The first simulated BCS standings of the 2026 season landed Monday, and the old formula still has a way of sorting the sport fast. Through the mix of human polls and computer numbers that once ruled college football, Georgia comes out on top at .9858, with Notre Dame right behind at .9425.
That top line creates a clean break almost immediately. Georgia and Notre Dame stand alone, while Miami, Indiana and Ohio State make up the next cluster in the top five.
From there, the rankings continue in small groups before the gap opens up hard after No. 12 UCLA.
Georgia’s rise was powered by its road win over Alabama, which pushed the Bulldogs to No. 1 in both the AP Top 25 and this simulated BCS ranking. It was Georgia’s first win at that venue since 2007, and it also ended Texas’ short stay at No. 1 after the Longhorns lost to Oklahoma 27-24 in the Red River Rivalry.
The Bulldogs picked up 66 of 70 first-place votes in the AP poll and are now 6-0. Under the BCS setup, that strong human support combined with solid computer marks to give Georgia the edge.
Notre Dame has kept pace after crushing Stanford 58-7. The Irish are also 6-0 and sit No. 2 in the AP poll.
Miami, at 5-0, Indiana at 6-0 and Ohio State at 5-1 fill out the next tier. Indiana stayed unbeaten with a narrow win at Nebraska, and that result kept the Hoosiers moving up.
Alabama and Texas come in at Nos. 6 and 7 even after their losses, a reminder of how the BCS formula continued to value strength of schedule and earlier results.
BYU, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Utah and UCLA complete the top 12. UCLA’s upset of Oregon sent the Bruins up nine spots to No. 12 in the AP poll, and the computers gave them a similar boost.
Then the field drops off quickly. Missouri sits at .4668, with Iowa, Tennessee and the teams below them further back.
It’s all nostalgia at this point - the College Football Playoff now uses a 12-team selection committee instead of the old poll-and-computer blend. But this first simulated BCS snapshot still does the same basic job: it shows Georgia and Notre Dame sitting in their own lane right now.
In Other News...
Texas Tech's Big 12 Repeat Hopes Come Down To 3 Concerns
Texas Tech enters the middle stretch of its season in a rare spot, sitting 5-0 and ranked among the top 10 in both polls. For a team trying to defend a Big 12 title, that kind of start buys plenty of goodwill, but it does not erase the questions that come with trying to stay on top once the schedule stiffens and opponents get a longer look at what the Red Raiders are doing.
The biggest concerns are familiar ones for a contender: whether quarterback Will Hammond can keep settling in, whether the defense can continue to be the unit that carries the load, and whether enough offensive playmakers emerge to keep this run from leaning too heavily on a few key pieces. Texas Tech has already shown it can win early, but repeating in the Big 12 will depend on how quickly those issues get answered, and whether the Red Raiders can turn a strong opening into something more durable. [Read more 🡒]
Deion Sanders Just Added To Colorados Offensive Pressure
The buildup to Texas Techs meeting with Colorado took an unusual turn when Deion Sanders confirmed a call sheet with Buffaloes offensive plays was accidentally left behind and found before the game. Sanders addressed the mistake in his press conference and tried to minimize the effect, pointing out that Colorado still scored on its opening drive despite the mix-up.
Even so, the episode lands in the middle of a season in which Colorado has already been searching for answers on offense, with the quarterback situation still unsettled. For the Red Raiders, it is another reminder that game-week edges can matter, even if the bigger issue for Colorado has been finding consistency long before this latest wrinkle. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Fans Will Love This Shot At The Longhorns
Texas Tech kept rolling with a 29-7 win over Colorado on Oct. 3, extending its unbeaten start to 5-0 and giving the Red Raiders another reason to feel good about where this season is headed. The timing only sharpened the contrast with Texas, which came out of the Red River Shootout on the wrong end of a loss to Oklahoma and fell to 4-1.
Steve Sarkisian spent part of his postgame press conference defending Arch Manning, stressing that Texas football is about more than one quarterback and that the expectations around the program remain high. The Longhorns now turn their attention to Florida, while Tech can keep enjoying the kind of start that has its fans looking across the state with plenty of satisfaction. [Read more 🡒]