1) Next Week: vs #7 Alabama (4-0) (JTGOTW) Projected Bowl: ReliaQuest Bowl vs Nebraska |
| 15 |
Utah Utes
|
(4-0) (down 2) W: 31-17 @ Iowa State (2-2) Next Week: Bye Projected Bowl: Alamo Bowl vs Oklahoma State |
| 16 |
Oregon Ducks
|
(3-1) (up 6) W: 41-27 @ #17 USC (4-1) Next Week: Bye Projected Bowl: Las Vegas Bowl vs Wisconsin |
| 17 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
(3-1) (down 6) L: 17-20 vs #1 Texas (4-0) Next Week: vs Auburn (3-1) Projected Bowl: Gator Bowl vs Virginia Tech |
| 18 |
UCLA Bruins
|
(4-0) (was unranked) W: 54-3 @ Maryland (2-2) Next Week: Bye Projected Bowl: Holiday Bowl vs Pittsburgh |
| 19 |
Nebraska Cornhuskers
|
(4-0) (was unranked) W: 31-13 @ Michigan State (2-2) Next Week: vs Maryland (2-2) Projected Bowl: ReliaQuest Bowl vs Mississippi State |
| 20 |
Oklahoma State Cowboys
|
(3-1) (was unranked) W: 41-24 @ #29 West Virginia (3-1) Next Week: Bye Projected Bowl: Alamo Bowl vs Utah |
| 21 |
Duke Blue Devils
|
(4-0) (was unranked) W: 62-7 vs William & Mary (2-3) Next Week: Bye Projected Bowl: Pop-Tarts Bowl vs Cincinnati |
| 22 |
Kentucky Wildcats
|
(3-1) (down 1) W: 45-21 vs South Alabama (2-2) Next Week: @ South Carolina (2-2) Projected Bowl: Music City Bowl vs Michigan |
| 23 |
Boise State Broncos
|
(3-1) (was unranked) W: 32-7 @ Western Michigan (2-2) Next Week: vs Utah State (1-3) Projected Bowl: Playoff R1 @ Ohio State |
| 24 |
Cincinnati Bearcats
|
(4-0) (was unranked) W: 31-26 vs Kansas State (3-1) Next Week: @ Arizona (3-1) Projected Bowl: Pop-Tarts Bowl vs Duke |
| 25 |
Michigan Wolverines
|
(3-1) (down 10) L: 19-20 vs #16 Iowa (4-0) Next Week: @ Minnesota (3-1) Projected Bowl: Music City Bowl vs Kentucky Next 5: #26: USC (4-1) (down 9) #27: Houston (3-1) (no change) #28: Wisconsin (3-1) (was unranked) #29: Penn State (3-1) (down 15) #30: Virginia Tech (4-0) (was unranked) Fell out of T30: Louisville (2-2) (was #18); Texas A&M (2-2) (was #23); Tulsa (3-1) (was #24); Missouri (3-1) (was #25); Washington (3-1) (was #26); Oklahoma (2-2) (was #28); West Virginia (3-1) (was #29); SMU (3-1) (was #30) Biggest Riser: UCLA (UR -> #18) Biggest Faller: Penn State (#14 -> #29) |
Teams Ranked:
| Rank | Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Texas Longhorns
|
0.00 |
| 2 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
0.12 |
| 3 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
0.00 |
| 4 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
0.00 |
| 5 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
0.00 |
| 6 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
0.00 |
| 7 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
0.00 |
| 8 |
Florida Gators
|
0.00 |
| 9 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
0.00 |
| 10 |
BYU Cougars
|
0.00 |
| 11 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
0.00 |
| 12 |
LSU Tigers
|
0.00 |
| 13 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
0.00 |
| 14 |
Mississippi State Bulldogs
|
0.00 |
| 15 |
Utah Utes
|
-0.23 |
| 16 |
Oregon Ducks
|
0.00 |
| 17 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
0.00 |
| 18 |
UCLA Bruins
|
0.00 |
| 19 |
Nebraska Cornhuskers
|
0.08 |
| 20 |
Oklahoma State Cowboys
|
0.00 |
| 21 |
Duke Blue Devils
|
0.00 |
| 22 |
Kentucky Wildcats
|
0.39 |
| 23 |
Boise State Broncos
|
0.00 |
| 24 |
Cincinnati Bearcats
|
0.00 |
| 25 |
Michigan Wolverines
|
0.00 |
Omissions:
| Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|
USC Trojans
|
0.32 |
Pittsburgh Panthers
|
0.13 |
Houston Cougars
|
0.32 |
Virginia Tech Hokies
|
0.06 |
Total Score: 1.66