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Tornadohunter24 Ballot for 2026 Week 9

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Oct. 27, 2026, 10:58 a.m.

Overall Rationale: Georgia Tech sucks. I am sad. But I am still dedicated to maintaining this poll regardless. Maybe we can beat a QB-less Pitt? Ah, who am I kidding...

Before we get started, I just wanted to remind you of a few caveats to my top 25: I'm including at least a few spots for the G6, as an indicator of who I think is favored to make a run at the Playoffs out of those conferences. In addition, this poll, by nature, is meant to be overreactive. I'm not here to try to be predictive - I want this to be strictly resume, even if that resume consists of a single game. I'm not here trying to justify every single one of my top 25 staying in the top 25 week-to-week; that's just lame. And it's not the point of what I want to accomplish when doing these rankings. Even still, before you crucify me for this poll ballot... allow me to explain further.

While preseason rankings, perceived team strength, recruiting rankings, and all of those other factors will still play a role in the value I grant to certain teams, I ultimately want this ranking to be a resume-based one as stated earlier, not a power ranking. I'm always searching for ways to best optimize this and to best balance the two, especially early on, so am open to opinions. However, since we are now well into conference play, the results on the field will continue to take increasingly more precedent over what was expected out of teams in pre-season based upon past years and talent/coaching available to them. Also, power rankings are in fact considered, but not weighed heavily.

So, a better question: why is the top 25 the way that they are? Well, I'm glad you asked, random stranger I made up in my head to dictate this interaction! There are a few key things that I will always do once everyone enters in-conference play. First, I basically disregard, to the best of my ability, not only last week's rankings but preseason expectations in general, and try to rank everyone from scratch. In addition, I like to include multiple G5 (now G6) frontrunners, even if their resumes lack slightly compared to a P4 team. ALL UNDEFEATED G6 TEAMS WILL BE RANKED. Does this make the poll have unreasonable amounts of instability and deviation from the norm? Probably! Do I care? Not really. It's still early on - everyone who deserves to be ranked will become ranked again soon enough. I'm not the committee; just keep winning, and things will fall into place.

That said, let's get on to the necessary business at the end of this. A lot of movement necessitates a lot of accounting. SOR is taken from ESPN for ease of access. And yes, I know it will still be biased towards talent/recruiting rankings and give odd results, but considering how much I converge with it by the end of the year, I find it prudent to include. It is not the only metric I consider, but it's the easiest to compare with my rankings.

NOTE: Any FCS ranks are from the STATS poll. In addition, no extended write-ups beyond the top 10 - poll site crashed on me and I didn't have time to get this done sooner. Apologies for all 0 of you who care.

| TEAMS DROPPING OUT (DO): #16 Iowa Hawkeyes [5-2, 2-2 B1G], #20 USC Trojans [6-2, 3-2 B1G], #22 James Madison Dukes [7-1, 4-1 Sun Belt]

| HONORABLE MENTIONS (HM): Cincinnati Bearcats [5-2, 2-2 Big 12], Minnesota Golden Gophers [5-2, 3-1 B1G], Iowa Hawkeyes [5-2, 2-2 B1G], Missouri Tigers [5-2, 2-2 SEC], Oklahoma State Cowboys [5-2, 3-1 Big 12], USC Trojans [6-2, 3-2 B1G], Oregon State Beavers [5-2, 3-0 Pac-12], James Madison Dukes [7-1, 4-1 Sun Belt], Virginia Tech Hokies [6-2, 3-2 ACC], Liberty Flames [6-1, 3-0 CUSA]

| ESPN SOR, FPI, and other useful metrics: https://www.espn.com/college-football/fpi/_/view/resume

PRESEASON BALLOT: https://poll.redditcfb.com/ballot/73954 | WEEK 2 BALLOT: https://poll.redditcfb.com/ballot/74364/ | WEEK 3 BALLOT: https://poll.redditcfb.com/ballot/74836/ | WEEK 4 BALLOT: https://poll.redditcfb.com/ballot/75247/ | WEEK 5 BALLOT: https://poll.redditcfb.com/ballot/75815/ | WEEK 6 BALLOT: https://poll.redditcfb.com/ballot/76012/ | WEEK 7 BALLOT: https://poll.redditcfb.com/ballot/76809/ | WEEK 8 BALLOT: https://poll.redditcfb.com/ballot/77302/

Rank Team Reason
1 Miami Hurricanes [7-0, 5-0 ACC] (+1) | SOR: #3 | Notable Results: W 33-20 @ #11 Wake Forest [6-1], W 43-35 (2OT) vs Florida State [3-4], W 52-23 vs Pittsburgh [5-3] |

Last week, I chose to value the resume of BYU over the dominance of Miami in their weaker schedule to date. After this week, I cannot ignore that the Hurricanes, at least for now, look like the best team in football, with a 2-score win over a highly-ranked opponent in Wake Forest and a throttling of a hapless Pittsburgh without their starting QB this past weekend allowing them to ascend to the top of the college football mountain... for at least a week. Darian Mensah still looks like an NFL-ready QB, and Malachi Toney is a top 3 receiver in the country. Pull in their game control metrics, their dominant showings against almost all of their schedule (one Seminoles game not included), and the lack of a true challenger without a blemish, and Miami is #1.
2 Ohio State Buckeyes [6-1, 4-0 B1G] (+2) | SOR: #4 | Notable Results: L 23-24 @ #14 Texas [4-2], W 42-19 vs Illinois [4-3], W 31-14 @ DO/HM Iowa [5-2], W 19-15 @ #7 Indiana [7-1] |

If it wasn't for one poor quarter in Austin, there would be little debate as to who the best team in football is, despite their hiccups and slow starts. The Buckeyes are perhaps the strongest team in the country per the eye test, with one notable caveat; Sayin is likely out for most, if not all, of the remaining season due to an injury he acquired in their resume-defining win over the Hoosiers in Bloomington (still weird to say that about Indiana football). USC this upcoming weekend may not quite be as formidable of a foe as expected, but West Coast trips have been quite detrimental for B1G teams making the cross-country trek, and Lincoln Riley can (almost) always rely on a potent offense. A win here with their backup QB (although the game plan may just be "F it, Jeremiah Smith down there somewhere") would go a long way to cementing their status as title contenders.
3 Utah Utes [7-0, 4-0 Big 12] (+6) | SOR: #6 | Notable Results: W 27-24 @ Colorado [2-5], W 21-13 vs #17 Houston [6-2] |

On a late-night brawl with the feisty Coogs, the Utes have taken advantage while their in-state rival has faltered and have now jumped into the top 3. While being stonewalled in the first half by an impressive Houston defense was cause for concern, Utah rallied after halftime and scored 14 points in the 4th to take the lead and never look back. There are some concerns, especially with the multiple turnovers by starting QB Dampier, but I really do think the Utes are the best team in the Big 12. Then again, I was also itching to say that about the Red Raiders and they proceeded to implode on the road against Cincinnati... Utah's road opponent this weekend. Best of luck!
4 UCLA Bruins [7-0, 5-0 B1G] (+4) | SOR: #2 | Notable Results: W 17-15 @ Oregon [4-3], W 17-7 vs #23 Wisconsin [5-2] |

Despite a slow start to their game this past weekend against Michigan State, the Bruins would take the lead in the 2nd Quarter and pull away to a convincing win. Combine that with the Wisconsin triumph two weeks ago looking better and the 2nd-best SOR in the nation, and UCLA moves into the top 5 for the first time this season (and inside the AP top 10 for the first time since 2022). Even without their original starting QB in Nico Iamaveala, the Bruins have kept rolling and now look primed for not only a potential playoff berth, but perhaps also a flight to Indianapolis for what appears to be the final B1G Title game... for now. They just have to avoid any potential pitfalls against their (relatively light) remaining schedule.
5 BYU Cougars [6-1, 3-1 Big 12] (-4) | SOR: #8 | Notable Results: W 28-17 vs #14 Arizona [6-1], W 28-24 vs #6 Notre Dame [6-1], L 31-39 (2OT) @ UCF [4-3] |

In yet another victim to one of the wildest seasons I can remember, the Cougars fell on the road in the Bounce House against a UCF team led by Scott Frost of all people (and yes, this *does* mean that Nebraska lost the bye week). I don't think this truly knocks them from having a shot to reclaim the #1 spot, but all of the sudden, it feels like the upcoming Holy War and a regular-season ending game against the Bearcats are that much more critical to emerge victorious from. Bear Bachmeier still looks like an incredible QB, the trenches are genuinely impressive, and their resume is still very solid... but no more hiccups like what occurred last weekend can be allowed.
6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish [6-1, Independent] (-) | SOR: #13 | Notable Results: W 41-13 vs #23 Wisconsin [5-2] (at Lambeau Field), L 24-28 @ #5 BYU [6-1] |

The Fighting Irish were on bye this week, and so they held their position in absence of additional data (and the Wisconsin win improving to even out the BYU loss looking slightly worse). A slight uptick in the SOR due to the continued chaos occurring around them results in them not really seeing any ramifications of another wild week of CFB in 2026, and hopefully has given Marcus Freeman time to better prep his squad against not only Navy's triple option this weekend, but a clash against the #1 Hurricanes a week afterwards. A slightly weaker schedule than some of their fellow playoff hopefuls means that they must take advantage of the opportunities when they get them (without allowing the refs to dictate the results in a nailbiter).
7 Indiana Hoosiers [6-1, 3-1 B1G] (-2) | SOR: #5 | Notable Results: W 29-23 vs #19 Northwestern [6-1], W 20-17 @ Nebraska [5-2], L 15-19 vs #2 Ohio State [6-1], W 13-6 (OT) @ Michigan [4-3] |

The good news for the Hoosiers is that the defense is just as potent as promised, despite earlier scares against teams like Northwestern and Nebraska. The bad news is that Josh Hoover is leading a horribly inefficient offense that cannot move the ball through the air with any sort of consistency (unless that consistency is consistently awful, like the 2nd half against Michigan this past weekend). Becker and Marsh are clearly talented receivers, and the trenches are stocked full of talent allowing a skilled runningback room plenty of gaps to run and stifling opposing offenses, but good god is their attack abysmal. This needs to be rectified before it proves fatal, like it did against the Buckeyes earlier this month. A close scare against the Wolverines drops them down behind the Irish (as well as 1-loss BYU) despite a higher SOR.
8 Georgia Bulldogs [6-1, 4-1 SEC] (+2) | SOR: #10 | Notable Results: W 20-17 @ #12 Alabama [6-2], L 24-27 vs Auburn [4-3] |

Another team that is probably thankful they were on bye this past week after collapsing against Auburn at home (still feels great to type), the Bulldogs are still probably the favorites to book themselves a spot in Atlanta for the final SEC Title game. A dominant performance against an upset-minded Oklahoma (assisted in large part by John Mateer's turnovers) and a crucial win on the road against the Crimson Tide (a little less impressive now) balances out the poor performance against the Tigers and places them firmly inside the top 10. This weekend, they'll have the opportunity to move up with a commanding win against the hated Florida Gators (in Atlanta, because money ruins everything).
9 Kentucky Wildcats [7-1, 5-1 SEC] (+5) | SOR: #1 | Notable Results: L 17-45 vs #12 Alabama [6-2], W 35-34 (OT) @ South Carolina [4-3], W 35-34 (OT) vs #16 LSU [6-2] |

I apologize for doubting Kentucky and keeping them pinned behind a seemingly-struggling Alabama squad (despite the win against A&M this past weekend, don't let that fool you) on my rankings last week. But I will ignore the top-rated SOR team no more, and Kentucky now finds itself nestled inside the top 10. With their thrilling road triumph against South Carolina looking more impressive and their dramatic victory over LSU at home, there's a lot to like from the results shown in the first year under head coach Will Stein. However, I can't just ignore the blemish of a horrendous 4th quarter against the Tide go unmentioned, and so they're relegated to 9th, for now. I'm sure they're heartbroken despite leading the SEC outright. They're on bye, but the game at Tennessee afterwards will be must-watch television, for certain.
10 Texas Tech Red Raiders [6-1, 3-1 Big 12] (-6) | SOR: #19 | Notable Results: W 35-24 @ HM Oregon State [5-2], W 28-26 vs #17 Houston [6-1], L 24-37 @ HM Cincinnati [5-2] |

If there is a team that has proven time and time again that their talk has outmatched their ability to back it up (despite still being a solid team), the Red Raiders of the past 2 years are, if that honor doesn't belong to the Longhorns, the absolute embodiment of it. With all the chatter and attention surrounding the program and the opportunity to squash a team they pried away a gambler disguised as a QB from, Texas Tech laid an absolute egg and the result was basically sealed by halftime. Now, they don't fall any further (despite a relatively low SOR) given their dominance against weaker opponents and solid wins @ Oregon State and against #17 Houston, but they have to turn this around quick. Otherwise, the Wildcats from Tucson will feast.
11 Wake Forest Demon Deacons [6-1, 4-1 ACC] (+1) | SOR: #11 | Notable Results: W 38-36 (2OT) @ Purdue [3-4], L 20-33 vs #1 Miami [7-0], W 30-27 @ Louisville [4-3] |
12 Alabama Crimson Tide [6-2, 4-2 SEC] (+1) | SOR: #7 | Notable Results: W 45-17 @ #9 Kentucky [7-1], L 17-20 vs #8 Georgia [6-1], L 10-26 @ #18 Tennessee [6-2] |
13 Texas Longhorns [5-2, 2-2 SEC] (+11) | SOR: #12 | Notable Results: W 24-23 vs #2 Ohio State [6-1], W 30-6 vs #25 UTSA [7-1], W 20-17 @ #18 Tennessee [6-2], L 24-27 vs Oklahoma [4-3] (Cotton Bowl), L 24-27 vs #20 Florida [5-2], W 34-27 vs #15 Ole Miss [5-2] |
14 Arizona Wildcats [6-1, 3-1 Big 12] (+3) | SOR: #22 | Notable Results: L 17-28 @ #5 BYU [6-1], W 34-7 vs HM Cincinnati [5-2], W 52-31 @ West Virginia [5-3] |
15 Ole Miss Rebels [5-2, 3-2 SEC] (-4) | SOR: #9 | Notable Results: W 41-38 vs Louisville [4-3] (in Nashville), W 32-24 vs #16 LSU [5-2], L 28-52 @ #20 Florida [5-2], W 31-3 vs HM Missouri [5-2], L 27-34 @ #13 Texas [5-2] |
16 LSU Tigers [5-2, 2-2 SEC] (+2) | SOR: #16 | Notable Results: L 24-32 @ #15 Ole Miss [5-2], L 34-35 (OT) @ #9 Kentucky [7-1] |
17 Houston Cougars [6-2, 3-2 Big 12] (-2) | SOR: #18 | Notable Results: W 33-20 vs HM Oregon State [5-2], L 26-28 @ #10 Texas Tech [6-1], W 35-32 vs HM Oklahoma State [5-2], L 13-21 @ #3 Utah [7-0] |
18 Tennessee Volunteers [6-2, 3-2 SEC] (-11) | SOR: #15 | Notable Results: L 17-20 vs #13 Texas [5-2], W 24-17 @ Arkansas [3-4], W 26-10 vs #12 Alabama [6-2], L 24-27 @ South Carolina [4-3] |
19 Northwestern Wildcats [6-1, 3-1 B1G] (-) | SOR: #17 | Notable Results: W 34-18 vs FCS #5 South Dakota State [6-2], L 23-29 @ #7 Indiana [7-1], W 24-21 @ Michigan State [2-6] |
20 Florida Gators [5-2, 3-2 SEC] (NEW) | SOR: #14 | Notable Results: W 44-39 @ Auburn [4-3], W 52-28 vs #15 Ole Miss [5-2], L 17-45 @ HM Missouri [5-2], L 19-38 vs South Carolina [4-3], W 27-24 @ #13 Texas [5-2] |
21 SMU Mustangs [6-1, 4-1 ACC] (-) | SOR: #22 | Notable Results: W 27-24 @ Florida State [3-4], L 31-41 @ Louisville [4-3] |
22 Boise State Broncos [6-1, 3-0] (+3) | SOR: #24 | Notable Results: L 27-34 @ Oregon [4-3], W 38-20 vs Memphis [6-2], W 38-24 vs FCS #6 South Dakota [7-2], W 38-31 @ Fresno State [4-3] |
23 Wisconsin Badgers [5-2, 3-1 B1G] (NEW) | SOR: #20 | Notable Results: L 13-41 vs #6 Notre Dame [6-1] (at Lambeau Field), W 24-20 @ Penn State [3-4], L 7-17 @ #4 UCLA [7-0], W 24-7 vs DO/HM USC [6-2] |
24 New Mexico Lobos [6-1, 3-0 MWC] (NEW) | SOR: #34 | Notable Results: L 6-14 @ Oklahoma [4-3], W 21-16 vs North Dakota State [6-2] |
25 UTSA Roadrunners [7-1, 4-0 American] (NEW) | SOR: #23 | Notable Results: L 6-30 @ #13 Texas [5-2], W 16-14 @ Rice [1-7], W 31-24 vs South Florida [5-2], W 38-34 vs Navy [2-5] |

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