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MADBuc49 Ballot for 2026 Week 11

Ballot Type: Hybrid

Submitted: Nov. 8, 2026, 10:22 a.m.

Overall Rationale: Week 11 notes: Louisville has a loss allowance over Boise State and New Mexico and a two loss allowance over Liberty. Ole Miss, LSU, and Oklahoma State have a loss allowance over Liberty. General Notes: Methodology: FIRST layer (computer portion): SP+, opponents’ SP+, opponents’ opponents’ SP+, opponents’ win %, opponents’ opponents’ win %. SECOND layer (human portion): home/field/away, key injuries, P4/G6 status, watched game factors (ex: offensive/defensive line domination, rush yards after contact, average point of first contact, defensive penetration on non-inside screens, missed tackles, quarterback throwing release speed, overall turnovers, average starting field position, etc). THIRD layer (human portion): wins/losses vs higher-/lower-/non-ranked teams, recency of those results. FOURTH layer (computer portion): Deservedness = Team A cannot be ranked over Team B that has 2+ fewer losses (ex: 9-3 LSU can be ranked over 10-2 Missouri, but 9-3 LSU cannot be ranked over 11-1 Tulane even if LSU beat Tulane heads up, rankings have LSU over Tulane, and/or I think LSU is better than Tulane) unless Team B is giving a X loss allowance to Team A due to significantly fewer P4 games played. Loss allowances come into play when: P4 teams play 2 fewer P4 games than another P4 team (ex: 9-3 Arizona plays 10 P4 games, 11-1 Syracuse plays 8 P4 games, 10-8=2, 9-3 Arizona can be ranked over 11-1 Syracuse); P4 teams play 6 fewer P4 games than a G6 team (11-1 Syracuse plays 8 P4 teams, 9-3 Charlotte plays 2 P4 teams, 8-2=6, 9-3 Charlotte can be ranked over 11-1 Syracuse) unless the P4 team plays 0 P4 games then it is 7; G6 teams play 9 fewer P4 teams than a P4 team (ex: 9-3 South Carolina plays 10 P4 games, 11-1 Boise State plays 1 P4 games, 10-0=0, 9-3 South Carolina can be ranked over 11-1 Boise State); or G6 teams play 2 fewer P4 games than another G6 team (ex: 9-3 Charlotte plays 2 P4 games, 11-1 Liberty plays 0 P4 games, 2-0=2, 9-3 Charlotte can be ranked over 11-1 Liberty). If the game differential exceeds more than 2/6/9/2 in those scenarios, add another loss allowance for each additional P4 game played difference in that scenario. Further allowances given when a P4 team plays 8-9 P4 games and when a G6 team plays 0 P4 games (no P4 non-cons).

Rank Team Reason
1 Utah Utes +3. Would be the #1 playoff seed in this scenario, playing the winner of #8 Texas/#9 Wake Forest in the Fiesta Bowl
2 Georgia Bulldogs +0. Would be the #2 playoff seed in this scenario, playing the winner of #7 Miami/#10 Tennessee in the Orange Bowl
3 UCLA Bruins +2. Would be the #3 playoff seed in this scenario, playing the winner of #6 Indiana/#11 Alabama in the Rose Bowl
4 BYU Cougars +2. Would be the #4 playoff seed in this scenario, playing the winner of #5 Notre Dame/#12 Boise State in the Peach Bowl
5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish +2. Would be the #5 playoff seed in this scenario, hosting #12 Boise State in the first round
6 Indiana Hoosiers -3. Would be the #6 playoff seed in this scenario, hosting #11 Alabama in the first round
7 Miami Hurricanes -6. Would be the #7 playoff seed in this scenario, hosting #10 Tennessee in the first round
8 Texas Longhorns +0. Would be the #8 playoff seed in this scenario, hosting #9 Wake Forest in the first round
9 Wake Forest Demon Deacons +0. Would be the #9 playoff seed in this scenario, playing at #8 Texas in the first round
10 Tennessee Volunteers +0. Would be the #10 playoff seed in this scenario, playing at #7 Miami in the first round
11 Alabama Crimson Tide +0. Would be the #11 playoff seed in this scenario, playing at #6 Indiana in the first round
12 Texas Tech Red Raiders +1
13 Houston Cougars +1
14 Kentucky Wildcats +1
15 Arizona Wildcats +2
16 Iowa Hawkeyes +6
17 USC Trojans +2
18 Louisville Cardinals +5. Loss allowance over Boise State and New Mexico and two-loss allowance over Liberty
19 Duke Blue Devils +6
20 SMU Mustangs NEW
21 Boise State Broncos NEW. Would be the #12 playoff seed in this scenario, playing at #5 Notre Dame in the first round. Deservedness keeping 3-loss teams such as Ole Miss behind Boise State
22 New Mexico Lobos NEW. Deservedness keeping 3-loss teams such as Ole Miss behind Boise State
23 Ole Miss Rebels -11. Loss allowance over over Liberty
24 LSU Tigers -8. Loss allowance over over Liberty
25 Oklahoma State Cowboys NEW. Loss allowance over over Liberty

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