Conferences, 2026
The SEC is the strongest FBS conference by its teams' average SP+ rating (+12.7), ahead of the Big Ten (+10.0) and the Big 12 (+8.2). The Mid-American is last of 10 (−13.4).
Games through Oct 31, 2026. SP+ is Bill Connelly's opponent-adjusted rating; a conference's number is the average of its teams'.
| Rank | Conference | Average SP+ | AP Top 25 teams | Leader (conf.) | Best by SP+ | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SEC | +12.7 | 9 | Georgia (5–1) | Georgia (2nd) | 16 |
| 2 | Big Ten | +10.0 | 5 | UCLA (5–0) | Ohio State (1st) | 18 |
| 3 | Big 12 | +8.2 | 6 | Utah (5–0) | Texas Tech (9th) | 16 |
| 4 | ACC | +4.8 | 3 | Miami (6–0) | Miami (5th) | 17 |
| 5 | Pac-12 | −2.3 | 1 | Boise State (4–0) | Boise State (29th) | 8 |
| 6 | American Athletic | −4.6 | 0 | UTSA (4–0) | Memphis (46th) | 14 |
| 7 | Mountain West | −6.6 | 0 | New Mexico (4–0) | New Mexico (36th) | 10 |
| 8 | Sun Belt | −8.2 | 0 | Louisiana Tech (4–0) | James Madison (30th) | 14 |
| 9 | Conference USA | −10.3 | 0 | Liberty (4–0) | Liberty (45th) | 10 |
| 10 | Mid-American | −13.4 | 0 | Ohio (4–0) | Toledo (64th) | 13 |
The FBS independents: Notre Dame and UConn.
Conference depth: elite, good and solid teams by conference | Every stat leaderboard