Where Baylor Bears Rank in National Polls After Week 1

The perception of the Baylor Bears has improved or essentially held since last week.

Sep 5, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver Jadon Porter (3) catches a pass against the Auburn Tigers in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Baylor Bears blew a chance to upset the heavily favored Auburn Tigers this past weekend, dropping the season opener 17-16 after a two-point conversion attempt fell just short of the goal line. DJ Lagway's ankle sprain compounds the defeat, though head coach Dave Aranda suggested that the quarterback remains on track to play in next Saturday's tilt with the Prairie View A&M Panthers.

While the upcoming matchup leans in Baylor's favor, Aranda's message to his team suggests otherwise.

"I think there's enough film or the views of like, hey, these guys are maybe different," Aranda said of Prairie View. "Maybe these guys can do something. And so, if that's where it's at, we got to move that to where these guys are winning. And these guys are winners. These guys deserve to be backed. These guys deserve to roll with us. And so, we very much want to do that. And it starts here, coming up."

All of which provides the backdrop to this week's national polling.

AP Top 25

Saturday's loss at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium didn't push Baylor into the Associated Press' top 25. The Bears, who didn't receive votes before Week 1, remain voteless now. Still, considering the developments in other polls, that doesn't necessarily mean the program doesn't have any upward momentum entering Week 2.

ESPN FPI

Though Baylor didn't win its opener, losing to a heavily favored opponent by such a small margin didn't hurt the Bears much in ESPN's FPI. They dropped to No. 38 overall, just a single spot from their pre-Week 1 position. That puts the program sixth overall in the Big 12, directly ahead of the Arizona Wildcats and just two slots behind the Arizona State Sun Devils.

The Athletic's Rankings

Unlike ESPN's FPI metric, The Athletic's latest rankings show Baylor actually improving its position, and not by a small amount either. The Bears enter Week 2 at No. 35 overall, a jump of 20 spots from their previous ranking. In an interesting twist, they fall exactly one spot behind Auburn heading into Week 2.

CBS Sports Power Ratings

To no one's surprise, Baylor did not appear in CBS Sports' latest batch of "Power Ratings," authored by Tom Fornelli. That probably won't change next week either, given the talent discrepancy between the Bears and their upcoming opponent, Prairie View A&M.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on X and Facebook for the latest news.