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ninjatown23 Ballot for 2026 Week 8

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Oct. 18, 2026, 9:01 a.m.

Overall Rationale: Viewer judgment, prior poll position

Rank Team Reason
1 Miami Hurricanes Miami didn’t play a great game. However they didn’t lose like lots of other top teams yesterday. They still have key players, they’re an undefeated Power 4 team, they move to my top ranking.
2 Ohio State Buckeyes OSU holds on by the skin of their teeth. While what they’ve done on the field is deserving of the #2 rank, watch for them to drop a game in their upcoming weeks with Julian Sayin injured.
3 BYU Cougars BYU leaps into the top 5 with a program defining win over Notre Dame.
4 Indiana Hoosiers Indiana competed in a close HOME loss. A foot away from winning the game (more mental error than anything). Still deserving of a top 5 spot.
5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish ND competed in a close road loss. They drop a single spot due to other top teams losing.
6 Texas Tech Red Raiders Texas Tech took care of business. They move just outside the top 5.
7 Ole Miss Rebels Ole Miss beats Missouri out of the top 25 and pushes them up to be the SEC’s top ranked team in a strange year of SEC football.
8 Georgia Bulldogs Georgia loses at home to an average Auburn team. I was harsh with the Longhorns drop last week against OU. This is arguably a worse loss (at home, not big rivalry game).
9 UCLA Bruins A Power 4 team that’s undefeated? Can’t deny them anymore. The Bruins sneak into the top 10 at #9.
10 Tennessee Volunteers While the offense still doesn’t look great, the defense is elite. Their one loss came with a different QB at the helm (and got injured that game). Their Vols catapult to #10.
11 Utah Utes Utah gets bumped down due to their unimpressive win over Colorado.
12 Houston Cougars Houston picks up a massive ranked win over the Cowboys, they move up in my rankings.
13 Kentucky Wildcats UK wins a gritty game on the road. They continue to ascend the top 25 ranks.
14 Boise State Broncos … and another bye week boost.
15 Iowa Hawkeyes Another team that gets the bye week boost.
16 Northwestern Wildcats Our second Wildcat team in the top 25. This team found a way to grind out a conference win on the road.
17 USC Trojans Yet another bye week boost.
18 Wake Forest Demon Deacons Pass the eye test and are winning games. Wake Forest jumps SMU and Arizona in my ranking this week.
19 SMU Mustangs Don’t necessarily pass the eye test, but they’re winning games.
20 Arizona Wildcats Not playing this weekend was a big help due to all the chaos. The Wildcats get a little bye week boost.
21 LSU Tigers LSU jumps back into the top 25 with a commanding win over Mississippi State.
22 Alabama Crimson Tide Alabama drops significantly as their offense was seen as their strength… only to be completely dominated by the Tennessee defense.
23 James Madison Dukes JMU moves in as one of the last remaining undefeated teams, regardless of SOS.
24 Oklahoma State Cowboys A tight loss to a Houston team that I’m high on, on the road. They move down to 24, on the brink of being pushed out of top 25.
25 Texas Longhorns Without some of the other wild games this past weekend, Texas would have dropped from my top 25. This offense looks abysmal, but they still have a couple top wins that prop them up.

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