The latest US LBM Coaches Poll top 25 has a new set of teams occupying the bottom three spots, with SMU at No. 23, South Carolina at No. 24 and New Mexico at No. 25.
The poll is conducted weekly throughout the regular season by a panel of head coaches at Football Bowl Subdivision schools, making it one of the most familiar ranking systems in college football. While the top of the ballot draws the most attention, the final spots in the poll can be just as revealing, since they often show which teams are hanging onto a national ranking and which programs are pushing to break in.
How the Coaches Poll works
Each week during the regular season, coaches around the Football Bowl Subdivision submit their votes in the US LBM Coaches Poll. The result is a Top 25 that reflects the view of the coaching panel at that point in the 2026 season.
For teams like SMU, South Carolina and New Mexico, landing in the final three positions matters because it keeps them inside the national conversation. It also shows how close the margin can be in the lower part of the rankings, where a few points can separate a team from moving up or sliding out of the poll entirely.
The latest update is another reminder that the Coaches Poll is not just about the top tier. The No. 23 through No. 25 spots help define the weekly shape of the rankings, and they can change quickly as teams build momentum or fade over the course of the season.
