{
  "spec": "pointcast.25-for-reasons/v1",
  "season": 2026,
  "title": "25 FOR REASONS",
  "subtitle": "A college-football poll with receipts.",
  "question": "If everybody played next Saturday, which 25 teams would we believe in most?",
  "cadence": {
    "review": "Each published edition dates its evidence and keeps the previous board.",
    "next": "Next edition after the next results review; no automatic publication is promised."
  },
  "methodology": [
    {
      "label": "Strength",
      "note": "Who we would trust on a neutral field next Saturday."
    },
    {
      "label": "Continuity",
      "note": "Quarterback, line, coordinator, and returning-production evidence."
    },
    {
      "label": "Path",
      "note": "Schedule leverage and the real route into the 12-team playoff."
    },
    {
      "label": "Accountability",
      "note": "Every case, doubt, and proof stays attached to the team all season."
    }
  ],
  "sale": {
    "name": "PointCast 25 / 2026 Founding Season Ticket",
    "priceUsd": 25,
    "recurring": false,
    "checkout": "https://pointcast.xyz/api/25/checkout",
    "checkoutMode": "hosted-external",
    "pointCastCardCapture": false,
    "promise": "Back the complete 2026 editorial season. The ranking and its receipts remain public; the ticket funds the weekly research, audio dispatches, and permanent season ledger."
  },
  "board": "001",
  "status": "week-4",
  "publishedAt": "2026-09-23T10:30:00-07:00",
  "nextBoardAt": null,
  "asOf": "2026-09-23",
  "resultsThrough": "2026-09-19",
  "editionLabel": "Week 4 · September 23, 2026",
  "movementBaseline": "Board 000 · July 27, 2026. No intervening PointCast boards were published.",
  "editorialNote": "PointCast rankings are editorial judgments. Records and latest results are sourced separately; the AP comparison is the September 20 poll. This edition does not imply live scores or an automated weekly update.",
  "sources": [
    {
      "label": "September 20 AP poll, records and latest results",
      "publisher": "College Poll Archive",
      "url": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271",
      "checkedAt": "2026-09-23"
    },
    {
      "label": "Week 4 AP and Coaches rankings cross-check",
      "publisher": "CFB App",
      "url": "https://cfb.app/top-25",
      "checkedAt": "2026-09-23"
    },
    {
      "label": "Ole Miss 32, LSU 24",
      "publisher": "Ole Miss Athletics",
      "url": "https://olemisssports.com/news/2026/9/19/football-handles-no-7-lsu-at-home",
      "checkedAt": "2026-09-23"
    },
    {
      "label": "Texas 30, UTSA 6",
      "publisher": "Texas Athletics",
      "url": "https://texaslonghorns.com/news/2026/9/20/no-1-1-football-downs-utsa-30-6",
      "checkedAt": "2026-09-23"
    }
  ],
  "teams": [
    {
      "rank": 1,
      "school": "Texas",
      "short": "TEX",
      "conference": "SEC",
      "movement": "+2",
      "signal": "title-weather",
      "accent": "#bf5700",
      "reason": "The lead belongs to Texas; now make it travel.",
      "case": "A 3–0 start and the national No. 1 position put the burden of proof on the challenger.",
      "doubt": "Routine control at home does not settle the next difficult road game.",
      "proof": "Keep the offense functional when the crowd and the early score turn against it.",
      "record": "3-0",
      "lastResult": "W 30–6 vs UTSA",
      "previousRank": 3,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #3 → #1. The lead belongs to Texas; now make it travel.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 2,
      "school": "Georgia",
      "short": "UGA",
      "conference": "SEC",
      "movement": "+3",
      "signal": "title-weather",
      "accent": "#ba0c2f",
      "reason": "A convincing road result earns the second chair.",
      "case": "The Arkansas margin gives this week’s case a conference result away from home.",
      "doubt": "One comfortable SEC afternoon is not a complete assessment of the defense.",
      "proof": "Repeat that control against an opponent capable of forcing a close fourth quarter.",
      "record": "3-0",
      "lastResult": "W 45–17 at Arkansas",
      "previousRank": 5,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #5 → #2. A convincing road result earns the second chair.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 3,
      "school": "Ole Miss",
      "short": "MISS",
      "conference": "SEC",
      "movement": "+14",
      "signal": "title-weather",
      "accent": "#ce1126",
      "reason": "We were too low. The succession argument now has a scoreboard.",
      "case": "Beating LSU supplies stronger evidence than July anxiety about the coaching transition.",
      "doubt": "An emotional home win must become a repeatable standard.",
      "proof": "Carry the same composure into the next road test.",
      "record": "3-0",
      "lastResult": "W 32–24 vs LSU",
      "previousRank": 17,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #17 → #3. We were too low. The succession argument now has a scoreboard.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 4,
      "school": "Notre Dame",
      "short": "ND",
      "conference": "Independent",
      "movement": "-2",
      "signal": "title-weather",
      "accent": "#c99700",
      "reason": "Still in the title conversation; this week we reward the sharper SEC evidence.",
      "case": "A seventeen-point win keeps the undefeated start intact.",
      "doubt": "Being dependable is different from demonstrating the highest ceiling.",
      "proof": "Win a game where the opponent forces the offense to change its first plan.",
      "record": "3-0",
      "lastResult": "W 27–10 vs Michigan State",
      "previousRank": 2,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #2 → #4. Still in the title conversation; this week we reward the sharper SEC evidence.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 5,
      "school": "Miami",
      "short": "MIA",
      "conference": "ACC",
      "movement": "+2",
      "signal": "title-weather",
      "accent": "#f47321",
      "reason": "A road conference win matters more than an immaculate-looking home score.",
      "case": "Miami leaves Wake Forest unbeaten with thirteen points of separation.",
      "doubt": "Twenty points conceded leave a defensive question underneath the win.",
      "proof": "Produce a complete defensive afternoon against a more demanding attack.",
      "record": "3-0",
      "lastResult": "W 33–20 at Wake Forest",
      "previousRank": 7,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #7 → #5. A road conference win matters more than an immaculate-looking home score.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 6,
      "school": "Indiana",
      "short": "IND",
      "conference": "Big Ten",
      "movement": "—",
      "signal": "title-weather",
      "accent": "#990000",
      "reason": "The champion is handling its work; the next measuring stick must be taller.",
      "case": "A shutout preserves the unbeaten start and earns continued title-level trust.",
      "doubt": "A clean result against this opposition cannot settle the top-five order.",
      "proof": "Keep the same control when explosive plays are harder to find.",
      "record": "3-0",
      "lastResult": "W 38–0 vs Western Kentucky",
      "previousRank": 6,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #6 → #6. The champion is handling its work; the next measuring stick must be taller.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 7,
      "school": "Ohio State",
      "short": "OSU",
      "conference": "Big Ten",
      "movement": "-6",
      "signal": "title-weather",
      "accent": "#ba0c2f",
      "reason": "The ceiling survives. The preseason No. 1 entitlement does not.",
      "case": "A decisive response keeps Ohio State firmly in the contender group.",
      "doubt": "A rebound rout does not erase the loss already on the record.",
      "proof": "Close the next high-level contest without needing a perfect passing afternoon.",
      "record": "2-1",
      "lastResult": "W 59–3 vs Kent State",
      "previousRank": 1,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #1 → #7. The ceiling survives. The preseason No. 1 entitlement does not.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 8,
      "school": "BYU",
      "short": "BYU",
      "conference": "Big 12",
      "movement": "+8",
      "signal": "playoff-weather",
      "accent": "#002e5d",
      "reason": "Road production moves BYU ahead of our July caution.",
      "case": "An eighteen-point road win strengthens the case for a place in our first eight.",
      "doubt": "Allowing 23 keeps the defensive transition under review.",
      "proof": "Win when the offense cannot reach forty.",
      "record": "3-0",
      "lastResult": "W 41–23 at Colorado State",
      "previousRank": 16,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #16 → #8. Road production moves BYU ahead of our July caution.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 9,
      "school": "Alabama",
      "short": "ALA",
      "conference": "SEC",
      "movement": "+2",
      "signal": "playoff-weather",
      "accent": "#9e1b32",
      "reason": "Fifty points buy attention. Thirty-six allowed keep the receipt open.",
      "case": "The offense supplied enough to preserve an unbeaten record.",
      "doubt": "A shootout is not evidence that the whole team has become physically controlling.",
      "proof": "Win a competitive game without needing a fifty-point rescue.",
      "record": "3-0",
      "lastResult": "W 50–36 vs Florida State",
      "previousRank": 11,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #11 → #9. Fifty points buy attention. Thirty-six allowed keep the receipt open.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 10,
      "school": "Texas Tech",
      "short": "TTU",
      "conference": "Big 12",
      "movement": "-1",
      "signal": "playoff-weather",
      "accent": "#cc0000",
      "reason": "Survival counts, but two points are not separation.",
      "case": "Texas Tech protected its unbeaten record against a ranked conference opponent.",
      "doubt": "The narrow margin leaves less room for certainty than the record suggests.",
      "proof": "Create a clear advantage against the next serious conference test.",
      "record": "3-0",
      "lastResult": "W 28–26 vs Houston",
      "previousRank": 9,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #9 → #10. Survival counts, but two points are not separation.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 11,
      "school": "LSU",
      "short": "LSU",
      "conference": "SEC",
      "movement": "-3",
      "signal": "playoff-weather",
      "accent": "#461d7c",
      "reason": "Oxford turns the installation story into an accountability story.",
      "case": "Losing by eight at a top-five opponent leaves a plausible contender case.",
      "doubt": "The July ceiling has not yet become a dependable close-game operation.",
      "proof": "Finish the next tight conference game with a coherent final possession.",
      "record": "2-1",
      "lastResult": "L 24–32 at Ole Miss",
      "previousRank": 8,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #8 → #11. Oxford turns the installation story into an accountability story.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 12,
      "school": "USC",
      "short": "USC",
      "conference": "Big Ten",
      "movement": "-2",
      "signal": "playoff-weather",
      "accent": "#990000",
      "reason": "Four wins are real. So is the defensive bill.",
      "case": "A one-score road conference win is useful evidence of survival.",
      "doubt": "Thirty-five conceded makes control a harder claim than the record alone suggests.",
      "proof": "Close a strong opponent out without another shootout.",
      "record": "4-0",
      "lastResult": "W 42–35 at Rutgers",
      "previousRank": 10,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #10 → #12. Four wins are real. So is the defensive bill.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 13,
      "school": "Utah",
      "short": "UTAH",
      "conference": "Big 12",
      "movement": "+7",
      "signal": "playoff-weather",
      "accent": "#cc0000",
      "reason": "The post-Whittingham floor looks sturdier than our opening board allowed.",
      "case": "A rivalry shutout gives the developmental-continuity thesis an encouraging result.",
      "doubt": "This score does not establish the ceiling against the best Big 12 offenses.",
      "proof": "Carry that defensive discipline into a genuinely demanding conference game.",
      "record": "3-0",
      "lastResult": "W 33–0 vs Utah State",
      "previousRank": 20,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #20 → #13. The post-Whittingham floor looks sturdier than our opening board allowed.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 14,
      "school": "Penn State",
      "short": "PSU",
      "conference": "Big Ten",
      "movement": "-2",
      "signal": "playoff-weather",
      "accent": "#041e42",
      "reason": "The assembled roster is winning. Its hardest chemistry test is still ahead.",
      "case": "An unbeaten start and a wide latest margin justify keeping Penn State near the playoff tier.",
      "doubt": "Buffalo cannot answer every question about execution under pressure.",
      "proof": "Show the same connection on third down in a close conference game.",
      "record": "3-0",
      "lastResult": "W 55–13 vs Buffalo",
      "previousRank": 12,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #12 → #14. The assembled roster is winning. Its hardest chemistry test is still ahead.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 15,
      "school": "Tennessee",
      "short": "TENN",
      "conference": "SEC",
      "movement": "+3",
      "signal": "playoff-weather",
      "accent": "#ff8200",
      "reason": "The opening work is complete; the credibility test gets larger now.",
      "case": "A 33-point win gives Tennessee a clean result to carry forward.",
      "doubt": "This opposition cannot certify quarterback decisions against a contender.",
      "proof": "Keep possessions stable when an elite opponent removes the easy throw.",
      "record": "3-0",
      "lastResult": "W 42–9 vs Kennesaw State",
      "previousRank": 18,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #18 → #15. The opening work is complete; the credibility test gets larger now.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "school": "Louisville",
      "short": "LOU",
      "conference": "ACC",
      "accent": "#ad0000",
      "rank": 16,
      "movement": "NEW",
      "signal": "playoff-weather",
      "reason": "A ranked win earns a seat that the preseason board did not reserve.",
      "case": "Beating SMU by ten supplies a concrete reason to enter the board.",
      "doubt": "One strong result does not remove the loss or the defensive questions.",
      "proof": "Back up the breakthrough with a second complete conference performance.",
      "record": "2-1",
      "lastResult": "W 41–31 vs SMU",
      "previousRank": null,
      "movementReason": "New to PointCast 25. A ranked win earns a seat that the preseason board did not reserve.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 17,
      "school": "Iowa",
      "short": "IOWA",
      "conference": "Big Ten",
      "movement": "+8",
      "signal": "fault-line",
      "accent": "#fcd116",
      "reason": "The offense has supplied a number worth noticing; the opponent limits the inference.",
      "case": "A shutout and fifty-five points are a useful opening signal.",
      "doubt": "An FCS result is not proof that the old offensive constraints are gone.",
      "proof": "Move the ball when a conference defense can challenge every easy yard.",
      "record": "3-0",
      "lastResult": "W 55–0 vs Northern Iowa",
      "previousRank": 25,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #25 → #17. The offense has supplied a number worth noticing; the opponent limits the inference.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 18,
      "school": "Florida",
      "short": "FLA",
      "conference": "SEC",
      "movement": "+4",
      "signal": "fault-line",
      "accent": "#fa4616",
      "reason": "A road SEC win moves the reset beyond a press-conference promise.",
      "case": "Winning at Auburn is enough to put Florida above our opening slot.",
      "doubt": "Thirty-nine conceded is a substantial warning attached to the celebration.",
      "proof": "Follow the breakthrough with a win that does not require forty-plus points.",
      "record": "3-0",
      "lastResult": "W 44–39 at Auburn",
      "previousRank": 22,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #22 → #18. A road SEC win moves the reset beyond a press-conference promise.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 19,
      "school": "Michigan",
      "short": "MICH",
      "conference": "Big Ten",
      "movement": "-4",
      "signal": "fault-line",
      "accent": "#00274c",
      "reason": "The unbeaten start keeps Michigan in view; the next comparison must be tougher.",
      "case": "The latest margin shows a team handling its scheduled work.",
      "doubt": "UTEP does not settle the difficult questions about the new operation.",
      "proof": "Make the offense coherent against a defense that can force long downs.",
      "record": "3-0",
      "lastResult": "W 52–17 vs UTEP",
      "previousRank": 15,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #15 → #19. The unbeaten start keeps Michigan in view; the next comparison must be tougher.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 20,
      "school": "Oregon",
      "short": "ORE",
      "conference": "Big Ten",
      "movement": "-16",
      "signal": "fault-line",
      "accent": "#148e3d",
      "reason": "An enormous rebound is still a rebound. July’s No. 4 needs rebuilding.",
      "case": "Oregon answered with a shutout and overwhelming production.",
      "doubt": "An FCS rout cannot repair the meaning of the earlier loss by itself.",
      "proof": "Beat a strong conference opponent before reclaiming elite billing.",
      "record": "2-1",
      "lastResult": "W 84–0 vs Portland State",
      "previousRank": 4,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #4 → #20. An enormous rebound is still a rebound. July’s No. 4 needs rebuilding.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "school": "Missouri",
      "short": "MIZ",
      "conference": "SEC",
      "accent": "#b89b36",
      "rank": 21,
      "movement": "NEW",
      "signal": "fault-line",
      "reason": "Unbeaten gets Missouri onto the board; ten points keeps the claim modest.",
      "case": "Three wins provide a firmer starting point than preseason omission.",
      "doubt": "The latest margin offers little evidence of a large ceiling.",
      "proof": "Create separation without relying on the opponent to run out of possessions.",
      "record": "3-0",
      "lastResult": "W 27–17 vs Troy",
      "previousRank": null,
      "movementReason": "New to PointCast 25. Unbeaten gets Missouri onto the board; ten points keeps the claim modest.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "school": "Mississippi State",
      "short": "MSST",
      "conference": "SEC",
      "accent": "#660000",
      "rank": 22,
      "movement": "NEW",
      "signal": "fault-line",
      "reason": "A road SEC result deserves space before brand familiarity takes it back.",
      "case": "Winning in Columbia gives the unbeaten start a useful conference receipt.",
      "doubt": "Thirty-one conceded leaves plenty of room for the next opponent.",
      "proof": "Repeat the road composure while reducing the defensive exposure.",
      "record": "3-0",
      "lastResult": "W 41–31 at South Carolina",
      "previousRank": null,
      "movementReason": "New to PointCast 25. A road SEC result deserves space before brand familiarity takes it back.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "school": "SMU",
      "short": "SMU",
      "conference": "ACC",
      "accent": "#0033a0",
      "rank": 23,
      "movement": "NEW",
      "signal": "fault-line",
      "reason": "The loss changes the position; it does not erase the entire case.",
      "case": "Thirty-one points on the road preserve a reason to keep watching the offense.",
      "doubt": "Allowing forty-one is the clearest item on the repair list.",
      "proof": "Win the next close game by getting a stop rather than demanding another score.",
      "record": "2-1",
      "lastResult": "L 31–41 at Louisville",
      "previousRank": null,
      "movementReason": "New to PointCast 25. The loss changes the position; it does not erase the entire case.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "rank": 24,
      "school": "Texas A&M",
      "short": "A&M",
      "conference": "SEC",
      "movement": "-11",
      "signal": "fault-line",
      "accent": "#500000",
      "reason": "A home loss spends most of the preseason benefit of the doubt.",
      "case": "The remaining winning record keeps a narrow place on this board.",
      "doubt": "Losing by ten at home makes the finishing question more urgent.",
      "proof": "Produce a response against serious opposition before asking for renewed trust.",
      "record": "2-1",
      "lastResult": "L 21–31 vs Kentucky",
      "previousRank": 13,
      "movementReason": "Board 000: #13 → #24. A home loss spends most of the preseason benefit of the doubt.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    },
    {
      "school": "Houston",
      "short": "HOU",
      "conference": "Big 12",
      "accent": "#c8102e",
      "rank": 25,
      "movement": "NEW",
      "signal": "fault-line",
      "reason": "A two-point road loss earns a closer look than a binary win column.",
      "case": "Houston stayed within one score of an unbeaten ranked conference opponent.",
      "doubt": "Competitive defeat still leaves the defining win uncollected.",
      "proof": "Turn the next close conference chance into an actual result.",
      "record": "2-1",
      "lastResult": "L 26–28 at Texas Tech",
      "previousRank": null,
      "movementReason": "New to PointCast 25. A two-point road loss earns a closer look than a binary win column.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=1271"
    }
  ]
}