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.

As of January 12, 2025

  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 Wesleyan 13 − 2 524 -9 24 45 66 34 60 80 31 83 5 10 -10 23 59 14 2 1 0 0 0 1
2 Hardin-Simmons 13 − 2 364 -4 25 11 30 19 8 26 4 83 55 35 -14 18 43 13 2 2 0 0 0 3
3 Angelo State 12 − 3 301 -10 40 25 4 50 40 41 32 24 9 -14 21 18 20 -5 1 1 0 0 0 5
4 UIW 12 − 3 196 -41 7 17 10 24 28 6 16 48 28 24 -7 -21 21 24 1 1 1 0 0 6
5 McMurry 11 − 4 288 40 31 31 -22 -5 21 28 24 45 -4 23 6 41 27 -1 1 0 0 0 0 8
6 Texas 11 − 4 263 -14 11 17 -3 13 20 13 35 6 -15 31 22 48 52 -6 1 2 2 2 0 2
7 Trinity 11 − 4 244 -7 17 30 22 6 27 22 -12 6 -15 -43 14 52 41 66 2 2 1 0 0 9
8 Navarro 11 − 4 209 31 6 10 23 28 9 54 -1 -10 30 14 -8 -9 4 13 1 2 1 0 0 11
9 SMU 11 − 4 200 -28 -3 35 29 13 26 4 33 10 29 24 -3 26 5 -9 1 2 0 0 0 4
10 Tarleton 11 − 4 137 -11 14 28 -4 20 -4 13 45 4 3 17 17 -21 3 4 0 1 1 0 0 7
11 Sam Houston 11 − 4 71 5 5 -10 9 9 6 -17 23 1 23 18 -31 20 6 -5 0 1 1 0 0 12
12 Texas State 10 − 5 220.5 2 10 -8 58 24 -6 -10 35 24 -1 -3 39 3.5 24 11 0 2 2 0 0 17
13 Mary Hardin-Baylor 10 − 5 178 -7 10 4 7 59 -8 16 44 -23 17 18 -10 28 12 -10 0 1 3 0 0 10
14 Kilgore 10 − 5 138 -11 -10 11 -3 16 63 -5 13 13 9 -40 12 5 13 40 1 1 0 1 0 14
15 TCU 10 − 5 123.5 31 10 24 28 -3 4 9 -11 14 -24 -1 22.5 7 -24 28 0 1 1 0 0 20
16 Texas A&M-Kingsville 10 − 5 96 18 11 -7 10 -31 -38 30 38 9 20 -3 9 10 -4 24 0 0 0 0 0 15
17 UTPB 9 − 6 298 -2 71 53 17 -3 4 -29 27 -6 53 -17 41 -7 31 56 1 2 0 0 0 13
18 Texas Lutheran 9 − 6 142 -62 10 26 38 25 41 12 52 -21 15 22 -3 -4 -10 -5 1 1 0 0 0 18
19 Trinity Valley 9 − 6 78 26 26 -13 -51 6 24 -4 -7 7 -1 37 9 -20 20 16 0 1 0 0 0 22
20 Lamar 9 − 6 73.5 5 20 -21 -3 35 12 -7 -20 3 1 14 -3.5 28 -13 23 0 0 0 0 0 23
21 Abilene Christian 9 − 6 63.5 -20 24 -13 7 4 6 17 -13 10 28 -3 2 17 -1 -14 1 1 1 0 0 21
22 Tyler 9 − 6 44 -3 14 -25 6 43 6 14 13 10 -25 -3 -10 -37 13 28 0 0 0 0 0 24
23 Texas Tech 9 − 6 38.5 -13 40 11 -14 4 -1 -24 9 6 11 45 -21 0.5 23 -50 0 2 1 0 0 16
24 Texas College 9 − 6 -57.5 24 5 -63 9 9 30 7 -10 -25 25.5 11 -17 5 -56 -12 0 0 0 0 0 25
25 East Texas Baptist 8 − 7 86 -22 24 -13 -16 12 -14 39 35 45 -15 -9 17 13 4 -14 0 0 0 0 0 26
26 Texas A&M 8 − 7 72.5 -4 -10 -2 38 -24 18 13 34 4 9 6.5 -10 -8 -12 14 0 2 0 0 0 19
27 Baylor 8 − 7 72 -13 31 13 17 6 13 27 -22 -6 -7 28 -11 21 -3 -25 0 1 0 0 0 28
28 UTSA 8 − 7 56 29 -5 27 24 11 -1 17 -2 -10 19 -49 -39 12 18 -13 0 2 2 0 0 27
29 North Texas 8 − 7 12.5 -2 10 -12 -21 -11 -8 -8 7 35 27 -45 7.5 14 6 10 0 1 0 0 0 29
30 SFA 7 − 8 112 13 -7 -5 19 52 -1 10 45 41 -4 -7.5 38.5 -12 -28 -42 0 0 0 0 0 30
31 Prairie View A&M 7 − 8 -51 -3 -13 22 4 7 -4 -28 5 -7 -20 6 -18 -21 10 9 0 0 0 0 0 31
32 Houston Christian 7 − 8 -61.5 41 -1 6 -25 -49 -30 24 3 -19 31.5 -17 -26 -21 14 7 0 0 0 0 0 32
33 Midwestern State 6 − 9 21 31 -5 -5 -21 -37 22 -27 -24 24 -5 7 -6 -15 52 30 0 0 0 0 0 33
34 Texas Southern 6 − 9 -26 11 6 -21 -24 10 -3 9 -29 -3 -31 21 -1 37 -2 -6 0 0 0 0 0 34
35 Rice 6 − 9 -52 10 -26 -7 17 -7 -14 5 -1 -23 -26 31 -20 -24 6 24 0 1 0 0 0 35
36 West Texas A&M 6 − 9 -63 -37 8 10 -14 21 28 -8 -42 -9 -28 24 -8 -17 -16 25 0 0 0 0 0 36
37 Southwestern 6 − 9 -70 -7 -27 28 -10 -3 26 -37 -15 28 4 27 32 -50 -24 -42 0 0 0 0 0 37
38 Nelson 6 − 9 -110 -21 13 -4 36 -57 -20 -6 -28 34 4 20 -23 -19 12 -51 0 0 0 0 0 38
39 Cisco 6 − 9 -114 -7 11 -6 -40 -15 10 8 7 -18 -28 -10 14 7 -13 -34 0 0 0 0 0 39
40 Wayland Baptist 5 − 10 12.5 -1 -2 42 -31 23 -14 8 -1 20.5 -18 -8 -2 28 -11 -21 0 0 0 0 0 40
41 Blinn 5 − 10 11.5 -8 -8 25 59 -3 -3 4 -5 22.5 -10 10 -25 -13 -31 -3 0 0 0 0 0 41
42 Houston 4 − 11 -135 -12 -10 -24 8 6 -28 14 -20 -34 26 -4 -20 -14 -13 -10 0 0 0 0 0 42
43 Howard Payne 4 − 11 -173 -56 -21 -27 -41 -9 -7 27 -4 -32 -25 -5 7 -24 27 17 0 0 0 0 0 43
44 Sul Ross State 4 − 11 -345.5 -68 -66 8 -47 17 -19 -35 -22 0.5 -19 -21 -20 8 -14 -48 0 0 0 0 0 44
45 East Texas A&M 3 − 12 -166.5 -14 4 8 -28 -7 -9 24 -12 -34 -7 -14 -15.5 -38 -20 -4 0 0 0 0 0 45
46 UTEP 3 − 12 -174 10 -56 11 -7 -4 12 -27 -20 -10 -18 -6 -33 -14 -4 -8 0 0 0 0 0 46
47 Austin College 2 − 13 -303 13 -28 -20 -38 21 -9 -25 -19 -36 -6 -19 -40 -38 -35 -24 0 0 0 0 0 47
48 North American 2 − 13 -375 22 15 -35 -33 -46 -21 -4 -42 -80 -35 -39 -7 -5 -57 -9 0 0 0 0 0 48