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 November 19, 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 14 − 1 587 24 45 66 34 60 80 31 83 5 10 -10 23 59 14 54 2 1 0 0 0 1
2 Hardin-Simmons 14 − 1 366 25 11 30 16 8 23 4 83 35 -14 18 43 13 51 8 2 2 0 0 0 2
3 Texas 13 − 2 384 13 35 6 -15 34 25 48 49 19 52 -6 31 53 13 6 1 2 1 1 0 3
4 Angelo State 13 − 2 339 40 25 4 50 40 41 32 24 6 -14 21 18 20 -5 25 1 1 1 0 0 6
5 SMU 13 − 2 267 13 26 4 33 10 29 27 -3 26 5 -9 15 48 7 27 1 2 0 0 0 4
6 Trinity 12 − 3 310 17 30 22 6 27 22 -12 6 -15 -43 14 52 41 66 53 2 2 2 0 0 5
7 UIW 12 − 3 239 10 24 28 6 16 48 28 24 -7 -21 21 24 -13 13 14 1 1 2 1 0 7
8 Tarleton 12 − 3 189 -4 20 -4 13 45 4 3 17 17 -21 3 4 45 5 42 0 0 0 0 0 8
9 McMurry 11 − 4 288 40 31 31 -22 -5 21 28 24 45 -4 23 6 41 27 -1 1 0 0 0 0 12
10 Navarro 11 − 4 195 10 23 28 9 54 -1 14 -8 -9 4 13 31 -17 34 7 0 1 0 0 0 13
11 Sam Houston 11 − 4 80 9 9 6 -17 23 1 23 18 -31 20 6 -5 18 3 -3 0 0 0 0 0 15
12 UTPB 10 − 5 318 71 53 17 -3 4 -29 27 -6 53 -17 41 -7 31 56 15 1 1 1 0 0 10
13 Mary Hardin-Baylor 10 − 5 282 59 -8 16 44 -23 14 -20 28 12 -10 38 27 37 44 -3 0 1 3 1 0 11
14 Texas A&M 10 − 5 154 35 -24 18 13 34 7 6 16 21 -10 -8 -12 14 44 -3 0 1 0 0 0 14
15 Kilgore 10 − 5 144.5 -11 -10 11 -3 6.5 66 -5 13 9 -40 12 5 13 40 23 1 2 0 1 0 9
16 Texas A&M-Kingsville 10 − 5 99 18 11 -7 10 -31 -38 30 38 9 20 -3 9 10 -4 24 0 1 0 0 0 20
17 Texas Tech 10 − 5 23.5 -14 4 -1 -24 9 6 11 45 -21 0.5 20 -50 4 6 10 0 2 2 0 0 16
18 Texas State 9 − 6 177.5 58 24 -6 -10 35 24 -1 -3 39 3.5 24 11 -46 -8 24 0 1 1 0 0 24
19 Texas Lutheran 9 − 6 170 10 26 38 25 41 12 52 -21 15 22 -3 -4 -10 -5 -34 1 1 0 0 0 17
20 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 19
21 UTSA 9 − 6 64 24 11 -1 17 -2 -10 19 -49 -39 12 18 -13 31 23 11 0 2 1 0 0 21
22 Abilene Christian 9 − 6 44.5 7 4 6 17 -13 10 28 -3 2 17 -0.5 -14 -1 20 -38 1 0 0 0 0 22
23 Tyler 9 − 6 33 14 -25 6 43 6 14 13 10 -25 -3 -10 -37 13 28 -14 0 0 0 0 0 23
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 27
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 18
26 Lamar 8 − 7 58.5 20 -21 -3 35 12 -7 -20 3 1 14 -3.5 28 -13 23 -10 0 0 0 0 0 25
27 Prairie View A&M 8 − 7 -21 -13 22 4 7 -4 -28 5 -7 -20 6 -18 -21 10 9 27 0 0 0 0 0 26
28 TCU 7 − 8 19.5 28 -3 4 9 -11 14 -24 -1 22.5 7 -24 28 -3 -7 -38 1 1 1 1 0 28
29 North Texas 7 − 8 -18.5 -21 -11 -8 -8 7 35 30 -45 7.5 14 6 10 -24 -8 -3 0 0 0 0 0 29
30 Houston Christian 7 − 8 -72.5 -1 6 -25 -49 -30 24 3 -19 31.5 -17 -26 -21 14 7 30 0 0 0 0 0 31
31 SFA 6 − 9 92 -7 -5 19 52 -1 10 45 41 -4 -7.5 38.5 -12 -28 -42 -7 0 0 0 0 0 33
32 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 38
33 Baylor 6 − 9 -6 17 6 13 27 -22 -6 -7 28 -11 21 -3 -25 -34 -1 -12 0 1 0 0 0 34
34 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
35 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
36 Nelson 6 − 9 -110 -21 13 -4 36 -57 -20 -6 -28 34 4 20 -23 -19 12 -51 0 0 0 0 0 30
37 Cisco 6 − 9 -114 -7 11 -6 -40 -15 10 8 7 -18 -28 -10 14 7 -13 -34 0 0 0 0 0 32
38 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
39 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 37
40 Texas Southern 5 − 10 -47 6 -21 -24 10 -3 9 -29 -3 -31 21 -1 37 -2 -6 -10 0 0 0 0 0 40
41 Rice 5 − 10 -58 -7 17 -7 -14 5 -1 -23 -26 31 -20 -24 6 24 -20 -5 0 2 0 0 0 41
42 Houston 5 − 10 -141 -24 8 6 -28 14 -20 -34 26 -4 -20 -14 -13 -10 4 -41 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 UTEP 3 − 12 -143 11 -7 -4 12 -27 -20 -10 -18 -6 -33 -14 -4 -8 6 -21 0 0 0 0 0 45
46 East Texas A&M 3 − 12 -172.5 4 8 -28 -7 -9 24 -12 -34 -7 -14 -16 -38 -20 -4 -20 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