CFB MATCH LAB · OPPONENT-ADJUSTED DATA

2026 College Football Defensive Strength Rankings

2026 season · current through completed games in Week 4. Defensive Strength is built game by game from performance versus expectation: 45% PPA, 20% success rate, 15% explosiveness, 10% points per drive and 10% scoring. Each game is compared with a pregame expectation based on the team's prior production and the opposing unit's prior allowance, then adjusted for opponent-unit strength.

AP Rank is shown only as a reference point and never enters the formula. Opponent adjustment is asymmetric: strong opponents increase credit for outperformance and soften poor results, while weak opponents do the reverse.

Team Strength Rankings
Overall rating combines Offensive and Defensive Strength 50/50.Strength of Schedule Rankings
See overall opponent difficulty already faced.

Rank	Team	AP Rank	Defensive Strength	Performance vs Expectation	Avg Offense Faced	Avg Opponent Adjustment	Team Rank	Team Strength	Games
1	Texas	#1	100	61.54	61.0	1.044	50	64	4
2	Clemson	—	99	60.34	60.5	1.042	15	90	4
3	Notre Dame	#3	99	59.55	51.0	1.004	1	100	3
4	Massachusetts	—	98	59.54	26.67	0.907	25	82	3
5	Michigan	#18	97	59.4	63.0	1.052	14	90	3
6	East Carolina	—	96	59.35	74.67	1.099	47	66	3
7	LSU	#10	96	59.33	55.0	1.113	20	85	3
8	Pittsburgh	—	95	59.17	37.5	0.95	3	99	4
9	Kansas	—	94	58.94	57.0	1.028	34	75	3
10	Iowa	#17	93	58.56	43.33	0.933	2	99	3
11	Old Dominion	—	93	58.54	60.67	1.043	33	76	3
12	Mississippi State	#24	92	58.36	61.67	1.047	4	98	3
13	Oklahoma	—	91	58.1	49.67	1.041	45	67	3
14	Oregon	#20	90	58.05	24.0	1.011	6	96	3
15	Penn State	#13	90	57.57	44.33	0.977	5	97	3
16	Wake Forest	—	89	57.52	78.0	1.074	32	77	4
17	Missouri	#19	88	57.43	48.67	0.995	30	78	3
18	TCU	—	87	57.3	35.67	0.943	27	81	3
19	Vanderbilt	—	87	57.36	63.0	1.052	8	95	3
20	Minnesota	—	86	57.29	52.67	0.888	41	71	3
21	Fresno State	—	85	57.19	38.67	0.955	40	71	3
22	Auburn	—	84	57.14	73.33	0.979	9	94	3
23	Oklahoma State	—	84	56.98	39.67	0.959	16	89	3
24	UCF	—	83	56.79	63.0	1.052	55	60	3
25	North Dakota State	—	82	56.71	32.75	0.905	26	81	4
26	Duke	—	81	56.37	55.0	1.02	39	72	3
27	Miami	#6	81	56.24	47.67	0.991	7	96	3
28	James Madison	—	80	56.04	25.33	1.005	36	74	3
29	New Mexico	—	79	55.9	34.33	1.031	70	49	3
30	Miami (OH)	—	78	55.6	50.67	1.003	17	88	3
31	Northwestern	—	78	55.9	41.67	0.967	22	85	3
32	Tulsa	—	77	55.58	34.0	0.971	54	60	3
33	Louisville	#16	76	55.56	45.75	1.041	29	79	4
34	Iowa State	—	75	55.34	27.67	0.911	28	79	3
35	Tennessee	#14	75	55.4	31.5	0.972	49	64	4
36	Baylor	—	74	55.29	35.5	0.942	60	56	4
37	Washington	—	73	55.23	29.0	0.991	42	69	3
38	Oregon State	—	72	55.21	38.67	0.955	12	92	3
39	Wisconsin	—	72	55.22	24.0	0.896	31	78	3
40	West Virginia	—	71	55.12	50.33	1.001	10	94	3
41	Indiana	#5	70	54.59	38.75	0.919	69	49	4
42	Texas Tech	#11	69	54.57	49.5	1.03	18	87	4
43	Utah	#15	69	54.51	24.0	0.896	13	92	3
44	Louisiana	—	68	54.46	31.33	0.867	75	45	3
45	Florida Atlantic	—	67	54.32	52.33	1.009	71	48	3
46	Kentucky	—	66	54.15	49.0	0.996	19	85	3
47	Ohio State	#7	66	54.1	61.25	0.991	24	83	4
48	BYU	#9	65	53.99	50.33	0.905	11	92	3
49	Colorado	—	64	53.85	52.5	0.94	78	43	4
50	Arkansas	—	63	53.79	65.67	0.975	84	38	3
51	Boston College	—	63	53.78	48.0	1.062	96	29	4
52	Alabama	#8	62	53.74	61.67	1.044	46	66	3
53	Troy	—	61	53.63	44.67	0.979	80	41	3
54	Arizona State	—	60	53.44	44.33	0.929	76	44	3
55	Maryland	—	60	53.56	40.33	0.945	21	85	3
56	Michigan State	—	59	53.38	56.0	1.024	64	53	3
57	California	—	58	53.32	54.5	1.068	82	39	4
58	Florida International	—	57	53.2	41.67	1.007	92	32	3
59	South Carolina	—	57	52.99	54.33	0.889	72	47	3
60	San Diego State	—	56	52.82	63.25	0.983	94	31	4
61	UAB	—	55	52.74	31.75	0.927	103	24	4
62	Liberty	—	54	52.74	36.75	0.987	56	59	4
63	Temple	—	54	52.66	64.5	0.996	44	68	4
64	UCLA	—	53	52.62	64.67	0.992	52	62	3
65	South Florida	—	52	52.4	54.0	1.109	23	85	3
66	Georgia	#2	51	52.3	17.33	1.037	53	61	3
67	Nebraska	—	51	52.3	25.0	0.993	35	75	3
68	Virginia	—	50	52.2	51.0	0.996	62	55	3
69	Houston	#25	49	52.2	32.0	0.979	43	68	3
70	SMU	#22	49	52.14	49.67	0.908	58	57	3
71	Air Force	—	48	51.87	36.0	0.916	38	72	2
72	Georgia Tech	—	47	51.73	47.67	0.916	48	64	3
73	Florida	#21	46	51.62	43.0	0.935	37	73	3
74	Washington State	—	46	51.62	50.0	1.093	81	41	3
75	Kent State	—	45	51.37	39.0	0.93	99	27	4
76	Utah State	—	44	51.3	47.67	0.868	109	20	3
77	Kansas State	—	43	51.23	25.67	0.892	63	54	3
78	Texas A&M	#23	43	51.3	57.33	1.101	89	35	3
79	Middle Tennessee	—	42	51.11	12.67	0.96	106	21	3
80	Nevada	—	41	51.1	25.67	0.996	115	15	3
81	Central Michigan	—	40	51.06	27.0	0.999	87	36	3
82	San José State	—	40	51.02	42.0	0.968	105	23	4
83	Hawai'i	—	39	50.95	50.33	1.001	104	23	3
84	Jacksonville State	—	38	50.94	24.75	0.939	79	41	4
85	Delaware	—	37	50.83	37.0	0.959	86	37	3
86	UNLV	—	37	50.8	38.0	0.964	111	18	4
87	Syracuse	—	36	50.8	31.67	0.98	117	13	3
88	Cincinnati	—	35	50.69	51.67	1.1	61	55	3
89	Boise State	—	34	50.57	42.67	0.971	74	45	3
90	Louisiana Tech	—	34	50.59	47.0	0.919	97	28	3
91	Georgia State	—	33	50.52	34.0	1.035	59	57	3
92	Western Kentucky	—	32	50.41	79.67	1.001	118	13	3
93	App State	—	31	50.28	13.33	0.941	120	11	3
94	Kennesaw State	—	31	50.38	58.67	0.872	112	17	3
95	Toledo	—	30	50.17	29.75	0.945	65	53	4
96	Charlotte	—	29	50.04	19.33	1.064	122	10	3
97	USC	#12	28	49.82	44.25	1.023	57	58	4
98	Western Michigan	—	28	49.94	22.33	1.017	95	30	3
99	Sam Houston	—	27	49.57	43.0	0.94	108	20	4
100	New Mexico State	—	26	49.44	29.33	0.989	107	21	3
101	Arizona	—	25	48.86	35.33	0.965	51	62	3
102	Texas State	—	25	49.3	46.67	0.987	73	47	3
103	NC State	—	24	48.75	35.0	0.967	68	50	3
104	UL Monroe	—	23	48.56	36.0	0.944	124	9	3
105	Missouri State	—	22	47.98	28.33	0.993	88	35	3
106	Tulane	—	22	48.53	51.67	0.993	77	43	3
107	Virginia Tech	—	21	47.97	34.0	0.896	85	37	4
108	Marshall	—	20	47.56	50.0	1.043	93	31	3
109	Arkansas State	—	19	47.12	46.0	0.923	121	10	3
110	Illinois	—	19	47.55	38.25	0.977	67	50	4
111	Coastal Carolina	—	18	46.72	37.75	1.049	98	27	4
112	Wyoming	—	17	46.63	23.33	1.013	119	12	3
113	Akron	—	16	46.44	30.75	1.021	129	4	4
114	UTEP	—	16	46.52	38.67	0.952	113	16	3
115	Navy	—	15	46.42	14.67	1.141	127	6	3
116	North Carolina	—	14	46.4	26.67	1.0	110	18	3
117	Memphis	—	13	46.12	35.0	1.06	114	16	4
118	Rice	—	13	46.03	45.67	0.945	123	9	3
119	Rutgers	—	12	45.78	43.0	0.968	90	34	4
120	Sacramento State	—	11	45.77	35.5	0.988	131	3	4
121	Ohio	—	10	45.57	49.67	0.975	101	25	3
122	Purdue	—	10	45.21	48.67	0.912	66	51	3
123	North Texas	—	9	45.01	36.0	1.005	100	27	3
124	Florida State	—	8	44.87	52.33	0.991	83	39	3
125	Eastern Michigan	—	7	44.86	42.75	1.029	133	1	4
126	Northern Illinois	—	7	44.72	47.0	0.919	126	7	3
127	Southern Miss	—	6	44.58	17.0	1.039	134	1	3
128	Ball State	—	5	44.34	21.75	1.043	125	7	4
129	Army	—	4	43.75	34.33	0.969	116	14	3
130	Georgia Southern	—	4	44.17	13.67	1.052	132	2	3
131	Buffalo	—	3	43.71	32.0	0.979	130	3	3
132	Colorado State	—	2	43.19	42.25	1.031	91	33	4
133	Bowling Green	—	1	42.96	52.33	0.897	135	1	3
134	South Alabama	—	1	39.97	15.67	1.044	102	24	3
135	Stanford	—	1	42.66	46.33	1.015	128	5	3

Last generated: 2026-09-26T19:51:52.795937+00:00