T-88 Kent State
2-2 in Mid-American play, T-7th in the Mid-American
Up 33 spots (T-121 to T-88) after a home win over #133 Akron (35-20). As expected: Kent State entered with 24.5 TDR points to Akron's 13.7. Now 3-5, snapped a 3-game losing streak. TDR score +21.2: win/loss record +4.9, road-win bonus +0.9.
2026 season recap (through week 8)
Kent State (Mid-American) is ranked T-88, tied with Clemson in The Davis Rankings after week 8 of 2026, with a record of 3-5 and a score of 45.7 out of 100. That is up 33 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 best win by current ranking came in week 4, 26-13 over #85 Ball State at home. The defeat that hurts the score most is the week 6 loss, 38-7 to T-77 Western Michigan on the road.
On the road it is 0-4. The average margin is -15.6 points per game, with a biggest win of 21 points. 1 of 8 games was decided by a touchdown or less.
Kent State is not ranked in the AP, Coaches, or CFP polls this week, while the Davis Rankings has it 88th.
Next up is #136 Sacramento State in week 9, on the road. The toughest game left on the schedule by current rank is week 12 against #44 Miami (OH). 0 of the 4 games left are against teams currently in the top 25.
Schedule
| Week | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Carolina (away) | L 0-57 |
| 2 | Wofford (home) | W 36-15 |
| 3 | Ohio State (away) | L 3-59 |
| 4 | Ball State (home, conference game) | W 26-13 |
| 5 | Ohio (home, conference game) | L 10-13 |
| 6 | Western Michigan (away, conference game) | L 7-38 |
| 7 | South Florida (away) | L 2-29 |
| 8 | Akron (home, conference game) | W 35-20 |
Upcoming games
| Week | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Sacramento State (away, conference game) | (ESPN2) |
| 11 | Bowling Green (away, conference game) | |
| 12 | Miami (OH) (home, conference game) | |
| 13 | Eastern Michigan (away, conference game) |
Ranking history 2026
Now #88, Do We Need to Talk? (week 8). Best #69 (week 2). Lowest #122 (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 #88 (45.7, 3-5) Do We Need to Talk?
Week 1 TDR #96 (11.0, 0-1)
Week 2 TDR #69 (50.5, 1-1)
Week 3 TDR #116 (25.3, 1-2) Sick of It
Week 4 TDR #81 (53.3, 2-2) Do We Need to Talk?
Week 5 TDR #113 (31.1, 2-3) Sick of It
Week 6 TDR #122 (27.2, 2-4) Sick of It
Week 7 TDR #121 (24.5, 2-5) Sick of It
Week 8 TDR #88 (45.7, 3-5) Do We Need to Talk?
Week by week
| Week | TDR | Score | Record | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #96 | 11.0 | 0-1 | - |
| 2 | #69 | 50.5 | 1-1 | - |
| 3 | #116 | 25.3 | 1-2 | Sick of It |
| 4 | #81 | 53.3 | 2-2 | Do We Need to Talk? |
| 5 | #113 | 31.1 | 2-3 | Sick of It |
| 6 | #122 | 27.2 | 2-4 | Sick of It |
| 7 | #121 | 24.5 | 2-5 | Sick of It |
| 8 | #88 | 45.7 | 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 | 45.2 |
| opponent record at game time | 41.4 |
| opponent record today | 43.0 |
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