COLUMBIA, S.C. — Michigan remains No. 1 in the College Sports Social Pulse™ as the 2026 college football season gets underway — but the reasons behind its top ranking aren’t good.
Among the stories generating conversation were reports about the university agreeing to a $1.2 million settlement involving allegations against a former Michigan football staff member. That follows a turbulent offseason that included the departure of athletic director Warde Manuel, controversy surrounding former coach Sherrone Moore and a university review of the culture surrounding its athletic department.
Entirely different reasons drove Ohio State’s No. 2 Pulse ranking in Week Zero.
A surge of social media activity surrounded a faith event on campus that brought together football players and members of the community. Players reportedly helped distribute 10,000 bibles during the event.
“Michigan and Ohio State are topping the Pulse rankings for very different reasons,” said Clay Owen, professor of practice in the University of South Carolina’s College of Information and Communications. “The rankings tell us who is commanding attention. The real intelligence comes from understanding the stories driving the conversation.”
The Week Zero matchup between the University of North Carolina and TCU in Dublin, Ireland propelled both programs into the Top 10. And the UNC win helped take UNC Head Coach Bill Belichick to the No. 2 ranking among coaches.
Top 10 Teams
| Rank | Team | Sports Social Pulse Index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | 96.9 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 80.4 |
| 3 | Notre Dame | 63.9 |
| 4 | Alabama | 60.3 |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 59.6 |
| 6 | Tennessee | 59.2 |
| 7 | North Carolina | 58.8 |
| 8 | Texas | 58.6 |
| 9 | TCU | 56.3 |
| 10 | Texas A&M | 56.1 |
Pribula Breaks Into the Player Conversation
One of Week Zero's biggest on-field stories also produced one of the week's biggest moves in the player rankings.
Virginia quarterback Beau Pribula jumped into the Sports Social Pulse Top 10 after a dazzling debut, leading the Cavaliers to a 34-8 victory over NC State.
The transfer quarterback, who previously played at Penn State and Missouri, completed 9 of 11 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns while adding 110 yards rushing. He became Virginia's first quarterback since 2022 to rush for at least 100 yards in a game.
The social conversation quickly moved beyond Pribula's statistics to what his performance might mean for Virginia — with plenty of social buzz that the Cavaliers are an early ACC contender.
| Rank | Player | Team | Sports Social Pulse Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arch Manning | Texas | 83.6 |
| 2 | Trinidad Chambliss | Ole Miss | 78.3 |
| 3 | Faizon Brandon | Tennessee | 75.8 |
| 4 | Jeremiah Smith | Ohio State | 69.6 |
| 5 | Marcel Reed | Texas A&M | 64.8 |
| 6 | Julian Sayin | Ohio State | 64.1 |
| 7 | Charlie Becker | Indiana | 63.7 |
| 8 | Jayden Maiava | Southern Cal | 61.6 |
| 9 | Beau Pribula | Virginia | 61.5 |
| 10 | Keelon Russell | Alabama | 60.3 |
Controversy Drives Kiffin to No. 1
If Pribula demonstrates how performance can move the Pulse, new LSU coach Lane Kiffin demonstrates how controversy can do the same thing.
Kiffin ranks No. 1 among college football coaches after leading all coaches in both conversation and audience engagement. But much of the conversation surrounding Kiffin was negative.
Much of the conversation followed reports questioning whether Kiffin and LSU played a role in efforts connected to a lawsuit challenging NCAA eligibility rules. The lawsuit could potentially allow former college players who pursued professional opportunities to return for an additional season of college football.
Kiffin denied knowledge of any effort by LSU to encourage the lawsuit when questioned about the reports.
Top 10 Coaches
| Rank | Coach | Team | Sports Social Pulse Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lane Kiffin | LSU | 100.0 |
| 2 | Bill Belichick | North Carolina | 78.7 |
| 3 | Kalani Sitake | BYU | 62.9 |
| 4 | Josh Heupel | Tennessee | 61.1 |
| 5 | Alex Golesh | Auburn | 57.8 |
| 6 | Tony Elliott | Virginia | 57.2 |
| 7 | Kenny Dillingham | Arizona State | 56.1 |
| 8 | Matt Campbell | Penn State | 55.6 |
| 9 | Mario Cristobal | Miami | 55.4 |
| 10 | Jedd Fisch | Washington | 54.4 |
The Week Zero rankings are based on social-media activity from Aug. 25 – Aug. 31.
About the College Sports Social Pulse™
Developed by the University of South Carolina’s Social Media Insights Lab, the College Sports Social Pulse™ transforms social-media conversation into insight about the teams, athletes and coaches shaping the culture and business of college sports.
The Pulse tracks the national conversation across major social platforms and uses advanced analytics to identify who is generating attention, engagement and emotional response — regardless of what happens on the scoreboard.