Where Parry’s Power Guide and the RPI Disagree Most

This article recaps a segment from The Rush's Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026 episode. Watch the full show.

Utah high school football has two ways of ranking teams right now: the RPI, and the Deseret News' Parry's Power Guide from Noland Parry. Most weeks they agree. These are the teams where they don't.

6A: Lone Peak is third in Parry's guide but ninth in the RPI, largely because of four losses to a brutal schedule, including American Fork and national power IMG Academy. That schedule should help the Knights come playoff time. Parry also has Corner Canyon at No. 1 while the RPI has the Chargers fourth, and Westlake is fifth with Parry but 11th in the RPI.

5A: Timpview is third in Parry's guide and 13th in the RPI. Here, The Rush leans toward Parry. Timpview just went toe to toe with Orem in a defensive battle. Box Elder goes the other way. The Bees are 6-1 and third in the RPI, but Parry ranks them ninth, behind teams like West, Orem, Bountiful, Springville, Alta, Fremont and Brighton.

4A: Bear River is fourth in the RPI and 11th with Parry. Hurricane is first in the RPI and third with Parry.

The Rush tends to side with the RPI on these. Parry's ratings lean on point differentials, while the RPI is about who you played and who you beat. "I don't care about how much you beat people by or how much you lose by," Andy Thompson said on the show. "Give me the win-loss column."

3A: Manti may be the most interesting case. Parry has the Templars fourth despite just one win, while the RPI has them 11th. Manti has played a tough schedule and has had key playmakers out with injuries. Whoever draws them in the first round could be in trouble, because they're going to be underseeded.