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 December 4, 2024

  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 Texas 13 − 2 398 13 20 13 35 6 -15 34 25 48 49 19 52 -6 31 53 1 2 1 1 0 3
3 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 2
4 SMU 13 − 2 297 35 29 13 26 4 33 10 29 27 -3 26 5 -9 15 48 1 2 0 0 0 4
5 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 7
6 UIW 12 − 3 224 17 10 24 28 6 16 48 28 24 -7 -21 21 24 -13 13 1 1 0 0 0 5
7 Tarleton 12 − 3 196 17 28 -4 20 -4 13 45 4 3 17 17 -21 3 4 45 0 1 1 0 0 6
8 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
9 Trinity 11 − 4 250 -7 17 30 22 6 27 22 -12 6 -15 -43 14 52 41 66 2 2 2 0 0 9
10 Mary Hardin-Baylor 11 − 4 240 7 10 59 -8 16 44 -23 17 18 -10 28 12 -10 38 27 0 1 2 0 0 13
11 Navarro 11 − 4 203 6 10 23 28 9 54 -1 -10 30 14 -8 -9 4 13 31 1 2 0 0 0 10
12 Sam Houston 11 − 4 75 5 -10 9 9 6 -17 23 1 23 18 -31 20 6 -5 18 0 0 0 0 0 11
13 UTPB 10 − 5 312 71 53 17 -3 4 -29 27 -6 53 -17 41 -7 31 56 15 1 1 0 0 0 12
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 15
15 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 16
16 Texas Tech 10 − 5 58.5 40 11 -14 4 -1 -24 9 6 11 45 -21 0.5 20 -50 4 0 2 2 0 0 17
17 Texas State 9 − 6 163.5 10 -8 58 24 -6 -10 35 24 -1 -3 39 3.5 24 11 -46 0 1 1 0 0 24
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 Texas A&M 9 − 6 101 -10 -2 35 -24 18 13 34 7 6 16 21 -10 -8 -12 14 0 1 0 0 0 14
20 TCU 9 − 6 98.5 10 24 28 -3 4 9 -11 14 -24 -1 22.5 7 -24 28 -3 1 1 1 1 0 26
21 Abilene Christian 9 − 6 82.5 24 -13 7 4 6 17 -13 10 28 -3 2 17 -0.5 -14 -1 1 1 1 0 0 27
22 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 20
23 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 21
24 Tyler 9 − 6 44 -3 14 -25 6 43 6 14 13 10 -25 -3 -10 -37 13 28 0 0 0 0 0 22
25 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 23
26 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 25
27 UTSA 8 − 7 52 -5 27 24 11 -1 17 -2 -10 19 -49 -39 12 18 -13 31 0 2 1 0 0 19
28 Baylor 8 − 7 51 31 13 17 6 13 27 -22 -6 -7 28 -11 21 -3 -25 -34 0 1 0 0 0 29
29 North Texas 8 − 7 -9.5 10 -12 -21 -11 -8 -8 7 35 30 -45 7.5 14 6 10 -24 0 0 0 0 0 30
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 28
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 -49 10 -26 -7 17 -7 -14 5 -1 -23 -26 31 -20 -24 6 24 0 2 0 0 0 41
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 35
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 36
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 37
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 38
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 39
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 40
42 Houston 4 − 11 -126 -12 -10 -24 8 6 -28 14 -20 -34 26 -4 -20 -14 -13 -10 0 1 1 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