Mountain West · #130 of 138

UTEP

Implied Strength-18.8vs. FBS average · ±3.9
Record1–1through completed games
Bowl Eligibility8%reach six wins
Strength of Schedule79thof 138 FBS teams

Schedule lens

What matters next

The headline numbers are above. Here is where the season starts to take shape.

Team identity

Where the strength lives

Low returning production

Defense projects as the stronger unit by 7.4 rating points.

Offense#137
-13.1vs. FBS average
-13.1
2025 PPA/play0.01 #131 FBSSuccess rate32.8% #135 FBS
Defense#106
-5.7vs. FBS average
-5.7
2025 PPA/play allowed0.10 #43 FBSSuccess rate allowed38.9% #41 FBS

2025 PPA (predicted points added per play) and success rate. How this split works →

Season outlook · 50,000 simulations

How UTEP's 2026 could unfold

The current projection is 3–9 (3.4 expected wins), with a <0.01% chance to reach the playoff. The distribution below shows how often each regular-season win total appeared across the schedule-aware simulations.

Range of outcomes

Projected win distribution

50,000 simulated seasons
Most common and median 3 winsCentral 80% 2–5 winsBowl eligible 8.0%
9%22%27%22%13%6%2%Market 3.20123456>6
Simulated (schedule-aware)Central 80% rangeMarket win total

Postseason path

2026 playoff outlook

50,000 simulations
<0.01%Make the 12-team field

Still outside the median outcome across the schedule-aware simulations.

How the field is reached<0.01% total
Auto-bid<0.01%
At-large<0.01%
Outside field>99.9%

What could move the outlook

Biggest questions

Unresolved does not mean negative. A point estimate appears only when the historical evidence supports one.

Returning production

A large share of last season's production must be replaced

<0.01% of prior-year PPA returns, placing UTEP in the bottom quarter of the current FBS field.

This information already contributes to the team baseline; historical testing has not supported an additional generic continuity adjustment.
Projection contextRoster, continuity, and market inputsView details

The market win total, returning production, coaching continuity, transfer talent, and recent NFL production help explain the evidence surrounding this projection.

Returning Production-1.1%share of prior-year PPA returning for 2026
2026 Transfer Class85thof 138 FBS teams by combined portal talent
Recent NFL Draft Production130thof 138 FBS teams by NFL talent produced
Market win total3.2Consensus preseason line
Final · Sep 4Suggested side did not cover
OV Win<0.01%0
OV Win>99.9%51
Spread:OU -42.5vs.OU -41
1 Factor
UTEP at Oklahoma · Norman, OK · Memorial Stadium (Norman, OK)
Final · Sep 12
Texas SouthernFCS
OV Win13%10
OV Win87%51
Spread:UTEP -20.5vs.
Texas Southern at UTEP · El Paso, TX · Sun Bowl
3:30 PM · Sep 19
OV Win<0.01%
OV Win>99.9%
Spread:MICH -36.5vs.MICH -35.5
UTEP at Michigan · Ann Arbor, MI · Michigan Stadium
7:00 PM · Sep 26
Spread:ORST -11.5vs.
Oregon State at UTEP · El Paso, TX · Sun Bowl
10:00 PM · Oct 2
Spread:UNM -20vs.
UTEP at New Mexico · Albuquerque, NM · University Stadium (NM)
10:00 PM · Oct 9
Spread:NEV -4.5vs.
Nevada at UTEP · El Paso, TX · Sun Bowl
7:00 PM · Oct 17
Spread:SJSU -3vs.
San José State at UTEP · El Paso, TX · Sun Bowl
2:30 PM · Oct 31
Spread:NDSU -19.5vs.
UTEP at North Dakota State · Fargo, ND · Fargodome
10:00 PM · Nov 6
Spread:HAW -6vs.
Hawai'i at UTEP · El Paso, TX · Sun Bowl
10:00 PM · Nov 13
Spread:WYO -5.5vs.
Wyoming at UTEP · El Paso, TX · Sun Bowl
6:00 PM · Nov 20
Spread:AF -15vs.
UTEP at Air Force · Colorado Springs, CO · Falcon Stadium
11:00 PM · Nov 27
Spread:NIU -3.5vs.
UTEP at Northern Illinois · DeKalb, IL · Huskie Stadium

Pregame evidence · 2022–25

UTEP through the lens

The OV Line is the aggregate-rating baseline. The market gap shows where the game-level consensus differed, while identified Factors show how much of that difference our research may explain. ATS records are descriptive context—not a claim that OV should outperform the market.

Market ATS25%3–9 against consensus
Average line gap2.4 pts67% inside 3 points · 8 of 12
Factor coverage42%5 of 12 games
Factor signals40% aligned2 of 5 individual observations · 1 neutral
Historical sample12 gamesmarket-covered games from 2022–25

Explanatory history

Factors present in UTEP games

FactorGamesAverage estimateAligned with marketResearch status
Rest Differential20.1 pts toward opponents50%1 of 2 directional casesSupported
Lopsided Game-Flow Uncertainty16.1 pts toward UTEP100%1 of 1 directional casesSupported · wider uncertainty
Neutral-Site Same-State Context11.5 pts toward UTEP0%0 of 1 directional casesSupported · wider uncertainty
Season Opener with a New Head Coach1No net direction0 of 0 directional casesNo separate adjustment
Season-Opening Quarterback Experience10.9 pts toward opponents0%0 of 1 directional casesResearch candidate
Underlying recordInspect all 12 historical gamesView games
SeasonGameOV baselineMarketMarket gapIdentified adjustmentRemaining gapResultMarket ATSFactors
2025 · W14at DelawareAwayUTEP +5.5UTEP +4.51.2 pts toward UTEPNone identified1.2 pts toward UTEPL 31–61LNone identified
2025 · W13vs. New Mexico StateHomeUTEP -5.5UTEP -41.6 pts toward opponentsNone identified1.6 pts toward opponentsL 31–34LNone identified
2025 · W12at Missouri StateAwayUTEP +6UTEP +6.50.6 pts toward opponentsNone identified0.6 pts toward opponentsL 24–38LNone identified
2025 · W11vs. Jacksonville StateHomeUTEP -0.5UTEP +1.51.8 pts toward opponentsNone identified1.8 pts toward opponentsL 27–30LNone identified
2025 · W10at Kennesaw StateAwayUTEP +7UTEP +12.55.4 pts toward opponents1.5 pts toward UTEP6.9 pts toward opponentsL 20–33LRest Differential
2025 · W8vs. Sam HoustonNeutralUTEP -4UTEP -3.50.5 pts toward opponents1.5 pts toward UTEP2.0 pts toward opponentsW 35–17WNeutral-Site Same-State Context
2025 · W7vs. LibertyHomeUTEP +2UTEP +1.50.3 pts toward UTEPNone identified0.3 pts toward UTEPL 8–19LNone identified
2025 · W5vs. Louisiana TechHomeUTEP -1.5UTEP +3.54.8 pts toward opponentsNone identified4.8 pts toward opponentsL 11–30LNone identified
2025 · W4vs. UL MonroeHomeUTEP -10.5UTEP -5.55.2 pts toward opponents1.7 pts toward opponents3.5 pts toward opponentsL 25–31LRest Differential
2025 · W3at TexasAwayUTEP +40.5UTEP +39.50.9 pts toward UTEP6.1 pts toward UTEP5.2 pts toward opponentsL 10–27WLopsided Game-Flow Uncertainty
2025 · W2vs. UT MartinHomeUTEP -2UTEP -7.55.6 pts toward UTEPNone identified5.6 pts toward UTEPW 42–17WNone identified
2025 · W1at Utah StateAwayUTEP +5.5UTEP +4.51.1 pts toward UTEP0.9 pts toward opponents1.9 pts toward UTEPL 16–28LSeason-Opening Quarterback ExperienceSeason Opener with a New Head Coach

Sample: 12 market-covered games from 2022–25. Identified adjustments are rough sums of the Factors shown and are not a replacement betting line. Remaining gap is market consensus minus the OV baseline and identified adjustments. A push means the team’s scoring margin exactly matched the market line.