A New Era Ushers In As the Pac-12 Has Recently Announced 4 New Teams from the Mountain West to Join Starting in 2026
With another week of college football wrapped up, more chaos ensued in the landscape of the sport known as College Football. Whether it be Texas having a death grip on the number one spot, newcomers like Boise State finally making a name for themselves in the AP poll, or the Pac-12 making its comeback, these are the spotlight rankings for Week 4 of the college football season.
No. 1 ranked Texas dominates once again, Arch Manning Makes His Official Debut, Showing Everyone What The Future Holds
Arch Manning finally gets his spotlight, taking over for the injured Heisman Candidate Quien Ewers. Taking on the General Booty led Warhawks (yes, that is his confirmed name), the former 2023 No.1 QB displayed what he can do in the Longhorn System, passing for 258 yards, going 15/29, and throwing 2 TDs and 2 Ints. Granted this was against a group of 5 schools, but the world finally gets to see what Arch Manning could do for the dominant Texas program. Next week, they will begin SEC play as they are back home against a struggling Mississippi State team who just lost to the Florida Gators (Really, you lost to the Florida Gators?!).
Ap Poll Watch: 9 SEC Teams in the Top 25, But 5 in the Top 6?!
Alongside Texas, there were a total of nine teams that placed in the AP polls this week. Some had struggled this week, like Missouri almost costing a game against Vanderbilt of all teams, knocking them down to 11. LSU isn’t too far back, being placed at 14, and could still sneakily be a playoff contender if things manage to go their way. But the biggest surprise is that five of those nine teams are still ranked in the Top 6, with Ohio State being the loner. Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Texas had all dominated their opponents by an average of 42 points (thanks to Tennessee only putting up 25 on a now 21st Ranked Oklahoma). Granted, Georgia and Alabama did not play this week, but that’s only because they’re preparing for a showdown against each other next week. Possible Playoff Match Preview?
As for other teams, Miami, Oregon, Penn State, and Utah round out the Top 10. Notre Dame, still suffering that embarrassing loss to Northern Illinois, still ranks at 16th. And first-time newcomers to the poll are BYU, upsetting former 13th-ranked Kansas State, and Boise State, replacing NIU as the only group of 5 teams inside the top 25.
Group of 5 Watch: Ashton Jeanty Finally Gets Boise State Ranked, Possible Dark Horse For Heisman?
With the new 12-team playoff format, a group of 5 schools gets a guaranteed chance at possibly pulling off the biggest Cinderella run of all time. And with Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty, he may just run there with the absolute dominance he’s had over this month. So far averaging 10.5 yards per carry, 586 yards on 56 attempts, and 9 touchdowns through three weeks of play, he is going to make a name for themselves. Managing to put up 6 touchdowns in the first game, and 3 against now 8th Ranked Oregon, his performance has put Boise State at the 25th spot on the AP polls. They now get a hard test against an underrated and undefeated Washington State team this week, possibly feeling cheery because…
Major News: The Pac-12 Has Risen, Newcomers from the Mountain West Come Along to Revive the Fallen Conference!
The Pac is back! On September 12, The Pac-12 Conference announced it’s finally going to bring in new teams to help revive the deserted state it was left in. Joining in are all teams from the Mountain West to help usher in a new era for academics and athletics. Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, the following teams will be added:
- Boise State University
- Colorado State University
- Fresno State University
- San Diego State University
- Utah State University – Confirmed on September 24th
It also appears that the Pac-12 looks to be eyeing some more teams from the AAC now, as they have attempted to get four teams (UTSA, Memphis, Tulane, USF) but their statement on September 23rd shows that they are committed to staying in the AAC (Having the Pac-12 Conference get teams that are near the Southeast portion of America is very odd, sounds very suspicious. Maybe they’re trying a proven strategy at getting teams from opposite parts of America?)
