ESPN 2026 CFB Tier ranking

[MrCraig]

Such lazy writing, as usual, by ESPN.
NIL and transfer portal are why App and these other teams suck?
So why are Boise State, Navy, UNLV, Tulane, North Texas, ODU, and JMU still having success?
The recipe for winning is the same as it ever was. Good coaching that can find, retain, and develop talent. It may be harder to do that than ever, but not impossible. There are still plenty of guys who want to play football and can do it well that get over looked by the big boys. I'm SO TIRED of the "woe is me, my lil' ol' college football team just can't compete anymore cuzza the new rules," when there is almost zero evidence to back that up.

[appdaze]

Just win the conference. Everything else is just noise. Ill keep beating that drum however long it takes to right this ship.

[fjblair]

Such lazy writing, as usual, by ESPN.
NIL and transfer portal are why App and these other teams suck?
So why are Boise State, Navy, UNLV, Tulane, North Texas, ODU, and JMU still having success?
The recipe for winning is the same as it ever was. Good coaching that can find, retain, and develop talent. It may be harder to do that than ever, but not impossible. There are still plenty of guys who want to play football and can do it well that get over looked by the big boys. I'm SO TIRED of the "woe is me, my lil' ol' college football team just can't compete anymore cuzza the new rules," when there is almost zero evidence to back that up.

Good coaching cannot retain talent without financial resources to pay those players. The zero evidence claim does not reflect reality, the evidence is overwhelming.

[AppOrange]

espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49574597/2026-138-fbs-college-football-teams-tiers-rankings#locks

"Tier 18: Are we having fun yet?
App State Mountaineers
Arkansas State Red Wolves
Central Michigan Chippewas
Delaware Blue Hens
Florida International Panthers
Georgia State Panthers
Nevada Wolf Pack
Rice Owls
San José State Spartans
South Alabama Jaguars
Temple Owls
Wyoming Cowboys


For a prime example of the hollowing out of the Group of 6, look no further than App State. From 2015 to 2021, the Mountaineers were 73-19, the sixth-best winning percentage in FBS.

From Scott Satterfield to Eli Drinkwitz to Shawn Clark, the program won by finding diamonds in the rough, developing them over years and playing tougher, smarter football than many of their bigger-budget counterparts. It led to some utterly seismic moments, from the win in the Big House in 2007 to knocking off Texas A&M in College Station in 2022.

There was a formula for winning on the mountain, and App State had done it for generations. Then came the portal and NIL and revenue sharing, and the whole thing fell apart. App State is 19-19 over the past three seasons, and the Mountaineers have lost 10 of their past 11 against teams that finished the year with a winning record, including eight by double digits. The lone win came in Week 13 in 2024 against JMU.

Maybe there's a new formula that can help reinvigorate a program that had long been the standard for small-school football. But it won't be the same, and it probably won't be sustainable."

Whoever wrote this nailed it perfectly . . . the secret formula is no longer an option. I still think we got screwed the most then any other program due to all this crap