College Football Top 25 Poll Reasoning Survey

Thanks for sharing your college football rankings! This survey looks at how you'd build your own Top 25 ballot and what drives your calls. Your responses are completely confidential and anonymized. About 5-6 minutes.

In a typical week during the season, how closely do you follow college football rankings and results?

• I watch most games and track every ranking release
• I watch some games and check rankings weekly
• I mostly follow scores and rankings, few full games
• I only check in around major matchups or the playoff picture

Rank these teams from strongest to weakest as they'd appear on your personal Top 25 ballot this week. (Template note: replace with the current week's top contenders before launching.)

1. (Replace with Team A)
2. (Replace with Team B)
3. (Replace with Team C)
4. (Replace with Team D)
5. (Replace with Team E)
6. (Replace with Team F)
7. (Replace with Team G)
8. (Replace with Team H)

When you decide how to rank two closely matched teams, which of these factors matter most versus least to you?

• Overall win-loss record
• Quality of wins against ranked opponents
• Avoiding losses to unranked or weaker teams
• Game-by-game performance ('eye test')
• Strength of schedule
• Path to a conference championship
• Preseason expectations or reputation

Which team do you think most deserves to be ranked #1 this week? (Template note: replace with the current top contenders.)

• (Replace with Team A)
• (Replace with Team B)
• (Replace with Team C)
• (Replace with Team D)

How confident are you that this week's official rankings reflect which teams are actually the strongest?

In your view, which factor currently gets too much weight in how teams get ranked?

• Overall win-loss record
• Conference affiliation or brand reputation
• Recent momentum or 'hot streaks'
• Preseason rankings and expectations
• Margin of victory / 'eye test' impressions

Probe why the respondent ranked their #1 team above the others they placed just below it — anchor on a specific game, stat, or result they point to as proof. Then ask them to name one team in the official rankings whose position they'd move significantly (up or down) and walk through exactly what evidence changes their mind. If they say the rankings are basically fine as-is, ask what would have to happen in the next two weeks to shift their ballot.

Is there a team you think is clearly overrated or underrated right now? Tell us which one and why.

Just a few quick background questions to help us compare voting patterns across different types of fans and voters — all optional.

Which best describes your relationship to college football rankings?

• Casual fan
• Die-hard fan of one or two teams
• Media member or sports writer
• Official poll voter or committee member
• Coach, player, or athletics staff
• Prefer not to say

What is your age range?

• Under 18
• 18-24
• 25-34
• 35-44
• 45-54
• 55-64
• 65+
• Prefer not to say

What is your highest level of education completed?

• High school or less
• Some college
• Bachelor's degree
• Graduate or professional degree
• Prefer not to say

Thanks for building out your ballot with us! Your rankings and reasoning will be aggregated with other respondents to study how voters actually weigh evidence when ranking teams.