You are reading the 2026 Week 1 recap. The latest recap, Week 8 of 2026, is here →
2026 College Football Rankings Recap: Week 1
After week 1 of the 2026 season, Miami (1-0) and SMU (1-0) share the top spot in The Davis Rankings with a score of 97.2 out of 100. Also ranked in the top five (ties included): Colorado, Massachusetts, UCLA.
Every score comes from the same published formula, explained on the methodology page.
Editor's note
It's week 1. Half will win and half will lose, but whatever you do, don't lose to an FCS team... 
Bowling Green, 
Charlotte, 
Utah State.
Until next week.
Just Win! Excuses and Polls are for Losers.
The top 25
The Real Big 10 - trying to keep the losers out... Rutgers (T-132)
| Rank | Team | Record | TDR scoreTDR | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-1 |  Miami | 1-0 | 97.2 | - |
| T-1 |  SMU | 1-0 | 97.2 | - |
| T-3 |  Colorado | 1-0 | 94.0 | - |
| T-3 |  Massachusetts | 1-0 | 94.0 | - |
| T-3 |  UCLA | 1-0 | 94.0 | - |
| 6 |  Memphis | 2-0 | 93.5 | - |
| T-7 |  Auburn | 1-0 | 92.8 | - |
| T-7 |  North Carolina | 1-0 | 92.8 | - |
| T-7 |  Notre Dame | 1-0 | 92.8 | - |
| T-7 |  Ole Miss | 1-0 | 92.8 | - |
| 11 |  USC | 2-0 | 92.2 | - |
| T-12 | 32 teams tied | - | 91.5 | - |
Games that mattered
The week’s standout games, each shown once, in the first list it qualifies for. The one exception: a close loss by a top-25 team can be in both Upset of the Week and Winnin’ ain’t easy (one is about the size of the gap, the other about how close it was). Upset of the Week, Winnin’ ain’t easy and Coin Flips are recognitions: they are not trophy-case awards, so they never go on a helmet.
The lowest-entering team to beat a better-ranked one. Ranks are from the week before.
No upsets this week: the favorites held.
A top-25 team in a one-score game against a team ranked far below it: it survived, or it fell. Ranks are from the week before.
No top-25 team had a close call against a lower-ranked one this week.
Teams within 3 points of each other on paper going in, closest finish first. Scores are away, then home.
No games close enough by the numbers this week.
One-score games involving a top-60 team that are not already above.
Michigan beat 
Western Michigan13-12T-12 vs T-96won by 1- Colorado beat
Georgia Tech14-13T-3 vs T-132won by 1 - Auburn beat
Baylor17-16T-7 vs T-128won by 1 - SMU beat
Florida State27-24T-1 vs #91won by 3 
Troy beat 
Sam Houston24-21T-12 vs T-96won by 3
The biggest margins by a team in the current top 50, the two top tiers.
South Carolina beat 
Kent State57-0T-12 vs T-96won by 57
Ohio State beat 
Ball State56-3T-12 vs T-96won by 53
Texas beat 
Texas State59-7T-12 vs T-96won by 52
Conference snapshot
Conferences by average team score, with how many of each conference's teams sit in each tier. This is a different measure from the non-conference record ranking (for this week) on the standings page.
| Conference | Avg score | Highest-ranked team | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEC | 90.9 | 16 | - | - | T-7Auburn |
| Big Ten | 82.1 | 16 | - | 2 | T-3UCLA |
| Big 12 | 75.3 | 13 | - | 3 | T-3Colorado |
| Sun Belt | 67.5 | 10 | - | 4 | T-12 James Madison |
| ACC | 57.5 | 9 | 2 | 6 | T-1Miami |
| American Athletic | 56.0 | 8 | - | 6 | #6Memphis |
| Mountain West | 52.3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | T-12 Nevada |
| Conference USA | 42.3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | T-45 Delaware |
| Pac-12 | 30.2 | 2 | - | 6 | T-12 Colorado State |
| Mid-American | 28.2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | T-3Massachusetts |
Winning | Character Building | Oh Crap
The most teams in the Winning tier: SEC and Big Ten (16 each). The most teams in the bottom two tiers (Character Building and Oh Crap): Mid-American (11).
Not ranked as a conference: FBS Independents (not a conference: Notre Dame T-7, UConn T-45).
Looking ahead to week 2
The biggest games between current top-25 teams, best matchup first.
Show all 49 games between ranked teams
Every game next week between two ranked FBS teams, best matchup first. The matchup score is the two ranks added together plus how far apart they are (lower is better). A coin marks a toss-up by the numbers.
#45 
#45 
#45 
#45 
#12 
#45 
#45 
#12 
#45 
#12 
#45 
#12 
#12 
#45 
#12 
#45 
#12 
#45 
#45 
#12 
#12 
#45 
#44 
#45 
#45 
#45 
#45 
#45 
#45 
#45 
#45 
#45 
#45 
#45 
#45 
#45 
#45 
#93 
#12 
#89 
#94 
#96 
#12 
#96 
#12 
#45 
#96 
#45 
#96 
#45 
#96 
#45 
#96 
#45 
#96 
#45 
#96 
#45 
#96 
#45 
#96 
#45 
#96 
#45 
#87 
#96 
#88 
#96 
#96 
#96 
#132 
#45 
#45 
#132 
#96 
#89 
#135 
#12 
#12 See the full 2026 week 1 rankings, see every team by tier, the conference standings, or browse every weekly recap.
Share this week
Free to share: download any image to post it, and link back to thedavisrankings.fyi. On a phone, press and hold an image to save it.
