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 − 2 367 49 19 52 -6 31 53 13 6 6 32 10 -4 29 35 21 1 2 1 1 0 1
2 Texas Wesleyan 12 − 3 388 83 5 10 -10 23 59 14 54 65 -18 15 58 19 35 -30 2 0 0 0 0 3
3 UTPB 12 − 3 376 53 -17 41 -7 31 56 15 8 32 11 15 4 79 -8 48 1 2 1 0 0 7
4 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 2
5 Hardin-Simmons 12 − 3 279 52 35 -14 18 43 13 51 8 6 9 -27 7 44 -7 32 1 2 0 0 0 4
6 Kilgore 12 − 3 224 13 9 -40 12 5 13 40 23 16 -4 28 51 14 -4 30 2 2 0 1 0 5
7 Trinity 11 − 4 379 45 -15 -43 14 52 41 66 53 31 12 52 38 19 -3 -7 2 2 2 0 0 6
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 8
9 UIW 10 − 5 150 -7 -21 21 24 -13 13 14 20 10 30 7 35 -7 -3 3 1 1 2 1 0 9
10 East Texas Baptist 10 − 5 68.5 35 45 -15 -9 17 13 4 -14 31 -53 1 -20 21.5 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 17
11 UTSA 10 − 5 62 -49 -39 12 18 -13 31 23 11 17 29 24 18 -31 -8 7 0 2 1 0 0 13
12 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 14
13 Angelo State 9 − 6 168 9 -5 -14 21 18 20 -5 25 12 56 -3 -10 24 -18 26 1 1 1 0 0 15
14 Navarro 9 − 6 121 30 14 -8 -9 4 13 31 -17 34 7 45 -20 -36 -1 31 0 1 0 0 0 12
15 Texas State 9 − 6 99.5 -3 39 3.5 24 11 -46 -8 24 -18 4 -4 17 11 43 -7 0 1 1 0 0 11
16 Trinity Valley 9 − 6 98 -7 7 -1 37 9 -20 20 16 37 -3 12 7 -7 -28 16 0 1 0 0 0 10
17 Texas Tech 9 − 6 58.5 45 -21 0.5 20 -50 4 6 10 -13 -17 28 24 -7 19 -8 0 2 2 0 0 20
18 Nelson 9 − 6 41 4 20 -23 -19 12 -51 24 -24 -42 25 -16 17 20 66 28 0 0 0 0 0 16
19 Texas A&M 8 − 7 132 16 21 -10 -8 -12 14 44 -3 16 -7 -6 15 20 44 -15 0 1 0 0 0 18
20 Texas A&M-Kingsville 8 − 7 50 20 -3 9 10 -4 24 -22 10 -12 24 3 20 -17 -11 -4 0 1 0 0 0 23
21 Lamar 8 − 7 26.5 1 14 -4 28 -13 23 -10 9 17 5 19 -29 -5 -25 -4 0 0 0 0 0 27
22 McMurry 7 − 8 109 45 -4 23 6 41 27 -1 -3 38 -41 51 -1 -59 -6 -7 0 0 0 0 0 21
23 TCU 7 − 8 80 -1 23 7 -24 28 -3 -7 -38 36 -13 -3 17 26 18 -3 1 1 1 1 0 24
24 Howard Payne 7 − 8 64 -4 -32 -25 -5 7 -24 27 17 -6 85 16 14 6 -3 -9 0 0 0 0 0 19
25 Rice 7 − 8 23 -26 31 -20 -24 6 24 -20 -5 -2 35 -7 10 -13 26 2 0 2 0 0 0 25
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 26
27 Abilene Christian 7 − 8 12.5 2 17 -1 -14 -1 20 -38 10 20 -7 -35 -7 29 20 -3 0 0 0 0 0 22
28 North Texas 7 − 8 -52.5 -45 7.5 14 6 10 -24 -8 -3 -7 34 -3 7 3 -7 -37 0 0 0 0 0 28
29 Tyler 7 − 8 -54 10 -25 -3 -10 -37 13 28 -14 6 6 24 -14 -28 -17 7 0 0 0 0 0 29
30 Prairie View A&M 7 − 8 -119.5 -20 6 -18 -21 10 9 27 -38 -30 22 -15 6 -34.5 -29 6 0 0 0 0 0 30
31 Southwestern 6 − 9 -67 28 4 27 32 -50 -24 -42 -24 26 -13 -32 -6 -3 -4 14 0 0 0 0 0 36
32 Houston Christian 6 − 9 -90.5 32 -17 -26 -21 14 7 30 -31 -2 18 -59 -15 33 -42 -11 0 0 0 0 0 37
33 Sul Ross State 6 − 9 -100 0.5 -19 -21 -20 8 -14 -48 -24 45 6 10 -19.5 -7 6 -3 0 0 0 0 0 31
34 SFA 5 − 10 15 -4 -8 39 -12 -28 -42 -7 -3 -6 29 -2 34 28 -9 6 0 0 0 0 0 33
35 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 32
36 Texas Lutheran 5 − 10 -12.5 26 15 22 -3 -4 -10 -5 -34 -3 -6.5 32 -17 -29 7 -3 0 0 0 0 0 34
37 Sam Houston 5 − 10 -61 18 -31 20 6 -5 18 3 -3 -6 -14 -5 -7 -31 -10 -14 0 0 0 0 0 41
38 Houston 5 − 10 -77 26 -4 -20 -14 -13 -10 4 -41 -7 5 -21 31 -23 -2 3 0 1 1 0 0 35
39 Baylor 5 − 10 -87.5 28 -11 21 -3 -25 -34 -1 -12 6 -25 4 -32 11.5 -7 -11 0 1 0 0 0 42
40 Cisco 5 − 10 -181 -18 -28 -10 14 7 -13 -34 4 25 -19 -4 -37 4 -34 -38 0 0 0 0 0 38
41 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 39
42 West Texas A&M 4 − 11 -48 -9 -28 24 -8 -17 -16 25 -7 -1 -1 26 21 -22 -32 -3 0 0 0 0 0 40
43 Wayland Baptist 3 − 12 -131.5 -1 38 -18 -8 -2 28 -11 -21 -53 -46 -10 -16 39 -27 -24 0 0 0 0 0 44
44 UTEP 3 − 12 -154 -18 -6 -33 -14 -4 -8 6 -21 16 -14 -17 -21 -31 14 -3 0 0 0 0 0 43
45 Texas College 3 − 12 -406.5 26 11 -17 5 -56 -12 -45 -15 -4 -41 -48 -34 -48 -65 -63 0 0 0 0 0 45
46 Texas A&M-Commerce 1 − 14 -207 -7 -14 -16 -38 -20 -4 -20 -17 34 -29 -0.5 -28 -38 -8 -2 0 0 0 0 0 47
47 Austin College 1 − 14 -313 -36 -6 -19 -40 -38 -35 -24 -42 -28 11 -2 -12 -3 -28 -11 0 0 0 0 0 46
48 North American 1 − 14 -504.5 -80 -35 -39 -7 -5 -57 -9 -40 -55 7 -30 -45.5 -55 -36 -19 0 0 0 0 0 48