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sgtshenanigans Ballot for 2026 Week 11

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Nov. 8, 2026, 11:25 a.m.

Overall Rationale: I try to get my rankings done before the AP or CFP committee to avoid appearance of bias as best I can. I like to think I am willing to make big changes to my rankings as new data comes out to avoid poll inertia. Also I submit that the CFP committee must be destroyed.

Rank Team Reason
1 Utah Utes Utah seemed pretty fraudulent earlier in the season as they hadn't beaten anyone of note and struggled against Colorado. However as the Utes go through the toughest part of the schedule they are looking pretty good. One more tough game to go against Arizona and Utah could be going into the Big 12 championship game as the number one team in the country.
2 UCLA Bruins UCLA like Utah is undefeated however the quality of Utah's wins are just better. Being undefeated keeps the Bruins keeps the Bruins just ahead of the Bulldogs of Georgia for now.
3 Georgia Bulldogs Georgia dismantled Ole Miss on the road. There is an argument to made that Georgia should be #2 or even #1. I am close to excusing the loss to Auburn as just a thing that happens to a team after an emotional win.
4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Notre Dame gets a signature win against the Canes and defensively looked dominate in the first half. It's pretty clear that while the defense has depth there is a big difference when Leonard Moore is playing and when he is not as Miami was able to close the gap while Leonard Moore was out.
5 Miami Hurricanes Miami struggled to move the ball in the first half against Notre Dame however as Notre Dame lost some players on Defense the game opened up for Miami in the second half. I would have been nice to see both teams at full strength as both teams had key players out this week and during the game but that's football. After Georgia there is quite a bit of parity and the playoffs are looking to be exciting and chaotic
6 Indiana Hoosiers Indiana moves up one after the bye week even though three teams above them lose. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers they really don't have a signature win. Note I am not going to punish Indiana for future losses from Ohio State as Julian Sayin played against Indiana but hasn't since I think Ohio State would have a better record if their star QB was healthy.
7 Tennessee Volunteers Tennessee smoked a solid Kentucky team at home add in their win against Bama and you have a solid playoff resume. Tennessee's defense is elite but will need better QB play to go far in the playoffs.
8 Alabama Crimson Tide Alabama has good wins against Kentucky and South Carolina and the loss to Georgia was controversial to say the least so I still they are a very good team.
9 Wake Forest Demon Deacons Wake Forest lacks a real signature win however they only have one loss and that is to a team I feel is a top 5 team. Next week's game against SMU is going to go a long way to hammering out the top teams in the ACC.
10 Texas Tech Red Raiders The Red Raiders were supposed to have a very good defense however they have been giving up a lot of points recently. They Struggled hard against West Virginia as they were behind the mountaineers in the second half of this game. However a few solid wins and only one loss keep them in the playoffs in my rankings.
11 Kentucky Wildcats Kentucky gets smoked by Tennessee it feels like if Kentucky. Previous solid wins and the fact that Texas has lost to some bad teams are keeping Kentucky in the playoffs in my rankings.
12 BYU Cougars BYU loses to Utah on the road. The Utes had control of this game from the beginning claiming dominance over the state of Utah. BYU now must win out to make the playoffs I don't see anyway they can take another loss and still make it into the top 12 at this point. However the schedule is manageable from here till the end of the season for BYU.
13 Boise State Broncos Boise State continues to dominate in a bad Pac-8 conference. the Broncos desperately need Oregon to do well to maintain the top spot for a g6 team in my rankings as the Lobos are on their heels.
14 Texas Longhorns The Texas Defense continues to be good and Arch was actually able to use all of the weapons he has on offense to put together a great game. Losses to bad teams really hold Texas back for me. Also beating Ole Miss isn't as impressive as it once was. I won't hold Ohio State's losses against Texas see Indiana explanation as to why.
15 New Mexico Lobos New Mexico easily handles business against Nevada. New Mexico is really in the unfortunate position of being just behind Boise State for the top G6 spot.
16 USC Trojans USC may have won the BYE week thanks to the losses in front of them. However the schedule/record for USC is looking rough. USC is in must win out mode in order to make the playoffs.
17 Houston Cougars Houston gets a nice win this week against Cincinnati. The Cougars have close losses against good teams but lack a signature win. They will need to win out and get some help to make the playoffs in my rankings.
18 Iowa Hawkeyes Iowa beats Northwestern and snuffs out any hope of Northwestern making the playoffs. The loss to Minnesota is proving to be devastating for the Hawkeyes and it seems like every time Iowa beats a team they are knocked out of the rankings so at the moment it seems like Iowa lacks a signature win.
19 Arizona Wildcats Arizona struggled a bit against the Horned Frogs (all hail). However of all the bubble playoff teams Arizona might have the best chance after Texas to make the playoffs as a win over Utah would be a big for the resume.
20 SMU Mustangs SMU smokes Virginia Tech and refuses to stay off my rankings for long. In my mind it is a bit of a long shot for SMU to make the playoffs as their schedule about to get rough while also having bad losses and no signature wins.
21 Duke Blue Devils Duke has been quietly having a nice season but has two bad losses and no signature wins. The schedule is difficult from here on out. Very unlikely to make the playoffs or even stay ranked but still a fun season for the Blue Devils fans so far.
22 Ole Miss Rebels Ole Miss got crushed by Georgia both the wins and losses on the Rebels resume so far have lost their shine. Ole Miss has a sold chance of winning out but I don't think it matters the Rebels have no shot of making the playoffs in my mind.
23 South Carolina Gamecocks Gutty win for LaNorris Sellers South Carolina. After a rough start to SEC play the Gamecocks have managed to make the back half of the season fun for the fans.
24 Liberty Flames Liberty hasn't lost a game since their fist one and are having a nice season for a G6 team. Certainly not an impressive resume but only one loss puts them in my rankings.
25 Oregon Ducks What this season could have been had they not lost their starting QB just unfortunate for the Ducks. Also for the same reason I am not punishing teams that played Ohio State early in the season I can't move the Ducks up too much for beating OSU without Sayin. (Other teams just outside the top 25 in no particular order LSU, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Ohio State.)

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