Josh Pate Reacts to 2026 College Football Rankings & Viewer Feedback

Initial Rankings and Viewer Reactions

• 🎙️ Josh Pate shares his "way too early" top 25 college football rankings for 2026, acknowledging the season is still seven months away.
• 😠 The feedback was overwhelmingly negative, with many viewers questioning his integrity and calling him a "Notre Dame homer" for ranking them number one.
• 💡 Pate emphasizes that these are preliminary rankings and not a projection of how teams will finish, stressing that no games have been played.

Defending Notre Dame's Ranking

• 🏈 Pate defends placing Notre Dame at number one, citing their perception as a top 10 team from a power rating standpoint and the return of key players like quarterback CJ Carr.
• 🤔 He challenges critics to provide their own rankings and justify why Notre Dame shouldn't be at the top, noting that one critic suggested they should be third.

Alabama, Penn State, and SEC Bias Accusations

• 📊 Alabama is ranked 13th, a position Pate believes is properly rated or even slightly underrated, despite some Crimson Tide fans thinking they were too low.
• 🧐 Penn State is ranked 15th, a ranking Pate admits he may need to reconsider, acknowledging that some viewers felt it was too high due to a perceived subpar roster.
• 🗣️ Pate addresses accusations of SEC bias, stating that his rankings are predictive, not reactive, and that teams like Texas, Georgia, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma are ranked based on their potential and past performance, including playoff appearances.
• 💰 He points to FanDuel odds as a potential indicator of team strength, suggesting that if the SEC is overrated by oddsmakers, then other teams might be underrated and worth betting on.
• 🎯 Pate clarifies that his rankings are a comparative list of how teams stack up in a vacuum, not a projection of final standings or a consideration of schedules.