#37 James Madison
4-1 in Sun Belt play, 1st in the Sun Belt East Division
Down 33 spots (#4 to #37) after a road loss at #47 App State (31-34) in a one-score game. An upset: James Madison entered with 91.6 TDR points to App State's 65.3. Now 7-1, first loss of the season. TDR score -23.9: win/loss record -6.9, road-win bonus -1.3.
Trophy case
2 awards in 2026 · 4 in all seasons · Every award winner- Most Overlooked ×2
| Award | Week | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Most Overlooked | Week 7 | Data rank far better than any poll's |
| Most Overlooked | Week 6 | Data rank far better than any poll's |
2026 season recap (through week 8)
James Madison (Sun Belt) is ranked 37th in The Davis Rankings after week 8 of 2026, with a record of 7-1 and a score of 67.7 out of 100. That is down 33 from week 7. That puts it in the Feeling Good tier (ranks 26-50). Its strongest factor is win/loss record (87.5 out of 100). Its weakest is recent results (0.0 out of 100).
The best win on the résumé came in week 1, 20-13 over T-11 Liberty at home. The defeat that hurts the score most is the week 8 loss, 34-31 to #36 App State on the road.
On the road it is 3-1. The average margin is +23.1 points per game, with a biggest win of 84 points. 3 of 8 games were decided by a touchdown or less.
James Madison is not ranked in the AP, Coaches, or CFP polls this week, while the Davis Rankings has it 37th.
Next up is #112 Troy in week 9, at home. The toughest game left on the schedule by current rank is week 11 against T-57 UConn. 0 of the 4 games left are against teams currently in the top 25.
Schedule
| Week | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liberty (home) | W 20-13 |
| 2 | Wagner (home) | W 87-3 |
| 3 | San Diego State (away) | W 26-13 |
| 4 | Old Dominion (away, conference game) | W 46-20 |
| 5 | Marshall (home, conference game) | W 45-17 |
| 6 | Georgia Southern (away, conference game) | W 27-24 |
| 7 | Georgia State (home, conference game) | W 49-22 |
| 8 | App State (away, conference game) | L 31-34 |
Upcoming games
| Week | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Troy (home, conference game) | |
| 10 | Southern Miss (away, conference game) | (ESPN2) |
| 11 | UConn (away) | (CBSSN) |
| 13 | Coastal Carolina (home, conference game) | Sat Nov 28, time TBD |
Ranking history 2026
Now #37, Feeling Good (week 8). Best #4 (week 7). Lowest #37 (week 8). 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 #37 (67.7, 7-1) Feeling Good
Week 1 TDR #12 (91.5, 1-0)
Week 2 TDR #35 (90.0, 2-0)
Week 3 TDR #22 (91.2, 3-0) Winning
Week 4 TDR #14 (91.2, 4-0) Winning
Week 5 TDR #9 (91.4, 5-0) Winning
Week 6 TDR #6 (91.5, 6-0) Winning
Week 7 TDR #4 (91.6, 7-0) Winning
Week 8 TDR #37 (67.7, 7-1) Feeling Good
Week by week
| Week | TDR | Score | Record | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #12 | 91.5 | 1-0 | - |
| 2 | #35 | 90.0 | 2-0 | - |
| 3 | #22 | 91.2 | 3-0 | Winning |
| 4 | #14 | 91.2 | 4-0 | Winning |
| 5 | #9 | 91.4 | 5-0 | Winning |
| 6 | #6 | 91.5 | 6-0 | Winning |
| 7 | #4 | 91.6 | 7-0 | Winning |
| 8 | #37 | 67.7 | 7-1 | Feeling Good |
Score breakdown
Each factor is scored 0–100, then weighted into the composite score. Full methodology & weights
| Factor | Score (0-100) |
|---|---|
| win/loss record | 87.5 |
| recent results | 0.0 |
| road-win bonus | 83.3 |
| opponent record at game time | 65.0 |
| opponent record today | 69.8 |
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