James Madison: 2026 Week 12 recap

James Madison's rating surged 2.9 points to 13.8 after a dominant 54-23 road win over Southern Miss in Week 10, vaulting them to No. 26 nationally. At 8-2, the Dukes are tracking toward 9.6 expected wins and own an 84.5% shot at the Sun Belt title—the real prize on their board, since GIE sees their playoff odds at less than 1%. The assault on Southern Miss masked a deeper concern: a red-zone TD rate of just 14.6% suggests efficiency issues in the tightest spots. Third-down conversion sits at 43%, which is serviceable but not dominant. Next up is a road trip to UConn in Week 11—a chance to stack wins before the conference gauntlet tightens.