College Football Heat Index

Who’s the hottest football team in Texas? We’ve always wanted to know the answer but haven’t found a way to quantify it. Then, Max Thompson had an idea and created the first Texas College Football Heat Index. Max is no longer at Dave Campbell’s, but his dream lives on... with a twist.
The Heat Index uses a unique formula that gives a team bonus points for winning conference titles, conference games, appearing in the playoffs, playoff wins, bowl game appearances, bowl game victories, national semifinal victories, and national titles over the last two seasons. Teams that defeat opponents from a lower division will have the point differential from that contest cut in half. Meanwhile, teams who lose to an opponent from a higher division will have the point differential from that contest cut in half. For example, FBS UTEP defeated FCS UIW 28-14 in 2023. The Heat Index gave the Miners credit for a seven-point victory, and the Cardinals were given credit for a seven-point loss.

The Heat Index will be updated weekly during the regular season and after the postseason concludes.

  Team Record Total 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Conf Title Playoff/Bowl App Playoff/Bowl wins National Semis National Title Last Week
1 Texas 13 − 2 328 19 52 -6 31 53 13 6 6 32 10 -4 29 35 21 10 1 2 1 1 0 1
2 SMU 12 − 3 315.5 -3 26 5 -9 15 48 7 27 8 62 58 24 21 -17 34.5 1 2 0 0 0 5
3 Texas Wesleyan 12 − 3 314 3 5 10 -10 26 59 14 54 65 -18 18 58 19 35 -30 2 0 0 0 0 3
4 Hardin-Simmons 12 − 3 258 35 -14 18 43 13 51 8 6 9 -27 7 44 -7 32 31 1 2 0 0 0 8
5 Kilgore 12 − 3 242 9 -40 12 5 13 40 23 16 -4 28 51 14 -4 30 31 2 2 0 1 0 7
6 Trinity 11 − 4 341 -15 -43 14 52 41 66 53 31 12 52 38 19 -3 -7 7 2 2 2 0 0 2
7 UTPB 11 − 4 288 -17 41 -7 31 56 15 8 32 11 15 4 79 -8 48 -35 1 2 1 0 0 4
8 Tarleton 11 − 4 164 17 -21 3 4 45 5 42 -6 -1 4 7 -19 24 18 42 0 0 0 0 0 11
9 UIW 11 − 4 160 -21 21 24 -13 13 14 20 10 30 7 35 -7 -3 3 3 1 1 2 1 0 6
10 Trinity Valley 10 − 5 127 7 -1 37 9 -20 20 16 37 -3 12 7 -7 -28 16 22 0 1 0 0 0 13
11 Texas State 10 − 5 113.5 39 3.5 24 11 -46 -8 24 -18 4 -4 17 11 43 -7 11 0 1 1 0 0 18
12 Navarro 10 − 5 113 14 -8 -6 4 13 28 -14 34 7 42 -20 -36 2 31 19 0 1 0 0 0 15
13 UTSA 10 − 5 108 -39 12 18 -13 31 23 11 17 29 24 18 -31 -8 7 -3 0 2 1 0 0 12
14 Mary Hardin-Baylor 9 − 6 180 -20 28 12 -10 38 27 37 44 -3 -19 -23 -35 13 7 54 1 1 3 1 0 9
15 Angelo State 9 − 6 180 -5 -14 21 18 20 -5 25 12 56 -3 -10 24 -18 26 21 1 1 1 0 0 10
16 Nelson 9 − 6 57 20 -23 -19 12 -51 24 -24 -42 25 -16 17 20 66 28 20 0 0 0 0 0 16
17 East Texas Baptist 9 − 6 30.5 45 -15 -9 17 13 4 -14 31 -53 1 -20 21.5 6 6 -3 0 0 0 0 0 22
18 Texas A&M 8 − 7 158 21 -10 -8 -12 14 44 -3 16 -7 -6 15 20 44 -15 42 0 1 0 0 0 19
19 Howard Payne 8 − 7 102 -32 -25 -5 7 -24 27 17 -6 85 16 14 6 -3 -9 34 0 0 0 0 0 14
20 Texas Tech 8 − 7 11.5 -21 0.5 20 -50 4 6 10 -13 -17 28 24 -7 19 -8 -2 0 2 2 0 0 17
21 McMurry 7 − 8 70 -4 23 6 41 27 -1 -3 38 -41 51 -1 -59 -6 -7 6 0 0 0 0 0 23
22 Abilene Christian 7 − 8 30.5 17 -1 -14 -1 20 -38 10 20 -7 -35 -7 29 20 -3 20 0 0 0 0 0 25
23 Texas A&M-Kingsville 7 − 8 26 -3 9 10 -4 24 -22 10 -12 24 3 20 -17 -11 -4 -4 0 1 0 0 0 24
24 TCU 7 − 8 23 23 7 -24 28 -3 -7 -38 36 -13 -3 17 26 17.5 -3 -58 1 1 1 1 0 26
25 Rice 7 − 8 22 31 -20 -24 6 24 -20 -5 -2 35 -7 10 -13 26 2 -27 0 2 0 0 0 29
26 Midwestern State 7 − 8 16 -5 7 -6 -15 52 30 -3 -8 6 -23 13 -29 -18 7 8 0 0 0 0 0 20
27 Lamar 7 − 8 7 14 -4 28 -13 23 -10 9 17 5 19 -29 -5 -25 -4 -19 0 0 0 0 0 28
28 North Texas 7 − 8 -10.5 7.5 14 6 10 -24 -8 -3 -7 34 -3 7 3 -7 -37 -3 0 0 0 0 0 30
29 Tyler 7 − 8 -43 -25 -3 -10 -37 13 28 -14 6 6 24 -14 -28 -17 7 21 0 0 0 0 0 21
30 Prairie View A&M 7 − 8 -119.5 6 -18 -21 10 9 27 -38 -30 22 -15 6 -34.5 -29 6 -20 0 0 0 0 0 27
31 Sul Ross State 6 − 9 -91.5 -19 -21 -20 8 -14 -48 -24 45 6 10 -20 -7 6 -3 9 0 0 0 0 0 31
32 Texas Southern 5 − 10 -5.5 -31 21 -1 37 -2 -6 -10 6 22.5 -12 -26 -34 -3 -4 37 0 0 0 0 0 34
33 SFA 5 − 10 -8 -8 39 -12 -28 -42 -7 -3 -6 29 -2 34 28 -9 6 -27 0 0 0 0 0 35
34 Texas Lutheran 5 − 10 -28.5 15 22 -3 -4 -10 -5 -34 -3 -6.5 32 -17 -29 7 -3 10 0 0 0 0 0 38
35 Houston 5 − 10 -96 -4 -20 -14 -13 -10 4 -41 -7 5 -21 31 -23 -2 3 7 0 1 1 0 0 36
36 Southwestern 5 − 10 -163 4 27 32 -50 -24 -42 -24 26 -13 -32 -6 -3 -4 14 -68 0 0 0 0 0 42
37 Houston Christian 5 − 10 -175 -17 -26 -21 14 7 30 -31 -2 18 -59 -15 33 -42 -11 -53 0 0 0 0 0 37
38 Cisco 5 − 10 -181 -18 -28 -10 14 7 -13 -34 4 25 -19 -4 -37 4 -34 -38 0 0 0 0 0 32
39 Blinn 4 − 11 9.5 23 -10 10 -25 -13 -31 -3 86 -1 66 -37 -11 -18 -14 -12 0 0 0 0 0 43
40 West Texas A&M 4 − 11 -43 -28 24 -8 -17 -16 25 -7 -1 -1 26 21 -22 -32 -3 -4 0 0 0 0 0 33
41 Sam Houston 4 − 11 -89 -31 20 6 -5 18 3 -3 -6 -14 -5 -7 -31 -10 -14 -10 0 0 0 0 0 39
42 Baylor 4 − 11 -130.5 -11 21 -3 -25 -34 -1 -12 6 -25 4 -32 11.5 -7 -11 -15 0 1 0 0 0 41
43 UTEP 3 − 12 -139 -6 -33 -14 -4 -8 6 -21 16 -14 -17 -21 -31 14 -3 -3 0 0 0 0 0 40
44 Wayland Baptist 3 − 12 -161 38 -18 -8 -2 28 -11 -21 -53 -46 -10 -16 39 -27 -24 -30 0 0 0 0 0 44
45 Texas College 3 − 12 -406 26 11 -17 5 -56 -12 -45 -15 -4 -41 -48 -34 -48 -65 -63 0 0 0 0 0 47
46 Austin College 2 − 13 -271 -6 -19 -40 -38 -35 -24 -42 -28 11 -2 -12 -3 -28 -11 6 0 0 0 0 0 45
47 Texas A&M-Commerce 1 − 14 -227 -14 -16 -38 -20 -4 -20 -17 34 -29 -0.5 -28 -38 -8 -2 -27 0 0 0 0 0 48
48 North American 1 − 14 -478.5 -35 -39 -7 -5 -57 -9 -40 -55 7 -30 -46 -55 -36 -19 -54 0 0 0 0 0 46