Welcome

Over the past few years I have created a straightforward way to rank college football teams. Basically, I wanted a way to combine subjective views towards teams with an objective component. I have tinkered with my formula over the seasons and have what I think is a pretty decent way to compare resumes of different teams. This is NOT a sophisticated algorithm, and should not be treated the same way as Sagarin, KenPom, or other computer rankings found in places like the Massey Ranking Composite. The rankings should also not be used to predict future games; my rankings should be considered a snapshot of how a team’s body of work has been up to this point. Even though it is not the most complicated ranking system ever created, I think its simplicity can be a positive thing.


Basic Idea

I will not go into detail here about how these rankings are calculated, but I will describe the basic concept. Like I mentioned above, these rankings combine subjective and objective features. The subjective component drives the whole process. Every team is placed by me into a bin. There are seven general bins, ranging from -3 to 3. A basic idea of what each bin represents is:


If a team seems to be somewhere in between two of these categories, they can be binned as a “0.5”, “1.5”, etc. For example, Washington I would argue is not quite elite yet, but seems to be close enough where a 2.5 bin is warranted.

This is the subjective part of the process. I make the final call which bin a team falls into, but I try to inform myself as much as possible of the consensus of a given team. For example, for a team to be “borderline ranked” (bin 1), they need to at least appear in the “Other Receiving Votes” area of the AP and Coaches polls. I try to make the bins representative of the nationwide media consensus of a given team. Still, there is definitely subjectivity involved.

The objective element of the rankings gives and takes away points from a team depending on the bins of that team’s opponents. For example, beating a team from bin 0 at home by a “non-blowout score” (less than 22 points) rewards that team 0.5 points, and so on. This is the part of the process that I have tinkered with over the years. A team of course loses points for losing a game, depending on the opponent, where the game was played, and whether it was a blowout or not.

So the basic idea of the system is that we have an idea as fans which “bin” a team falls into. Once we determine that, we can get an obective idea of how a team’s resume is depending on the bins of that team’s wins and losses. The final “Score” of the ranking is simply a sum of the bin you are in and the amount of points you have gained/lost from wins and losses. For example, Oklahoma is 1st in my rankings with 5 points. They are in bin 3, and received 2 points for beating Ohio State on the road by a non-blowout score (OSU is currently in bin 2). Therefore, Oklahoma’s score is 3 + 2 = 5.


Week 2: Cream Starting to Rise to the Top?

Since this is just the second week of these rankings, I am still figuring out the best way to format everything. The layout I am leaning towards is to keep the “Welcome” and “Basic Idea” sections at the top of every week’s rankings, and then provide analysis specific to the given week starting here. So, if you are one of the thousands and thousands of readers from last week (maybe someday), you can skip those first few sections and start reading here. I also provide some analysis and tidbits for each individual conference, which can be found later in the conferences section of the webpage. I should acknowledge that a lot of the nuggets of information I mention here I probably read on various websites, including The Athletic’s new college football page, which I recommend.

Week 1 was great because football was finally back and we were able to watch Bama-FSU, but this week was much more informative in showing who is truly a contender. Getting three top-15 matchups this early in the season is a blessing that allows us to get a glimpse of how good these preseason favorites really are. As we saw from OSU beating Oklahoma at the beginning of last fall, big nonconference wins early on in the season pay huge dividends all year long and are clearly viewed positively by the playoff committee. Unsurprisingly, the winners of Week 2’s marquee matchups are ranked very highly by my power rankings. Oklahoma actually jumps to the new number 1 of the rankings, since the Sooners got their big win on the road. Remember, my rankings are not necessarily suggesting that Oklahoma is better than Alabama, but they are suggesting that Oklahoma’s resume is more impressive than anyone else’s at this point, which is tough to argue against.

Oklahoma and Alabama are joined in the top 4 by Clemson and USC, who beat Auburn and Stanford, respectively. It’s no coincidence that the top 4 teams all have some of the best wins of the season so far. Remember, my formula heavily leans on actual results, so the big wins these teams picked up are very influential. All of these teams had big expectations heading into the season, and now they are backing up the hype with actual results. Look for these four schools to be contenders all year long.

Another team who has had a big start to the year is Georgia, who comes in at 7th in the Week 2 rankings. They got a nice road win at Notre Dame this past weekend, and don’t sleep on their 31-10 win against App State in Week 1. Of all 130 FBS teams, Georgia and South Carolina are the only teams thus far that have two wins that are considered “quality” in my formula (for example, beating Fresno State is not a “quality” win because it does not give the victor any points in my formula). If they can get consistent QB play from freshman Jake Fromm, watch out for the Bulldogs.

All in all, we are starting to get a clearer picture of who will be true contenders this season. Some teams like Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, and Miami have not yet been tested, and are relatively low in my power rankings as a result. Here are the Week 2 rankings, with conference-by-conference analysis further down:

Rank Team Score Record Conf Prev Rank Rem Sched Rank
1 Oklahoma 5 2-0 (0-0) T4 57
T2 Clemson 4.5 2-0 (0-0) T4 34
T2 Alabama 4.5 2-0 (0-0) 1 50
T2 USC 4.5 2-0 (1-0) T4 50
5 Penn State 3.5 2-0 (0-0) T4 57
6 Michigan 3.5 2-0 (0-0) 3 22
7 Georgia 3.25 2-0 (0-0) T11 46
T8 Virginia Tech 3 2-0 (0-0) 9 63
T8 LSU 3 2-0 (0-0) 8 13
10 Ohio State 3 1-1 (1-0) 2 61
11 OK State 2.75 2-0 (0-0) T11 34
12 Washington 2.5 2-0 (0-0) 10 34
13 Louisville 2.5 2-0 (1-0) T13 65
14 TCU 2.5 2-0 (0-0) T25 34
T15 Miami 2 1-0 (0-0) T13 46
T15 Wisconsin 2 2-0 (0-0) T13 50
T15 Kansas State 2 2-0 (0-0) T20 32
T18 Auburn 2 1-1 (0-0) T13 46
T18 Stanford 2 1-1 (0-1) T13 19
T18 Florida State 2 0-1 (0-0) 18 24
21 Washington St 2 2-0 (0-0) T20 13
T22 Maryland 2 2-0 (0-0) 19 9
T22 South Carolina 2 2-0 (1-0) 30 43
T22 Utah 2 2-0 (0-0) T25 5
25 S Florida 1.5 2-0 (0-0) T20 86
T26 Tennessee 1.5 2-0 (0-0) T23 24
T26 Oregon 1.5 2-0 (0-0) T32 24
T26 UCLA 1.5 2-0 (0-0) T23 3
29 Colorado 1 2-0 (0-0) T25 34
30 Duke 1 2-0 (0-0) T37 57
31 Florida 0.75 0-1 (0-0) 31 22
32 Wake Forest 0.75 2-0 (1-0) T37 24
33 West Virginia 0.5 1-1 (0-0) 36 50
34 Mississippi St 0.5 2-0 (0-0) T37 13
T35 Iowa 0.5 2-0 (0-0) T37 34
T35 Vanderbilt 0.5 2-0 (0-0) T37 8
T35 California 0.5 2-0 (0-0) 35 1
T35 San Diego St 0.5 2-0 (0-0) T37 89
T39 Michigan State 0 2-0 (0-0) T37 11
T39 Minnesota 0 2-0 (0-0) T37 43
T39 Kentucky 0 2-0 (0-0) T37 19
T39 Ole Miss 0 2-0 (0-0) T37 16
T39 Houston 0 1-0 (0-0) T37 74
T39 Memphis 0 1-0 (0-0) T37 89
T39 Toledo 0 2-0 (0-0) T37 89
46 Pittsburgh 0 1-1 (0-0) T37 46
T47 Texas Tech -0.5 1-0 (0-0) T55 16
T47 UCF -0.5 1-0 (0-0) T55 75
T47 Navy -0.5 2-0 (0-0) T37 71
50 Boise State -0.75 1-1 (0-0) T25 87
T51 Texas AM -1 2-1 (0-0) T61 16
T51 NC State -1 1-1 (0-0) 75 43
T51 Georgia Tech -1 1-1 (0-0) T61 11
T51 Indiana -1 1-1 (0-1) 54 62
T51 Nebraska -1 1-1 (0-0) T37 50
T51 Notre Dame -1 1-1 (0-0) T25 24
T57 Tulsa -1 1-1 (0-0) 78 70
T57 App State -1 1-1 (0-0) 64 129
T59 Illinois -1 2-0 (0-0) T65 34
T59 SMU -1 2-0 (0-0) T65 68
T59 Air Force -1 1-0 (0-0) T65 75
62 Arkansas -1.25 1-1 (0-0) T32 34
63 Texas -1.5 1-1 (0-0) 77 5
64 Purdue -1.5 1-1 (0-0) 79 50
T65 C Michigan -1.5 2-0 (0-0) T89 93
T65 E Michigan -1.5 2-0 (0-0) T89 93
T65 Old Dominion -1.5 2-0 (0-0) T80 97
T65 UTSA -1.5 1-0 (0-0) 97 130
T65 Army -1.5 2-0 (0-0) T65 81
70 Northwestern -2 1-1 (0-0) T32 50
71 Missouri -2 1-1 (0-1) T55 57
72 Colorado St -2 2-1 (0-0) T87 73
73 Cincinnati -2 1-1 (0-0) T80 81
74 Uconn -2 1-0 (0-0) T89 75
75 Akron -2 1-1 (0-0) T95 102
76 BYU -2.5 1-2 (0-0) T61 89
T77 Iowa State -2.5 1-1 (0-0) T55 24
T77 Arizona St -2.5 1-1 (0-0) T55 5
T79 Wyoming -2.5 1-1 (0-0) T99 93
T79 Troy -2.5 1-1 (0-0) T87 116
81 W Michigan -2.5 0-2 (0-0) 74 121
82 Arkansas St -2.5 0-1 (0-0) T99 128
T83 Boston College -3 1-1 (0-1) T55 24
T83 Syracuse -3 1-1 (0-0) T37 3
T85 Virginia -3 1-1 (0-0) T65 34
T85 Arizona -3 1-1 (0-0) T65 24
T85 Mid Tennessee -3 1-1 (0-0) 117 122
T88 Hawaii -3 2-1 (0-0) T65 87
T88 Marshall -3 1-1 (0-0) T80 119
90 Utah State -3 1-1 (0-0) T104 79
91 Fresno St -3 1-1 (0-0) 102 72
92 Co Carolina -3 1-0 (0-0) T106 126
93 Kent State -3 1-1 (0-0) 109 97
94 Tulane -3.25 1-1 (0-0) T89 67
95 North Carolina -3.5 0-2 (0-1) 98 64
T96 Temple -3.5 1-1 (0-0) T99 79
T96 W Kentucky -3.5 1-1 (0-0) T65 111
T96 Southern Miss -3.5 1-1 (0-0) 112 116
99 UL Monroe -3.5 0-1 (0-0) T113 102
100 Rice -3.5 1-1 (1-0) 115 99
T101 Miami OH -3.75 1-1 (0-0) 116 116
T101 Louisiana Tech -3.75 1-1 (0-0) T80 111
103 N Mexico St -3.75 1-1 (0-0) 122 106
104 Ball State -4 1-1 (0-0) T118 106
105 Kansas -4.25 1-1 (0-0) T80 19
106 N Illinois -4.25 1-1 (0-0) 121 93
107 S Alabama -4.25 0-2 (0-0) T113 122
108 Rutgers -4.5 0-2 (0-0) 76 32
T109 Ohio -4.5 1-1 (0-0) T80 119
T109 N Texas -4.5 1-1 (0-0) T89 111
111 Texas St -4.5 1-1 (0-0) T106 109
112 UL Lafayette -4.75 1-1 (0-0) T89 99
113 FIU -4.75 0-1 (0-0) 125 102
114 New Mexico -5 1-1 (0-0) T65 78
T115 San Jose St -5.25 1-2 (0-0) T110 81
T115 FAU -5.25 0-2 (0-0) 124 122
T117 UNLV -5.5 1-1 (0-0) T127 81
T117 Idaho -5.5 1-1 (0-0) T80 109
119 Nevada -5.5 0-2 (0-0) T110 85
120 UAB -5.5 1-1 (0-0) T106 111
121 UTEP -5.75 0-2 (0-1) T95 106
122 Oregon State -6 1-2 (0-0) 103 1
123 Buffalo -6.25 0-2 (0-0) 120 126
124 Charlotte -6.25 0-2 (0-0) 126 125
125 Georgia St -6.5 0-1 (0-0) 129 102
T126 E Carolina -7 0-2 (0-0) T127 66
T126 GA Southern -7 0-2 (0-0) T104 111
128 Bowling Green -8 0-2 (0-0) T118 101
129 Baylor -8.25 0-2 (0-0) 123 9
130 Umass -11.5 0-3 (0-0) 130 69


ACC Coastal Plot

Now that we have two weeks worth of games, we can finally see how these team ranking plots will work. As you can see from the ACC Coastal graph, Duke got a nice spike after crushing Northwestern (more on the Blue Devils later), GT shot up because teams around them lost, and UVA took a hit losing at home to Indiana. I will probably continue showing the ACC Coastal plot for each week, but I also plan on showcasing different teams/divisions/conferences using this type of plot as the season goes on, just because I think they look neat.


Conference Ranks: Pac 12 Underrated?

My rankings have the Pac 12 as the second-best conference behind the SEC. This was a bit surprising to me, but the conference has actually performed quite well. Cal got a big road win at UNC in week 1, Washington State (barely) beat Boise State this past week, Utah beat BYU, Oregon beat Nebraska, and you know what happened between UCLA and Texas AM. Also, unlike the Big 10 and ACC, none of the “heavyweights” at the top of the conference have lost a nonconference game. With the exception of Oregon State and the Arizona schools, the conference has been very strong.

As annoying as it is, the SEC is deserving of the top spot. Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and LSU all have good to great nonconference wins. Sure, Florida, Auburn, Texas AM, and Arkansas have fallen, but the conference has played well. The SEC also is lacking a Rutgers-, Kansas-, or Oregon State-type team at the bottom; there have been no horrible losses.

Rank Conf Avg
1 SEC 0.9821
2 Pac 12 0.5
3 Big 10 0.25
4 ACC 0.0893
5 Big 12 -0.425
6 Amer -1.6042
7 MW -3
8 MAC -3.4375
9 CUSA -3.9464
10 S Belt -4.0625
11 Ind -4.125


Next are the rankings within every conference, as well as each team’s national ranking:

ACC: Keep an Eye on Duke

Week 2 was not a good week for the bottom of the ACC. While Clemson was out getting a great win for the conference over Auburn, Syracuse lost to Middle Tennessee at home, Virginia lost at home to Indiana, and Boston College looked like a basement-dweller, losing at home by 24 (albeit to conference opponent Wake Forest). If the ACC wants to be viewed as a top-notch conference, these games (as well as UNC-Cal and NC State-South Carolina from Week 1) have to be won.

One result that is being completely overooked from this past week was Duke’s utter thrashing of Northwestern. Northwestern is a very decent team returning a beast RB in Justin Jackson and an experienced QB in Clayton Thorson. Many people had them in their preseason top-25 and as a sleeper Big 10 West contender. Duke, coming off a 4-8 season, destroyed them 41-17 and controlled the whole game. The Blue Devils’ QB Daniel Jones is one of the best returning quarterbacks in the ACC and is a possible breakout this season. All he did was throw for 305 yards (one INT), rush for 108 yards, and accumulate 4 touchdowns. Duke’s reward? Not one vote in the AP Poll, and just three in the Coaches’ Poll, placing them behind teams like Houston, Vanderbilt, and Texas Tech. I know it’s fun to poke fun at Duke and call them a basketball school, but Dave Cutcliffe is a hell of a coach. Of course, I probably just jinxed them and they’ll lose to Baylor this week.

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Clemson 4.5 2-0 (0-0) 6 T2
2 Virginia Tech 3 2-0 (0-0) 12 T8
3 Louisville 2.5 2-0 (1-0) 14 13
4 Miami 2 1-0 (0-0) 9 T15
5 Florida State 2 0-1 (0-0) 3 T18
6 Duke 1 2-0 (0-0) 11 30
7 Wake Forest 0.75 2-0 (1-0) 3 32
8 Pittsburgh 0 1-1 (0-0) 9 46
T9 NC State -1 1-1 (0-0) 8 T51
T9 Georgia Tech -1 1-1 (0-0) 2 T51
T11 Boston College -3 1-1 (0-1) 3 T83
T11 Syracuse -3 1-1 (0-0) 1 T83
13 Virginia -3 1-1 (0-0) 6 T85
14 North Carolina -3.5 0-2 (0-1) 13 95


Big 10: Division Imbalance

Despite Ohio State’s disappointing result against Oklahoma, the Big 10 East is still way ahead of the West. Looking at the division rankings further down on this page, the Big 10 East is the second-best division in the country, behind only the SEC West. The Big 10 West, on the other hand, is dead-last among all Power 5 divisions/conferences. The issues stem not just from a lack of top-notch ranked teams, but also poor depth. Northwestern’s collapse against Duke was already mentioned. Nebraska came up short against Oregon. Iowa needed a drastic comeback and overtime to beat Iowa State. Minnesota crushed a hapless Oregon State, but only scored 17 against Buffalo a week earlier. Illinois and Purdue are Illinois and Purdue. I predicted at the beginning of the year that Wisconsin would go undefeated in the regular season (I have the texts somehwere to prove it!!), and that prediction is certainly looking possible.

Looking at the score of the 33-14 Penn State win over Pitt, it may be tempting to claim that Penn State’s offense had some trouble in the victory. This is somewhat true, but Pitt played some of the best “milk the clock but don’t score any points” football I’ve ever seen. Pitt held the ball for over 38 minutes in this game and scored just 14 points. Penn State had just 24 plays in the entire first half, yet held a 14-3 lead at the break. On one first-half drive for Pitt, the Panthers led a 15-play drive that lasted over 8 minutes long and went for… 31 yards and a punt. Thats just impressive.

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Penn State 3.5 2-0 (0-0) 12 5
2 Michigan 3.5 2-0 (0-0) 3 6
3 Ohio State 3 1-1 (1-0) 13 10
4 Wisconsin 2 2-0 (0-0) 8 T15
5 Maryland 2 2-0 (0-0) 1 T22
6 Iowa 0.5 2-0 (0-0) 5 T35
T7 Michigan State 0 2-0 (0-0) 2 T39
T7 Minnesota 0 2-0 (0-0) 7 T39
T9 Indiana -1 1-1 (0-1) 14 T51
T9 Nebraska -1 1-1 (0-0) 8 T51
11 Illinois -1 2-0 (0-0) 5 T59
12 Purdue -1.5 1-1 (0-0) 8 64
13 Northwestern -2 1-1 (0-0) 8 70
14 Rutgers -4.5 0-2 (0-0) 4 108


SEC: Who’s Second?

A common opinion these days about the SEC is that Alabama is way above everyone else, and that 5-8 teams are competing for second place but that no one will overtake Alabama. I generally endorse this sentiment, but several teams could shape up to be a legitimate threat to the Tide. After Auburn lost to Clemson (and gave up 11 sacks in the process), the two most obvious options are LSU and Georgia. I talked about Georgia above, and I do think they have some potential, but their QB situation is worrisome. For me, LSU is Alabama’s biggest worry. LSU’s defense is top-notch and Derrius Guice is one of the best running backs in the country. The question is whether or not Danny Etling can be a consistent enough passer to put the Tigers over the hump. For most games, they probably won’t need him to be spectacular, but against Bama? Last year he threw for 94 yards and a pick in a 10-0 loss to the Tide. He’ll need to do better this year.

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Alabama 4.5 2-0 (0-0) 13 T2
2 Georgia 3.25 2-0 (0-0) 11 7
3 LSU 3 2-0 (0-0) 2 T8
4 Auburn 2 1-1 (0-0) 11 T18
5 South Carolina 2 2-0 (1-0) 10 T22
6 Tennessee 1.5 2-0 (0-0) 8 T26
7 Florida 0.75 0-1 (0-0) 7 31
8 Mississippi St 0.5 2-0 (0-0) 2 34
9 Vanderbilt 0.5 2-0 (0-0) 1 T35
T10 Kentucky 0 2-0 (0-0) 6 T39
T10 Ole Miss 0 2-0 (0-0) 4 T39
12 Texas AM -1 2-1 (0-0) 4 T51
13 Arkansas -1.25 1-1 (0-0) 9 62
14 Missouri -2 1-1 (0-1) 14 71


Big 12: Great at the Top, Not the Bottom

The Big 12 obviously picked up a huge win when Oklahoma beat up on Ohio State in Columbus. One of the most overlooked components of a football team is its offensive line. Eveyone pays attention to the QB or the flashy position players, but it’s often a team’s offensive line that most strongly predicts success. Well, it’s no coincidence that Oklahoma has what is widely perceived to be the best offensive line in the game. Among other publications, Athlon ranked Oklahoma number 1 in its preseason rankings of O-lines. The rest of Athlon’s top 5? Bama, Clemson, Auburn, and Iowa. Yes, the same Auburn O-line that just gave up 11 sacks against Clemson…

Despite Oklahoma and TCU’s big wins at the top of the conference, the bottom of the Big 12 is struggling. Iowa State blew a late lead at home to lose to Iowa, Kansas returned to being Kansas by losing to Central Michigan, and… what the heck is going on with Baylor? The Bears followed up a 45-40 loss to Liberty by losing at home to UTSA 17-10. Those two losses put Baylor at 129 out of 130 in my power rankings, the worst of any team that has just played two games. These struggles, in addition to Texas’s loss to Maryland, have really hurt the conference’s depth beyond the top 5 teams.

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Oklahoma 5 2-0 (0-0) 10 1
2 OK State 2.75 2-0 (0-0) 7 11
3 TCU 2.5 2-0 (0-0) 7 14
4 Kansas State 2 2-0 (0-0) 6 T15
5 West Virginia 0.5 1-1 (0-0) 9 33
6 Texas Tech -0.5 1-0 (0-0) 3 T47
7 Texas -1.5 1-1 (0-0) 1 63
8 Iowa State -2.5 1-1 (0-0) 5 T77
9 Kansas -4.25 1-1 (0-0) 4 105
10 Baylor -8.25 0-2 (0-0) 2 129


Pac 12: USC is Scary

Of many top-notch performances this weekend, USC’s may have been the most impressive. The Trojans dominated both through the air and on the ground, rushing and passing for over 300 yards. Apparently, that is the first time USC has accomplished this feat since the Leinart/Bush days in 2005. And this was against Stanford! Everyone talks about QB Sam Darnold, and justifiably so, but if they continue to run the ball the way they are, then watch out.

Anyone stay up for Boise State vs. Washington State? One of my favorite parts of college football Saturdays is staying up and watching the late late late games, like WSU and BSU this past week. Unfortunately, I gave up on the game with Boise up 31-10 in the 4th. Little did I know that WSU came roaring back and won in triple overtime, with the game ending at 2:42 ET. I could’ve stayed up until almost 3 watching good games!!

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 USC 4.5 2-0 (1-0) 12 T2
2 Washington 2.5 2-0 (0-0) 10 12
3 Stanford 2 1-1 (0-1) 7 T18
4 Washington St 2 2-0 (0-0) 6 21
5 Utah 2 2-0 (0-0) 4 T22
T6 Oregon 1.5 2-0 (0-0) 8 T26
T6 UCLA 1.5 2-0 (0-0) 3 T26
8 Colorado 1 2-0 (0-0) 10 29
9 California 0.5 2-0 (0-0) 1 T35
10 Arizona St -2.5 1-1 (0-0) 4 T77
11 Arizona -3 1-1 (0-0) 8 T85
12 Oregon State -6 1-2 (0-0) 1 122


American: Stuck in the Middle

The current convention is to divide the nation’s ten FBS conferences into two tiers: the powerful Power 5 and the underdog Group of 5. This is generally true, except for one conference: the American Athletic. The AAC is awkwardly stuck in no-man’s land between being a powerful conference worthy of a playoff bid and being a conference like the MAC. Teams like South Florida, Houston, Memphis, Navy, etc. are certainly capable of being decent teams and cracking the top 25, but eventually the lack of depth places it as the obvious 6th best conference in the country. Keep an eye on Memphis hosting UCLA this weekend, that game gives the AAC a huge opportunity to score a nice win.

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 S Florida 1.5 2-0 (0-0) 11 25
T2 Houston 0 1-0 (0-0) 6 T39
T2 Memphis 0 1-0 (0-0) 12 T39
T4 Navy -0.5 2-0 (0-0) 5 T47
T4 UCF -0.5 1-0 (0-0) 7 T47
6 Tulsa -1 1-1 (0-0) 4 T57
7 SMU -1 2-0 (0-0) 3 T59
8 Cincinnati -2 1-1 (0-0) 10 73
9 Uconn -2 1-0 (0-0) 7 74
10 Tulane -3.25 1-1 (0-0) 2 94
11 Temple -3.5 1-1 (0-0) 9 T96
12 E Carolina -7 0-2 (0-0) 1 T126


Mountain West: Underappreciated Aztecs

When you think about the Mountain West, you think about Boise State. Or at least I do. The days of Statues of Liberty and Kellen Moore certainly have built BSU’s brand as the ultimate underdog power, but don’t sleep on San Diego State. The Aztecs have won the previous two MWC championships and have a good chance of winning again this season. Even though they lost the FBS all-time leading rusher Donnel Pomphrey after last year, his replacement Rashaad Penny has been money so far this season. Don’t be shocked if the Aztecs snag the Group of 5 New Year’s Six bowl bid this year. Also, although I’m not predicting it outright, I expect them to keep it close this weekend against Stanford.

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 San Diego St 0.5 2-0 (0-0) 11 T35
2 Boise State -0.75 1-1 (0-0) 9 50
3 Air Force -1 1-0 (0-0) 3 T59
4 Colorado St -2 2-1 (0-0) 2 72
5 Wyoming -2.5 1-1 (0-0) 12 T79
6 Hawaii -3 2-1 (0-0) 9 T88
7 Utah State -3 1-1 (0-0) 5 90
8 Fresno St -3 1-1 (0-0) 1 91
9 New Mexico -5 1-1 (0-0) 4 114
10 San Jose St -5.25 1-2 (0-0) 6 T115
11 UNLV -5.5 1-1 (0-0) 6 T117
12 Nevada -5.5 0-2 (0-0) 8 119


MAC: Toledo Should Roll

Toledo has been a nice little program the past few years, and is a pretty solid favorite to win the MAC this season. If you doubt the talent in the program, note that Chiefs rookie Kareem Hunt, who destroyed both the Patriots and my fantasy team this past weekend, is a Rocket. Keep an eye on Fleck-less Western Michigan though, they’ve looked solid in two losses to USC and Michigan State.

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Toledo 0 2-0 (0-0) 1 T39
T2 C Michigan -1.5 2-0 (0-0) 2 T65
T2 E Michigan -1.5 2-0 (0-0) 2 T65
4 Akron -2 1-1 (0-0) 7 75
5 W Michigan -2.5 0-2 (0-0) 11 81
6 Kent State -3 1-1 (0-0) 5 93
7 Miami OH -3.75 1-1 (0-0) 9 T101
8 Ball State -4 1-1 (0-0) 8 104
9 N Illinois -4.25 1-1 (0-0) 2 106
10 Ohio -4.5 1-1 (0-0) 10 T109
11 Buffalo -6.25 0-2 (0-0) 12 123
12 Bowling Green -8 0-2 (0-0) 6 128


Conference USA: 3rd and 93

This video is all I got for Conference USA:

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
T1 Old Dominion -1.5 2-0 (0-0) 1 T65
T1 UTSA -1.5 1-0 (0-0) 14 T65
3 Mid Tennessee -3 1-1 (0-0) 11 T85
4 Marshall -3 1-1 (0-0) 10 T88
T5 W Kentucky -3.5 1-1 (0-0) 5 T96
T5 Southern Miss -3.5 1-1 (0-0) 9 T96
7 Rice -3.5 1-1 (1-0) 2 100
8 Louisiana Tech -3.75 1-1 (0-0) 5 T101
9 N Texas -4.5 1-1 (0-0) 5 T109
10 FIU -4.75 0-1 (0-0) 3 113
11 FAU -5.25 0-2 (0-0) 11 T115
12 UAB -5.5 1-1 (0-0) 5 120
13 UTEP -5.75 0-2 (0-1) 4 121
14 Charlotte -6.25 0-2 (0-0) 13 124


Sun Belt

With tough starts for Troy, App State to an extent, Idaho, and definitely Georgia Southern, it’s been rough for the Sun Belt. A bright spot: New Mexico State upsetting New Mexico. And shoutout to FBS newbie Coastal Carolina for being the only undefeated team remaining in the conference!

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 App State -1 1-1 (0-0) 12 T57
T2 Troy -2.5 1-1 (0-0) 8 T79
T2 Arkansas St -2.5 0-1 (0-0) 11 82
4 Co Carolina -3 1-0 (0-0) 10 92
5 UL Monroe -3.5 0-1 (0-0) 2 99
6 N Mexico St -3.75 1-1 (0-0) 4 103
7 S Alabama -4.25 0-2 (0-0) 9 107
8 Texas St -4.5 1-1 (0-0) 5 111
9 UL Lafayette -4.75 1-1 (0-0) 1 112
10 Idaho -5.5 1-1 (0-0) 5 T117
11 Georgia St -6.5 0-1 (0-0) 2 125
12 GA Southern -7 0-2 (0-0) 7 T126


Independents

Notre Dame fell a ways after losing at home to Georgia. They have a pretty manageable slate of games over the next few weeks, so I think they can claw back into the rankings. Congratulations to UMass, the only 0-3 team in the nation. Despite their poor start, I’m actually pulling for the Minutemen. For Hokies fans out there, you may remember their quarterback, Andrew Ford. Ford was a pretty high QB recruit for the Hokies before he transferred to UMass.

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Notre Dame -1 1-1 (0-0) 1 T51
2 Army -1.5 2-0 (0-0) 3 T65
3 BYU -2.5 1-2 (0-0) 4 76
4 Umass -11.5 0-3 (0-0) 2 130


Division Ranks

For those who are even more curious, here are the same analyses but by division instead of conference. I know the plot is a little busy, but it gives a decent idea of how the divisions fall.

Rank Div Avg
1 SEC W 1.1071
2 Big 10 E 0.9286
3 SEC E 0.8571
4 Pac 12 S 0.5833
5 Pac 12 N 0.4167
6 ACC Atl 0.3929
7 ACC Coast -0.2143
8 Big 12 -0.425
9 Big 10 W -0.4286
10 Amer W -0.9583
11 Amer E -2.25
12 MAC W -2.2917
13 MW Moun -2.375
14 MW West -3.625
15 CUSA E -3.8929
16 CUSA W -4
17 S Belt -4.0625
18 Ind -4.125
19 MAC E -4.5833


Next are the rankings within every division, as well as each team’s national ranking:

ACC Coastal

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Virginia Tech 3 2-0 (0-0) 6 T8
2 Miami 2 1-0 (0-0) 3 T15
3 Duke 1 2-0 (0-0) 5 30
4 Pittsburgh 0 1-1 (0-0) 3 46
5 Georgia Tech -1 1-1 (0-0) 1 T51
6 Virginia -3 1-1 (0-0) 2 T85
7 North Carolina -3.5 0-2 (0-1) 7 95


ACC Atlantic

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Clemson 4.5 2-0 (0-0) 5 T2
2 Louisville 2.5 2-0 (1-0) 7 13
3 Florida State 2 0-1 (0-0) 2 T18
4 Wake Forest 0.75 2-0 (1-0) 2 32
5 NC State -1 1-1 (0-0) 6 T51
T6 Boston College -3 1-1 (0-1) 2 T83
7 Syracuse -3 1-1 (0-0) 1 T83


SEC East

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Georgia 3.25 2-0 (0-0) 6 7
2 South Carolina 2 2-0 (1-0) 5 T22
3 Tennessee 1.5 2-0 (0-0) 4 T26
4 Florida 0.75 0-1 (0-0) 3 31
5 Vanderbilt 0.5 2-0 (0-0) 1 T35
6 Kentucky 0 2-0 (0-0) 2 T39
7 Missouri -2 1-1 (0-1) 7 71


SEC West

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Alabama 4.5 2-0 (0-0) 7 T2
2 LSU 3 2-0 (0-0) 1 T8
3 Auburn 2 1-1 (0-0) 6 T18
4 Mississippi St 0.5 2-0 (0-0) 1 34
5 Ole Miss 0 2-0 (0-0) 3 T39
6 Texas AM -1 2-1 (0-0) 3 T51
7 Arkansas -1.25 1-1 (0-0) 5 62


Big 10 East

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Penn State 3.5 2-0 (0-0) 5 5
2 Michigan 3.5 2-0 (0-0) 3 6
3 Ohio State 3 1-1 (1-0) 6 10
4 Maryland 2 2-0 (0-0) 1 T22
5 Michigan State 0 2-0 (0-0) 2 T39
6 Indiana -1 1-1 (0-1) 7 T51
7 Rutgers -4.5 0-2 (0-0) 4 108


Big 10 West

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Wisconsin 2 2-0 (0-0) 4 T15
2 Iowa 0.5 2-0 (0-0) 1 T35
3 Minnesota 0 2-0 (0-0) 3 T39
4 Nebraska -1 1-1 (0-0) 4 T51
5 Illinois -1 2-0 (0-0) 1 T59
6 Purdue -1.5 1-1 (0-0) 4 64
7 Northwestern -2 1-1 (0-0) 4 70


Big 12

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Oklahoma 5 2-0 (0-0) 10 1
2 OK State 2.75 2-0 (0-0) 7 11
3 TCU 2.5 2-0 (0-0) 7 14
4 Kansas State 2 2-0 (0-0) 6 T15
5 West Virginia 0.5 1-1 (0-0) 9 33
6 Texas Tech -0.5 1-0 (0-0) 3 T47
7 Texas -1.5 1-1 (0-0) 1 63
8 Iowa State -2.5 1-1 (0-0) 5 T77
9 Kansas -4.25 1-1 (0-0) 4 105
10 Baylor -8.25 0-2 (0-0) 2 129


Pac 12 North

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Washington 2.5 2-0 (0-0) 6 12
2 Stanford 2 1-1 (0-1) 4 T18
3 Washington St 2 2-0 (0-0) 3 21
4 Oregon 1.5 2-0 (0-0) 5 T26
5 California 0.5 2-0 (0-0) 1 T35
6 Oregon State -6 1-2 (0-0) 1 122


Pac 12 South

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 USC 4.5 2-0 (1-0) 6 T2
2 Utah 2 2-0 (0-0) 2 T22
3 UCLA 1.5 2-0 (0-0) 1 T26
4 Colorado 1 2-0 (0-0) 5 29
5 Arizona St -2.5 1-1 (0-0) 2 T77
6 Arizona -3 1-1 (0-0) 4 T85


American East

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 S Florida 1.5 2-0 (0-0) 6 25
2 UCF -0.5 1-0 (0-0) 2 T47
3 Cincinnati -2 1-1 (0-0) 5 73
4 Uconn -2 1-0 (0-0) 2 74
5 Temple -3.5 1-1 (0-0) 4 T96
6 E Carolina -7 0-2 (0-0) 1 T126


American West

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
T1 Houston 0 1-0 (0-0) 5 T39
T1 Memphis 0 1-0 (0-0) 6 T39
3 Navy -0.5 2-0 (0-0) 4 T47
4 Tulsa -1 1-1 (0-0) 3 T57
5 SMU -1 2-0 (0-0) 2 T59
6 Tulane -3.25 1-1 (0-0) 1 94


MW Mountain

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Boise State -0.75 1-1 (0-0) 5 50
2 Air Force -1 1-0 (0-0) 2 T59
3 Colorado St -2 2-1 (0-0) 1 72
4 Wyoming -2.5 1-1 (0-0) 6 T79
5 Utah State -3 1-1 (0-0) 4 90
6 New Mexico -5 1-1 (0-0) 3 114


MW West

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 San Diego St 0.5 2-0 (0-0) 6 T35
2 Hawaii -3 2-1 (0-0) 5 T88
3 Fresno St -3 1-1 (0-0) 1 91
4 San Jose St -5.25 1-2 (0-0) 2 T115
5 UNLV -5.5 1-1 (0-0) 2 T117
6 Nevada -5.5 0-2 (0-0) 4 119


MAC East

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Akron -2 1-1 (0-0) 3 75
2 Kent State -3 1-1 (0-0) 1 93
3 Miami OH -3.75 1-1 (0-0) 4 T101
4 Ohio -4.5 1-1 (0-0) 5 T109
5 Buffalo -6.25 0-2 (0-0) 6 123
6 Bowling Green -8 0-2 (0-0) 2 128


MAC West

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Toledo 0 2-0 (0-0) 1 T39
T2 C Michigan -1.5 2-0 (0-0) 2 T65
T2 E Michigan -1.5 2-0 (0-0) 2 T65
4 W Michigan -2.5 0-2 (0-0) 6 81
5 Ball State -4 1-1 (0-0) 5 104
6 N Illinois -4.25 1-1 (0-0) 2 106


C-USA East

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Old Dominion -1.5 2-0 (0-0) 1 T65
2 Mid Tennessee -3 1-1 (0-0) 5 T85
3 Marshall -3 1-1 (0-0) 4 T88
4 W Kentucky -3.5 1-1 (0-0) 3 T96
5 FIU -4.75 0-1 (0-0) 2 113
6 FAU -5.25 0-2 (0-0) 5 T115
7 Charlotte -6.25 0-2 (0-0) 7 124


C-USA West

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 UTSA -1.5 1-0 (0-0) 7 T65
2 Southern Miss -3.5 1-1 (0-0) 6 T96
3 Rice -3.5 1-1 (1-0) 1 100
4 Louisiana Tech -3.75 1-1 (0-0) 3 T101
5 N Texas -4.5 1-1 (0-0) 3 T109
6 UAB -5.5 1-1 (0-0) 3 120
7 UTEP -5.75 0-2 (0-1) 2 121


Sun Belt

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 App State -1 1-1 (0-0) 12 T57
T2 Troy -2.5 1-1 (0-0) 8 T79
T2 Arkansas St -2.5 0-1 (0-0) 11 82
4 Co Carolina -3 1-0 (0-0) 10 92
5 UL Monroe -3.5 0-1 (0-0) 2 99
6 N Mexico St -3.75 1-1 (0-0) 4 103
7 S Alabama -4.25 0-2 (0-0) 9 107
8 Texas St -4.5 1-1 (0-0) 5 111
9 UL Lafayette -4.75 1-1 (0-0) 1 112
10 Idaho -5.5 1-1 (0-0) 5 T117
11 Georgia St -6.5 0-1 (0-0) 2 125
12 GA Southern -7 0-2 (0-0) 7 T126


Independents

Rank Team Score Record (Conf) Rem Sched Rank NatlRank
1 Notre Dame -1 1-1 (0-0) 1 T51
2 Army -1.5 2-0 (0-0) 3 T65
3 BYU -2.5 1-2 (0-0) 4 76
4 Umass -11.5 0-3 (0-0) 2 130