#85 Ball State
2-2 in Mid-American play, T-7th in the Mid-American
Up 12 spots (T-97 to #85) after a home win over #135 Sacramento State (34-17). As expected: Ball State entered with 39.9 TDR points to Sacramento State's 13.5. Now 3-5. TDR score +6.2: win/loss record +4.9, road-win bonus +0.9.
2026 season recap (through week 8)
Ball State (Mid-American) is ranked 85th in The Davis Rankings after week 8 of 2026, with a record of 3-5 and a score of 46.1 out of 100. That is up 12 from week 7. That puts it in the Do We Need to Talk? tier (ranks 76-100). Its strongest factor is recent results (100.0 out of 100). Its weakest is win/loss record (37.5 out of 100).
The highest-ranked opponent beaten so far came in week 8, 34-17 over #136 Sacramento State at home. The loss that stings most in the formula is the week 4 loss, 26-13 to T-88 Kent State on the road.
Ball State has won its last 2 games in a row. On the road it is 1-4. The average margin is -13.2 points per game, with a biggest win of 24 points. 1 of 8 games was decided by a touchdown or less.
Ball State is not ranked in the AP, Coaches, or CFP polls this week, while the Davis Rankings has it 85th.
Next up is T-107 Massachusetts in week 10, on the road. The toughest game left on the schedule by current rank is week 12 against #19 Ohio. 1 of the 4 games left are against teams currently in the top 25.
Schedule
| Week | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State (away) | L 3-56 |
| 2 | Stony Brook (home) | W 41-17 |
| 3 | Liberty (away) | L 15-51 |
| 4 | Kent State (away, conference game) | L 13-26 |
| 5 | Toledo (home, conference game) | L 24-39 |
| 6 | Northwestern (away) | L 14-45 |
| 7 | Bowling Green (away, conference game) | W 32-31 |
| 8 | Sacramento State (home, conference game) | W 34-17 |
Upcoming games
| Week | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Massachusetts (away, conference game) | (ESPNU) |
| 11 | Buffalo (home, conference game) | Wed Nov 11, time TBD |
| 12 | Ohio (away, conference game) | |
| 13 | Central Michigan (home, conference game) |
Ranking history 2026
Now #85, Do We Need to Talk? (week 8). Best #84 (week 2). Lowest #130 (week 6). Higher on the chart is a better rank. The shaded bands are rank tiers, with each tier's sticker at its left.
Week 8 TDR #85 (46.1, 3-5) Do We Need to Talk?
Week 1 TDR #96 (11.0, 0-1)
Week 2 TDR #84 (49.0, 1-1)
Week 3 TDR #116 (25.3, 1-2) Sick of It
Week 4 TDR #122 (20.6, 1-3) Sick of It
Week 5 TDR #129 (17.5, 1-4) Oh Crap
Week 6 TDR #130 (15.9, 1-5) Oh Crap
Week 7 TDR #97 (39.9, 2-5) Do We Need to Talk?
Week 8 TDR #85 (46.1, 3-5) Do We Need to Talk?
Week by week
| Week | TDR | Score | Record | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #96 | 11.0 | 0-1 | - |
| 2 | #84 | 49.0 | 1-1 | - |
| 3 | #116 | 25.3 | 1-2 | Sick of It |
| 4 | #122 | 20.6 | 1-3 | Sick of It |
| 5 | #129 | 17.5 | 1-4 | Oh Crap |
| 6 | #130 | 15.9 | 1-5 | Oh Crap |
| 7 | #97 | 39.9 | 2-5 | Do We Need to Talk? |
| 8 | #85 | 46.1 | 3-5 | Do We Need to Talk? |
Score breakdown
Each factor is scored 0–100, then weighted into the composite score. Full methodology & weights
| Factor | Score (0-100) |
|---|---|
| win/loss record | 37.5 |
| recent results | 100.0 |
| road-win bonus | 47.6 |
| opponent record at game time | 41.8 |
| opponent record today | 43.4 |
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