With four weeks of regular-season action in the books across college football, and conference play now underway for most teams, it's time to say goodbye to factoring in preseason expectations when ranking teams. At this point in the year, experts across the sport, including those who vote in the CBS Sports 138, finally detach from what a team might be this season and rank them by what they do on the field. There are teams, for example, that were in the College Football Playoff as recently as last year that started the season with expectations of remaining in contention for the 12-team bracket in 2026.
But after a couple of early-season setbacks, they are looking much less exceptional than they did on paper coming into the season. A college football expert can still appreciate some of the talent you get on the roster at Texas A&M or Oklahoma, but after falling short in performance on the field, there is no longer a justification for relying on that talent to support a ranking. The Aggies and Sooners now find themselves not just far from the top-10 range where they started the year in the CBS Sports 138, but now even outside the top 35.
Of course, the same could be pointed out for the top of the rankings, where preseason expectations for Florida having a solid, top-20 caliber squad are now being reevaluated in the wake of a 52-28 win against Ole Miss. The Gators have moved 14 spots in the last two weeks with their 2-0 start to SEC play, now back in the top 10 and closing the gap with conference rivals at the very top of the rankings. Texas and Georgia remain in the No. 1 and No. 2 positions, with the interesting wrinkle being a new debate for the top spot.
The Longhorns carry an average ballot ranking of 1.4, compared to 1.9 for the Bulldogs. There is no consensus across our collection of experts, but there is clearly a tier, and right now those two teams are leading the way in the conversation for No. 1. Further down in the rankings you will find plenty of newcomers as experts have also shed the preseason expectations for what some teams could do in 2026, elevating teams like UCLA and Oklahoma State in response to their strong starts.
For much more on those situations, and other notable moves in the CBS Sports 138, check out the Mover's Report below the top 25 table. College football experts from CBS Sports and 247Sports contribute ballots each week, which are averaged together for our rankings. You can see the top 25 below and 26-138 on our rankings page.
Check out the rest of the CBS Sports 138: Teams ranked 26-138
Extract — continue reading at the source.
