The first simulated BCS standings of the 2026 season landed Monday, and the old formula wasted no time putting a familiar name on top. Georgia checked in at No. 1 with a .9858 score, with Notre Dame next at .9425.
That gap at the top tells the story. Georgia and Notre Dame are alone in their own tier, and the rest of the board starts to bunch up behind them.
Miami, Indiana and Ohio State make up the next wave in the top five, before the rankings settle into pairs and trios and then drop sharply after No. 12 UCLA.
Georgia’s rise was fueled by its road win over Alabama, a result that pushed the Bulldogs to No. 1 in both the AP Top 25 and this simulated BCS ranking. It was Georgia’s first win in that venue since 2007, and it also knocked Texas out of the top spot after the Longhorns’ 27-24 loss to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry.
The Bulldogs got 66 of 70 first-place votes in the AP poll and are now 6-0. Under the BCS system, that kind of standing comes from the blend of human perception and computer output, with the formula averaging the AP and coaches polls along with several computer ratings.
Notre Dame is right there behind them after hammering Stanford 58-7. The Irish are 6-0 as well and hold No. 2 in the AP poll.
Miami, Indiana and Ohio State are the next group to watch. Miami is 5-0, Indiana is 6-0 and Ohio State is 5-1. Indiana stayed unbeaten with a narrow win at Nebraska, and that result helped keep the Hoosiers moving up.
Alabama and Texas land at Nos. 6 and 7 despite taking losses, which shows how much the BCS model still values strength of schedule and what teams had already built before the setback.
BYU, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Utah and UCLA complete the top 12. UCLA’s upset of Oregon sent the Bruins up nine spots in the AP poll to No. 12, and the computers gave them a similar boost.
Then comes the drop-off. Missouri is next at .4668, with Iowa, Tennessee and the rest trailing behind.
It’s all nostalgia at this point, of course. The College Football Playoff now uses a 12-team selection committee instead of the old poll-and-computer mix. But this exercise still does what it was meant to do: show how far Georgia and Notre Dame have separated themselves from everyone else right now.
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The setting should feel as big as the stakes, with Neyland Stadium already sold out and fans expected to pour in early for a rare chance to make a long Saturday of it. Tennessee is also sweetening the game-day experience with half-price concessions for the first hour after gates open, which figures to help fuel the kind of atmosphere the Vols hope to ride once the broadcast lights move from campus to the stadium. [Read more 🡒]