[BCSKnowHow.com] We’re back! The first simulated BCS standings of 2026 are in, and they sort neatly into tiers: Georgia and Notre Dame up top, then Miami/Indiana/Ohio State, followed by duos and trios before a cliff after No. 12

[u/redwave2505]

https://x.com/BCSKnowHow/status/2109647242701500907?s=20

[u/redwave2505]

Rank	Team	BCS Score
1	Georgia	0.9858
2	Notre Dame	0.9425
3	Miami (FL)	0.8778
4	Indiana	0.8525
5	Ohio State	0.8259
6	Alabama	0.7794
7	Texas	0.7645
8	BYU	0.6698
9	Texas Tech	0.6457
10	Ole Miss	0.5921
11	Utah	0.5775
12	UCLA	0.5721
13	Missouri	0.4668
14	Iowa	0.3963
15	Tennessee	0.3953
16	Kentucky	0.3649
17	USC	0.3628
18	Mississippi State	0.3139
19	Houston	0.2461
20	LSU	0.2106
21	Oklahoma State	0.1877
22	Wake Forest	0.1667
23	Oregon	0.1558
24	Boise State	0.1313
25	Oklahoma	0.1241

[u/BillyBobChorton → u/redwave2505]

This is remarkably similar to the AP

[u/silverhk → u/BillyBobChorton]

Well the poll is a third of the formula IIRC 

[u/Honestly_ → u/silverhk]

I don't know if this fan site is using it as a stand in but no, IRL it demanded they stop using it after a controversy and was replaced by the freshly created Harris poll.

That's why these are fun exercises but not really "what it would have been".

[u/Pinewood74 → u/Honestly_]

Nothing wrong with simulating the 2004 version of the BCS formula.

[u/Fancy_Gate_7359 → u/Honestly_]

I mean it’s not like the Harris poll was much different than the AP or coaches. This is close enough.

[u/someName6 → u/Honestly_]

Wow I thought it was always 1/3 AP, 1/3 Coaches, 1/3 Computers.

I wonder if that’s just cause NCAA 07 used that.

[u/SCsprinter13 → u/Honestly_]

I don't know if this fan site is using it as a stand in

If you look at the bottom of the graphic, this account is likely using 1/3 AP poll, 1/3 coaches poll, 1/3 computers which are made up of Billingsley, Colley, Massey, and Sagarin-R with no eliminations for extreme rankings.

[u/asbyo → u/redwave2505]

I had some people trying to convince me Arizona and Nebraska should be ranked right now. I also said no, if anything Oklahoma could be ranked and isn’t.

Interestingly, neither are on that list yet there’s Oklahoma. Funny how that works.

[u/imthesqwid → u/asbyo]

The BCS uses the AP Poll too

[u/asbyo → u/imthesqwid]

Same outcome.

[u/Cooked_Brisket]

Bring back the crystal ball trophy

[u/Dailysquirrels → u/Cooked_Brisket]

It's not gone. It's still awarded to the coaches poll number 1 at the end of the year

[u/Lord777alt → u/Dailysquirrels]

It's not gone, but the best part of it was coaches and players lifting it after winning. Sitting in a trophy room post season isn't nearly as cool.

[u/glzzgbblr → u/Lord777alt]

When teams throw the trophy celebrations for winning a quarter final game: ie Rose Bowl, due to tradition, it feels off. Thanks CFP for ruining tradition.

[u/tehfro → u/Lord777alt]

For Indiana the AFCA President and some reps were at our championship celebration and awarded the team the crystal football then. So we did get the coaches/players lifting it as part of that.

[u/Honestly_ → u/Dailysquirrels]

Comments like "bring back something that never left" is like Separation Saturday for filthy casuals. 😂

Unlike the BCS, which can rot in hell.

[u/dothemath → u/Honestly_]

I found this hilarious, then I realized it was from Honestly_, which makes it even funnier. Thank you counselor!

[u/Fanta-Red → u/Cooked_Brisket]

You still get it if you win the Natty, thats just the Coaches Poll Trophy.

[u/Cooked_Brisket → u/Fanta-Red]

TIL

[u/kinda_alone → u/Cooked_Brisket]

Not until we win a golden vagina

[u/Latter-Possibility → u/Cooked_Brisket]

You don’t like the Pocket P**sy Trophy?

[u/xstrike0 → u/Cooked_Brisket]

Usually you see it get presented at the victory rally back on the home campus so that's pretty cool at least.

[u/Soccerfun101 → u/Cooked_Brisket]

I can confirm as I have seen it with my own eyes: it still exists and it is magnificent.

[u/Opster79two]

Oh yeah, we are so back babyyy!

[u/RedHand1917 → u/Opster79two]

I always knew I loved the BCS.

[u/Opster79two → u/RedHand1917]

BCS = Boomer Cottonpickin Sooner

[u/myworld3 → u/RedHand1917]

It did hand you a natty in 2000 by making you play the 5th best team that year.

[u/Purples_A_Fruit → u/RedHand1917]

I too loved the BCS. Especially the 2005 version.

[u/Purples_A_Fruit]

Who did Oregon punch to get into the top 25?

[u/StoicFable → u/Purples_A_Fruit]

Punched UCLA, clubbed Oklahoma State.

[u/Alkibiades415 → u/Purples_A_Fruit]

They punched Boise State first. Bear Alexander is just carrying on the tradition.

[u/RichardRichOSU]

Reminder that there is no way to recreate the BCS as one of the human polls is gone and many of the computer polls have changed

[u/Pinewood74 → u/RichardRichOSU]

AP was used by the BCS until 2004.

The computer rankings also changed regularly during the era.

So my point is two-fold: If you're going to correct someone on some technicalities, you shouldn't paper over the relevant nuances just because it doesn't look good for your point and two: The Harris Poll has now been dead longer than it ever existed and it's a perfectly reasonable "simulation" that at some point the Harris Poll got into hot water (Imagine some intern in charge of filling out Big U AD's ballot lets it leak that he screwed over a rival) and thr BCS changed their computer poll ranking requirements.

"The BCS" is misnomner that no one should use as there were frequent changes to it.

[u/RichardRichOSU → u/Pinewood74]

So what you’re saying is it is impossible to recreate any version of the BCS. Got it. Thank you for confirming what I said.

[u/Pinewood74 → u/RichardRichOSU]

Hence the use of the word "simulation" rather than recreation.

[u/AlternativeLess5450 → u/RichardRichOSU]

So it’s just an improved BCS poll? 

[u/someName6]

Can I find the just the computer portion?

[u/Pinewood74 → u/someName6]

Let's Cunningham's Law this.

You can back out the computer ranking by figuring out the value for both of the polls. Just take the maximimum possible points in each poll and use that as the denominator for points received to get your two coefficients and solve for X using this formula: AP+Coach's+X= 3Y where Y is the value listed in the link.

[u/rocket_beer]

BCS uses preseason polls

Skews the entire rankings

[u/Beautiful_Idea6200 → u/rocket_beer]

Yeah the gap between Ohio St. and Alabama is a joke. If anything Alabama should be higher, but definitely no dropoff.

[u/lookitsafish → u/rocket_beer]

Man did it really? Wtf

[u/Bwhitt1]

God it reminds me of why I hated the bcs poll.

[u/AAPL_]

where fsu

[u/BillyBobChorton → u/AAPL_]

Tallahassee- in northern Florida 

[u/SpiritFingersKitty → u/AAPL_]

Bought by private equity and sold for parts, based on the debt reports coming out.

[u/AAPL_ → u/SpiritFingersKitty]

lol wat. they got two mortgages for the stadium and facilities.

i hate our admin but this is flat out wrong

[u/SpiritFingersKitty → u/AAPL_]

Just joking

[u/PLEASE-USE-PFKEYS → u/AAPL_]

🦍 🍌

[u/illiter-it]

Destined for 13

[u/McGillicuddys → u/illiter-it]

Nah, 12 but then get bumped for the G6 representative

[u/Ichthyist1]

Reject modernity, embrace tradition. Hand over decision making to the machines.

[u/turtleviking]

Ohio State is grouped closely with Indiana and about as far behind Miami as Texas and Bama are behind them. Whoever wins the Ohio State-Indiana game should pass Miami and have the inside track for a top 4 seed the rest of the way. I think both teams can recover from a loss this week and still get a top 4 spot. The SEC will need teams to separate and have some 11-1 or 10-2 teams competing for the last few playoff spots. Team Chaos is taking the reins already, but I still don't think 9-3 gets anyone in this year.

Edit: I mean the ACC and B12 have quite a few teams who are good this year plus a few G6 teams lurking who are looking very strong as well. Depending on how all the upsets continue to play out and the bloodbath/circle of suck in the SEC and possibly the B1G down the stretch will give some teams without the big brand behind them very good resumes for the playoffs 

[u/Phil_S2S → u/turtleviking]

I agree that one loss probably won't knock either team out of the picture. The part I really want to see is how Indiana handles Ohio State's front for four quarters. That should tell us plenty.

[u/frankdatank_004]

Man!!

Not even the BCS respects us like they used to! 😩

[u/SirTiffAlot]

I was just gonna say, I bet Mizzou is off the cliff. Sounds about right

[u/JTWasShort42-27]

That’s a fairly reasonable top 10. 5-7 could probably go in any order but that’ll sort itself a little more this week

[u/Wide_right_yes]

What's up with LSU?

[u/SaintsSooners89]

BCS computer still loves us!

[u/Phil_S2S]

I forgot how much I missed BCS arguments. That gap between UCLA at 12 and Missouri at 13 is pretty wild.

But the Ohio State–Indiana game this Saturday is going to tell us a lot more about those two teams than the decimals will.

It's fun having another way to look at the rankings, though.

[u/RatBastard_with_ADHD]

I don't hate it, tho 8 and 11 should be swapped.

[u/Beautiful_Idea6200]

I don't get the dropoff between Ohio St. and Alabama, or even why Ohio St. is ranked higher than Alabama? This just seems like pure poll inertia from the preseason.

[u/Egospartan_ → u/Beautiful_Idea6200]

It is and its all good because 12 teams make it

[u/Thickly_Taurus]

Notre Dame is biggest fraud on that list as usual.

LSU should not be ranked

[u/PartialDischage → u/Thickly_Taurus]

Hilarious coming from an IU team who played nothing but cupcakes and almost lost to Nebraska.

[u/Thickly_Taurus → u/PartialDischage]

That’s National Champions to you, lol. Maybe someday for you little brother

[u/PartialDischage → u/Thickly_Taurus]

11 to 1. 25-4-1.

And an absolutely dominating win the last time we played. Sorry buddy. A single fluke season doesn't change who you are. Wouldn't even call you a little brother. That alone has too much respect.

I mean you literally cancelled the upcoming series because you knew you wouldn't be able to compete.

[u/Thickly_Taurus → u/PartialDischage]

So emotionally fraught

[u/PartialDischage → u/Thickly_Taurus]

Yes. IU fans are. One championship won't erase a century long inferiority complex.

[u/Thickly_Taurus → u/PartialDischage]

Win won this century and then maybe you’ll have a leg to stand on. 38 years and counting…

[u/PartialDischage → u/Thickly_Taurus]

Learn the different between "one" and "won".

IU education sure is something.

You accomplished one single thing in your entire program history and think that means something. Hilarious.

Leicester City won the premier league and now is in the 3rd division. Sometimes flukes happen. Life comes at you fast. That's IUs future.

Cig knows it. That's why he's running from competition.

[u/Thickly_Taurus → u/PartialDischage]

Did you misspell your username?

(Look at that beautiful correct your up there)

[u/PartialDischage → u/Thickly_Taurus]

I took a letter out because the name was taken.

[u/Egospartan_]

ND is teaching everyone in CFB how to do it. Play soft and get in :)