Where Does Texas Tech Rank Among the 13 FBS Teams in Texas?
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Methodology of the Ranking
These rankings are based on each team's combined ranking from five national publications — they are not based on strength of schedule, most wins, etc.
College Football News' ranking is notable for ranking all 136 FBS teams, providing full context from the national title contenders down to the programs struggling for their first win.
These rankings generally combine factors like overall record, strength of schedule, and how dominant a team has been in its wins and losses.
Teams in the 26-136 range often see significant week-to-week movement in comparison to the teams ranked 1-25, as a single win or loss can dramatically change their standing relative to other teams with similar records.
Bill Connelly developed the SP+ rankings for ESPN, a college football rating system designed to be predictive and forward-looking. It is an advanced indicator of college football effectiveness that takes into account opponent and tempo.
The approach estimates each FBS team's actual talent level and predicted output using a mathematical model. Three primary components make up the formula: Offensive SP+ evaluates a team's offensive effectiveness, Defensive SP+ indicates how well a team defends (a lower score is preferable), and Special Teams SP+ is a tiny component that gauges kicking game efficiency.
Chris Vannini of The Athletic ranks all 136 FBS teams, although his most recent rankings only include 132 teams. Some teams, like Houston, are left out, but Arizona State is listed twice, at 33 and 41.
Paul Myerberg's USA TODAY Sports NCAA Re-Rank 1-136 has all 136 FBS teams ranked; he doesn't go into much detail about why teams are ranked where they are, except for the top two teams in his rankings.
The most recent ranking for the 2025–26 season can be seen in the CBS Sports College Football Rankings, which were last updated early this week after Week 11's games.
Unlike the College Football Playoff (CFP) Rankings, the AP Top 25, or the Coaches Poll, CBS Sports tracks a number of surveys and variables, including this rating system. A complete picture of the team's performance and record is usually reflected in the rankings.
Ranking the 13 FBS Programs in Texas: Nos. 13-6
Ranking out of 136 FBS teams: 130 CFN, 135 ESPN SP+, 135 The Athletic, 133 USA Today, 135 CBS Sports
Team's strength of schedule: 86, according to ESPN’s FPI
Road wins: 1 (Oregon State)
Victories vs. Power 4 conference teams: 0
Next game opponent: Delaware
Week 12 prediction: Delaware 38, Sam Houston State 31
Ranking out of 136 FBS teams: 128 CFN, 120 ESPN SP+, 129 The Athletic, 126 USA Today, 126 CBS Sports
Team's strength of schedule: 95
Road wins: 1 (Sam Houston State)
Victories vs. Power 4 conference teams: 0
Next game opponent: Missouri State
Week 12 prediction: Missouri State 41, UTEP 28
Ranking out of 136 FBS teams: 122 CFN, 98 ESPN SP+, 107 The Athletic, 117 USA Today, 114 CBS Sports
Team's strength of schedule: 110
Road wins: 1 (UTSA)
Victories vs. Power 4 conference teams: 0
Next game opponent: @ Southern Miss
Week 12 prediction: Southern Miss 27, Texas State 14
Ranking out of 136 FBS teams: 103 CFN, 115 ESPN SP+, 96 The Athletic, 99 USA Today, 100 CBS Sports
Team's strength of schedule: 124
Road wins: 2 (Louisiana and Charlotte)
Victories vs. Power 4 conference teams: 0
Next game opponent: @ Southern Miss
Week 13 prediction: Rice 34, North Texas 27
Ranking out of 136 FBS teams: 102 CFN, 70 ESPN SP+, 81 The Athletic, 85 USA Today, 84 CBS Sports
Team's strength of schedule: 55
Road wins: 1 (Colorado State)
Victories vs. Power 4 conference teams: 0
Next game opponent: @ Charlotte
Week 12 prediction: UTSA 45, Charlotte 30
Ranking out of 136 FBS teams: 53 CFN, 49 ESPN SP+, 42 The Athletic, 54 USA Today, 47 CBS Sports
Team's strength of schedule: 50
Road wins: 2 (SMU and Oklahoma State)
Victories vs. Power 4 conference teams: 4 (Kansas State, SMU, Oklahoma State, and UCF)
Next game opponent: Utah
Week 12 prediction: Utah 28, Baylor 23
Ranking out of 136 FBS teams: 46 CFN, 39 ESPN SP+, 40 The Athletic, 35 USA Today, 40 CBS Sports
Team's strength of schedule: 62
Road wins: 2 (West Virginia and North Carolina)
Victories vs. Power 4 conference teams: 5 (UNC, SMU, Colorado, Baylor, and West Virginia)
Next game opponent: @ BYU
Week 12 prediction: BYU 43, TCU 27
Ranking out of 136 FBS teams: 47 CFN, 27 ESPN SP+, 31 The Athletic, 29 USA Today, 23 CBS Sports
Team's strength of schedule: 126
Road wins: 3 (Western Michigan, Army, and Charlotte)
Victories vs. Power 4 conference teams: 0
Next game opponent: @ UAB
Week 12 prediction: North Texas 51, UAB 21
Ryan Kay is a journalist who graduated from Michigan State in 2003 and is passionate about covering college sports and enjoys writing features and articles covering various collegiate teams. He has worked as an editor at Go Joe Bruin and has been a contributor for Longhorns Wire and Busting Brackets. He is a contributor for Texas Tech On SI.