There are 41 undefeated Power Four football teams with at least two wins. The Big Ten has the most undefeated teams with 14, followed by the SEC with 12, the ACC with eight, and the Big 12 with seven. TCU's 1-0 record is not included in the Big 12's seven. Human polls love undefeated teams, but wins against inferior opponents sometimes suggest strength that is not real.
If, as Nick Saban recently suggested, college football had a 'Quad' system like college basketball to rank teams, some current Top 25 teams would not be highly ranked.
In the current AP Poll, Penn State is ranked No. 2. The Nittany Lions have played Nevada and Florida International, giving PSU a current Strength of Schedule (SOS) of No. 118 among FBS teams. Another still suspect B1G team is No. 4-ranked Oregon, with wins over Montana State and Oklahoma State, producing an SOS of No. 105. The Indiana Hoosiers are following their resume pattern from last season. IU is undefeated and ranked No. 22, with wins over Old Dominion and Kennesaw State. The Hoosier SOS is No. 103.
Ranked College Football Teams Short on Proof
The point of this exercise is not to debate how good certain teams are. Rather, it is to show that some already perceived top teams have not proven much of anything. The Georgia Bulldogs are another example. SEC football fans expect the Bulldogs to be one of college football's top teams again in 2025. So far, that claim is unproven. Georgia is ranked No. 5 in the AP Poll, with wins over Marshall and Austin Peay. The Georgia SOS is No. 119.
Another AP-ranked team is Texas Tech at No. 21. The Red Raiders have beaten Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Kent State. The Texas Tech SOS is No. 135 among the 136 FBS teams.
The Arkansas Razorbacks are ranked in the AP Poll, but the Hogs are undefeated after playing Alabama A&M and Arkansas State. Arkansas has the SEC's worst SOS at No. 124.
The SOS numbers will fluctuate considerably until late in the season. As the sample increases with games played, it will be interesting to track what teams are being overrated.