T-53 Middle Tennessee
2-1 in Conference USA play, T-3rd in the Conference USA
Up 19 spots (#72 to T-53) after a road win at #96 Florida International (26-23) in a one-score game. As expected: Middle Tennessee entered with 53.8 TDR points to Florida International's 40.0. Now 4-3. TDR score +5.9: win/loss record +3.9, road-win bonus +1.2.
Trophy case
1 award in 2026 · Every award winner- Yodely Team ×1
| Award | Week | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Yodely Team | Week 8 | Biggest two-week rise, up both weeks |
2026 season recap (through week 8)
Middle Tennessee (Conference USA) is ranked T-53, tied with Illinois and Ole Miss in The Davis Rankings after week 8 of 2026, with a record of 4-3 and a score of 59.7 out of 100. That is up 19 from week 7. That puts it in the Character Building tier (ranks 51-75). Its strongest factor is recent results (100.0 out of 100). Its weakest is opponent record at game time (45.6 out of 100).
The highest-ranked opponent beaten so far came in week 7, 33-30 over #79 Delaware at home. The toughest result to explain is the week 5 loss, 55-0 to T-70 Kansas on the road.
Middle Tennessee has won its last 2 games in a row. On the road it is 1-3. The average margin is -4.3 points per game, with a biggest win of 24 points. 4 of 7 games were decided by a touchdown or less.
Middle Tennessee is not ranked in the AP, Coaches, or CFP polls this week, while the Davis Rankings has it 53rd.
Next up is #129 Kennesaw State in week 9, at home. The toughest game left on the schedule by current rank is week 11 against T-11 Liberty. 1 of the 5 games left are against teams currently in the top 25.
Schedule
| Week | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Murray State (home) | W 38-14 |
| 2 | Marshall (away) | L 26-28 |
| 3 | Nevada (home) | W 27-20 |
| 4 | Jacksonville State (away, conference game) | L 13-23 |
| 5 | Kansas (away) | L 0-55 |
| 7 | Delaware (home, conference game) | W 33-30 |
| 8 | Florida International (away, conference game) | W 26-23 |
Upcoming games
| Week | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Kennesaw State (home, conference game) | |
| 10 | Western Kentucky (home, conference game) | (ESPN+) |
| 11 | Liberty (away, conference game) | (CBSSN) |
| 12 | Sam Houston (away, conference game) | |
| 13 | New Mexico State (home, conference game) |
Ranking history 2026
Now #53, Character Building (week 8). Best #45 (week 1). Lowest #114 (week 2). 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 #53 (59.7, 4-3) Character Building
Week 1 TDR #45 (89.5, 1-0)
Week 2 TDR #114 (32.5, 1-1)
Week 3 TDR #65 (64.2, 2-1) Character Building
Week 4 TDR #107 (38.1, 2-2) Sick of It
Week 5 TDR #112 (31.3, 2-3) Sick of It
Week 6 TDR #113 (31.3, 2-3) Sick of It
Week 7 TDR #72 (53.8, 3-3) Character Building
Week 8 TDR #53 (59.7, 4-3) Character Building
Week by week
| Week | TDR | Score | Record | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #45 | 89.5 | 1-0 | - |
| 2 | #114 | 32.5 | 1-1 | - |
| 3 | #65 | 64.2 | 2-1 | Character Building |
| 4 | #107 | 38.1 | 2-2 | Sick of It |
| 5 | #112 | 31.3 | 2-3 | Sick of It |
| 6 | #113 | 31.3 | 2-3 | Sick of It |
| 7 | #72 | 53.8 | 3-3 | Character Building |
| 8 | #53 | 59.7 | 4-3 | Character Building |
Score breakdown
Each factor is scored 0–100, then weighted into the composite score. Full methodology & weights
| Factor | Score (0-100) |
|---|---|
| win/loss record | 57.1 |
| recent results | 100.0 |
| road-win bonus | 61.1 |
| opponent record at game time | 45.6 |
| opponent record today | 50.0 |
Something look wrong on this page? Report a data problem. It opens an email with this team and week filled in; if it does not, write to justwin@thedavisrankings.fyi.