Phil Steele's Top 12 College Football Surprise Teams Ahead of Week 10

As kickoff for the 2026 college football season draws near, ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) supercomputer simulated thousands of regular-season scenarios to project the final 12-team College Football Playoff bracket. Stripping away subjective voter bias and preseason hype, the algorithm evaluated per-play efficiency, roster talent, and schedule difficulty to calculate every program's exact postseason odds. We expanded our master index to power rank the top 30 teams most likely to crash the playoff party. From top-tier titans like Ohio State, Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame, and Oregon leading the field, to dark horses and Group-of-Five contenders like Boise State, Utah, South Carolina, Florida State, and Virginia lurking on the bubble, we break down every program's FPI profile, projected record, and postseason odds. Check out our complete 30-team playoff projection to see where your team stands.

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View the profile of Oklahoma Sooners DB Pierce Hudgens on SportsGrid. Get the latest news, stats, player prop picks, related players, and more on SportsGrid.com.

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Pierce Hudgens is a DB for the Oklahoma Sooners in the NCAAF.

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Pierce Hudgens

#49 · OKL · DB

HT/WT

6’1”, 204 lbs

Birthplace

Flower Mound, TX, USA

Class

Junior

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