Where Baylor Bears Rank in National Polls After Week 3

The national perception of the Baylor Bears has held steady since last week.

Sep 19, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears head coach Dave Aranda looks on during the first half against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Baylor Bears have now stacked back-to-back wins after a heartbreaking loss in the season opener. The most recent outing, a decisive 36-19 victory over the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, saw backup quarterback Nate Bennett make his second career start. He improved over his previous outing, throwing as many touchdowns as incompletions (three each) and accounting for four scores overall. Meanwhile, star running back Dawson Pendergrass hit paydirt for the first time in 2026 and the first time since the foot injury that cost him all of the 2025 season.

The situation will look a little differently next Saturday. Starting signal-caller DJ Lagway will return after missing two games with an ankle injury, a development he forecasted last Thursday when he told Baylor on SI that he would "definitely" play no later than Week 4. Along with Lagway, the Bears expect wide receiver Jadon Porter, defensive back Devin Turner, and offensive lineman Logan Moore back in uniform, bolstering the team's chances against the visiting Colorado Buffaloes. The Buffs come off a demoralizing 41-7 loss to the Northwestern Wildcats.

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

AP Top 25

For the second week in a row, a win failed to net Baylor any votes in the AP Top 25. Not that anyone should feel surprised by that lack of progress. The Bears' two victories came as heavy favorites, and Louisiana Tech didn't have its starting quarterback this past Saturday. And given that Colorado also doesn't appear anywhere in the AP poll, a victory over Deion Sanders' team probably won't make a dent either.

ESPN FPI

In ESPN's FPI, Baylor continues to trend downward despite adding another W to its ledger. Of course, those victories came over an opponent that barely ranks inside the top 100 (Louisiana Tech) and an FCS team that doesn't qualify for FPI at all (Prairie View A&M).

The Athletic's Rankings

As with the AP Top 25 and ESPN's FPI, Baylor moved down slightly from last week's position in The Athletic's rankings, dropping eight spots to No. 46. The Athletic has the Bears' upcoming opponent, the Buffs, inside the top 65, so perhaps a win in Week 4 could alter that trajectory.

CBS Sports Power Rankings

To no one's surprise, Baylor did not appear in CBS Sports' latest batch of power rankings. Of course, they didn't appear in the previous edition either, or the one before that.

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