On a weekend of college football games, it is often quite overwhelming sifting through all of the matchups. If only there was a way of knowing which games were the most appealing in some objective way. If you ever have faced this conundrum, you’ve come to the right place! Using my power rankings of a given week, I have created a formula that calculates a “game score” for every matchup for the upcoming weekend, and ranks all of the games accordingly.
My formula is based off of two components: overall team quailty and team rankings similarities. Unsurprisingly, teams featuring better teams will be scored better than games with weaker schools. However, the “closeness” of the teams is taken into account as well. Where the game is played is also taken into account (I would rather watch #5 at #20 than #20 at #5, for example).
Things that are NOT included are factors like the general reputation of the schools involved, the style of play that the teams use, and the past history of a given matchup. Certainly rivalry games are more fun regardless of the quality of the teams, but that is not considered here.
Not too many good games on the slate this weekend. In fact, there are no games between two top-25 teams, although a couple of matchups come close. Interestingly, the two most attractive games, at least according to my rankings, are both at noon, so no sleeping in past noon!
| Rank | Away | Home | Score | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 Texas Tech | AT | 28 West Virginia | 16.12 | 12:00pm |
| 2 | 23 Michigan | AT | 30 Indiana | 16.46 | 12:00pm |
| 3 | 26 Utah | AT | 10 USC | 17.51 | 8:00pm |
| 4 | 25 Navy | AT | 33 Memphis | 17.61 | 3:45pm |
| 5 | 29 Georgia Tech | AT | 7 Miami | 19.15 | 3:30pm |
| 6 | 37 Texas AM | AT | 37 Florida | 21.87 | 7:00pm |
| 7 | 21 Oklahoma | VS | 42 Texas | 23.6 | 3:30pm |
| 8 | 42 Purdue | AT | 12 Wisconsin | 25.03 | 3:30pm |
| 9 | 45 Florida State | AT | 47 Duke | 25.08 | 12:00pm |
| 10 | 12 Washington | AT | 52 Arizona St | 26.36 | 10:45pm |
| 11 | 47 Oregon | AT | 18 Stanford | 26.96 | 11:00pm |
| 12 | 49 South Carolina | AT | 37 Tennessee | 27.02 | 12:00pm |
| 13 | 51 UCLA | AT | 61 Arizona | 27.36 | 9:00pm |
| 14 | 56 Vanderbilt | AT | 67 Ole Miss | 29.21 | 3:30pm |
| 15 | 15 Auburn | AT | 61 LSU | 29.53 | 3:30pm |
| 16 | 53 Boise State | AT | 9 San Diego St | 29.99 | 10:30pm |
| 17 | 6 Washington St | AT | 63 California | 31.14 | (Fri) 10:30pm |
| 18 | 59 Northwestern | AT | 37 Maryland | 31.17 | 3:30pm |
| 19 | 17 Michigan State | AT | 66 Minnesota | 31.2 | 8:00pm |
| 20 | 22 NC State | AT | 71 Pittsburgh | 32.56 | 12:00pm |
| 21 | 68 Tulane | AT | 84 FIU | 33.81 | 7:00pm |
| 22 | 15 Ohio State | AT | 75 Nebraska | 34.64 | 7:30pm |
| 23 | 72 UTSA | AT | 78 N Texas | 34.89 | 7:00pm |
| 24 | 65 Kansas State | AT | 3 TCU | 35.3 | 12:00pm |
| 25 | 1 Clemson | AT | 76 Syracuse | 36.35 | (Fri) 7:00pm |
| 26 | 78 Wyoming | AT | 92 Utah State | 36.84 | 4:30pm |
| 27 | 70 Arkansas | AT | 5 Alabama | 37.19 | 7:15pm |
| 28 | 73 Colorado | AT | 100 Oregon State | 38.52 | 4:00pm |
| 29 | 77 Boston College | AT | 27 Louisville | 38.77 | 12:20pm |
| 30 | 69 N Illinois | AT | 101 Buffalo | 39.07 | 3:30pm |
| 31 | 85 New Mexico | AT | 64 Fresno St | 40.1 | 10:00pm |
| 32 | 89 Georgia St | AT | 87 UL Monroe | 40.74 | 5:00pm |
| 33 | 88 Akron | AT | 57 W Michigan | 41.5 | 3:30pm |
| 34 | 46 Toledo | AT | 106 C Michigan | 42.41 | 3:30pm |
| 35 | 55 App State | AT | 110 Idaho | 42.96 | 5:00pm |
| 36 | 35 Virginia | AT | 105 North Carolina | 43.03 | 3:30pm |
| 37 | 95 E Michigan | AT | 74 Army | 43.33 | 12:00pm |
| 38 | 96 UNLV | AT | 83 Air Force | 43.34 | 2:00pm |
| 39 | 98 Rutgers | AT | 93 Illinois | 43.7 | 12:00pm |
| 40 | 99 Mid Tennessee | AT | 94 UAB | 44.02 | 6:30pm |
| 41 | 90 Ohio | AT | 123 Bowling Green | 44.56 | 3:30pm |
| 42 | 104 N Mexico St | AT | 118 GA Southern | 45.11 | 6:00pm |
| 43 | 33 Houston | AT | 111 Tulsa | 45.15 | 4:00pm |
| 44 | 97 Cincinnati | AT | 20 S Florida | 46.63 | 7:30pm |
| 45 | 112 Miami OH | AT | 117 Kent State | 47.73 | 3:30pm |
| 46 | 106 Old Dominion | AT | 54 Marshall | 48.13 | 2:30pm |
| 47 | 102 Missouri | AT | 2 Georgia | 49.44 | 7:30pm |
| 48 | 109 S Alabama | AT | 35 Troy | 50.15 | (Wed) 8:00pm |
| 49 | 114 Kansas | AT | 49 Iowa State | 51.19 | 12:00pm |
| 50 | 121 Uconn | AT | 80 Temple | 52.13 | 12:00pm |
| 51 | 126 San Jose St | AT | 120 Hawaii | 52.22 | 11:59pm |
| 52 | 115 BYU | AT | 30 Mississippi St | 52.52 | 12:00pm |
| 53 | 127 Texas St | AT | 108 UL Lafayette | 52.97 | (Thurs) 7:30pm |
| 54 | 113 Baylor | AT | 8 OK State | 53.02 | 3:30pm |
| 55 | 122 Nevada | AT | 60 Colorado St | 53.41 | 10:15pm |
| 56 | 125 Co Carolina | AT | 81 Arkansas St | 53.44 | 7:00pm |
| 57 | 128 UTEP | AT | 81 Southern Miss | 54.45 | 7:00pm |
| 58 | 130 Charlotte | AT | 91 W Kentucky | 54.67 | 4:30pm |
| 59 | 119 E Carolina | AT | 14 UCF | 54.78 | 7:00pm |
Before a long day of sitting on the couch watching game after game, it is nice to be able to get an idea of what the best games are for a given time slot. Here, I sort the rankings from above by the time in which the game is played, so readers can examine which games are best at a given time.
| Rank | Away | Home | Score | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | 109 S Alabama | AT | 35 Troy | 50.15 | (Wed) 8:00pm |
| 53 | 127 Texas St | AT | 108 UL Lafayette | 52.97 | (Thurs) 7:30pm |
| 25 | 1 Clemson | AT | 76 Syracuse | 36.35 | (Fri) 7:00pm |
| 17 | 6 Washington St | AT | 63 California | 31.14 | (Fri) 10:30pm |
| 1 | 24 Texas Tech | AT | 28 West Virginia | 16.12 | 12:00pm |
| 2 | 23 Michigan | AT | 30 Indiana | 16.46 | 12:00pm |
| 9 | 45 Florida State | AT | 47 Duke | 25.08 | 12:00pm |
| 12 | 49 South Carolina | AT | 37 Tennessee | 27.02 | 12:00pm |
| 20 | 22 NC State | AT | 71 Pittsburgh | 32.56 | 12:00pm |
| 24 | 65 Kansas State | AT | 3 TCU | 35.3 | 12:00pm |
| 37 | 95 E Michigan | AT | 74 Army | 43.33 | 12:00pm |
| 39 | 98 Rutgers | AT | 93 Illinois | 43.7 | 12:00pm |
| 49 | 114 Kansas | AT | 49 Iowa State | 51.19 | 12:00pm |
| 50 | 121 Uconn | AT | 80 Temple | 52.13 | 12:00pm |
| 52 | 115 BYU | AT | 30 Mississippi St | 52.52 | 12:00pm |
| 29 | 77 Boston College | AT | 27 Louisville | 38.77 | 12:20pm |
| 38 | 96 UNLV | AT | 83 Air Force | 43.34 | 2:00pm |
| 46 | 106 Old Dominion | AT | 54 Marshall | 48.13 | 2:30pm |
| 5 | 29 Georgia Tech | AT | 7 Miami | 19.15 | 3:30pm |
| 7 | 21 Oklahoma | VS | 42 Texas | 23.6 | 3:30pm |
| 8 | 42 Purdue | AT | 12 Wisconsin | 25.03 | 3:30pm |
| 14 | 56 Vanderbilt | AT | 67 Ole Miss | 29.21 | 3:30pm |
| 15 | 15 Auburn | AT | 61 LSU | 29.53 | 3:30pm |
| 18 | 59 Northwestern | AT | 37 Maryland | 31.17 | 3:30pm |
| 30 | 69 N Illinois | AT | 101 Buffalo | 39.07 | 3:30pm |
| 33 | 88 Akron | AT | 57 W Michigan | 41.5 | 3:30pm |
| 34 | 46 Toledo | AT | 106 C Michigan | 42.41 | 3:30pm |
| 36 | 35 Virginia | AT | 105 North Carolina | 43.03 | 3:30pm |
| 41 | 90 Ohio | AT | 123 Bowling Green | 44.56 | 3:30pm |
| 45 | 112 Miami OH | AT | 117 Kent State | 47.73 | 3:30pm |
| 54 | 113 Baylor | AT | 8 OK State | 53.02 | 3:30pm |
| 4 | 25 Navy | AT | 33 Memphis | 17.61 | 3:45pm |
| 28 | 73 Colorado | AT | 100 Oregon State | 38.52 | 4:00pm |
| 43 | 33 Houston | AT | 111 Tulsa | 45.15 | 4:00pm |
| 26 | 78 Wyoming | AT | 92 Utah State | 36.84 | 4:30pm |
| 58 | 130 Charlotte | AT | 91 W Kentucky | 54.67 | 4:30pm |
| 32 | 89 Georgia St | AT | 87 UL Monroe | 40.74 | 5:00pm |
| 35 | 55 App State | AT | 110 Idaho | 42.96 | 5:00pm |
| 42 | 104 N Mexico St | AT | 118 GA Southern | 45.11 | 6:00pm |
| 40 | 99 Mid Tennessee | AT | 94 UAB | 44.02 | 6:30pm |
| 6 | 37 Texas AM | AT | 37 Florida | 21.87 | 7:00pm |
| 21 | 68 Tulane | AT | 84 FIU | 33.81 | 7:00pm |
| 23 | 72 UTSA | AT | 78 N Texas | 34.89 | 7:00pm |
| 56 | 125 Co Carolina | AT | 81 Arkansas St | 53.44 | 7:00pm |
| 57 | 128 UTEP | AT | 81 Southern Miss | 54.45 | 7:00pm |
| 59 | 119 E Carolina | AT | 14 UCF | 54.78 | 7:00pm |
| 27 | 70 Arkansas | AT | 5 Alabama | 37.19 | 7:15pm |
| 22 | 15 Ohio State | AT | 75 Nebraska | 34.64 | 7:30pm |
| 44 | 97 Cincinnati | AT | 20 S Florida | 46.63 | 7:30pm |
| 47 | 102 Missouri | AT | 2 Georgia | 49.44 | 7:30pm |
| 3 | 26 Utah | AT | 10 USC | 17.51 | 8:00pm |
| 19 | 17 Michigan State | AT | 66 Minnesota | 31.2 | 8:00pm |
| 13 | 51 UCLA | AT | 61 Arizona | 27.36 | 9:00pm |
| 31 | 85 New Mexico | AT | 64 Fresno St | 40.1 | 10:00pm |
| 55 | 122 Nevada | AT | 60 Colorado St | 53.41 | 10:15pm |
| 16 | 53 Boise State | AT | 9 San Diego St | 29.99 | 10:30pm |
| 10 | 12 Washington | AT | 52 Arizona St | 26.36 | 10:45pm |
| 11 | 47 Oregon | AT | 18 Stanford | 26.96 | 11:00pm |
| 51 | 126 San Jose St | AT | 120 Hawaii | 52.22 | 11:59pm |