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, games 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.
| Rank | Away | Home | Score | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 Penn State | AT | 14 Ohio State | 10.27 | 3:30pm |
| 2 | 16 NC State | AT | 4 Notre Dame | 12.38 | 3:30pm |
| 3 | 12 OK State | AT | 25 West Virginia | 14.92 | 12:00pm |
| 4 | 24 Mississippi St | AT | 26 Texas AM | 16.1 | 7:15pm |
| 5 | 3 TCU | AT | 27 Iowa State | 16.68 | 3:30pm |
| 6 | 15 USC | AT | 33 Arizona St | 18.27 | 10:45pm |
| 7 | 29 Georgia Tech | AT | 5 Clemson | 19.24 | 8:00pm |
| 8 | 8 Michigan State | AT | 39 Northwestern | 21.48 | 3:30pm |
| 9 | 34 Florida State | AT | 47 Boston College | 22.65 | (Fri) 8:00pm |
| 10 | 16 Washington St | AT | 45 Arizona | 23.21 | 9:30pm |
| 11 | 39 UCLA | AT | 20 Washington | 23.31 | 3:30pm |
| 12 | 41 Louisville | AT | 46 Wake Forest | 23.46 | 12:20pm |
| 13 | 41 Texas Tech | AT | 11 Oklahoma | 24.63 | 8:00pm |
| 14 | 43 Indiana | AT | 57 Maryland | 25.86 | 3:30pm |
| 15 | 1 Georgia | VS | 49 Florida | 28.65 | 3:30pm |
| 16 | 55 Virginia | AT | 62 Pittsburgh | 28.84 | 12:30pm |
| 17 | 56 Utah | AT | 64 Oregon | 29.2 | 5:45pm |
| 18 | 58 California | AT | 72 Colorado | 30.35 | 2:00pm |
| 19 | 59 Tennessee | AT | 52 Kentucky | 30.61 | 7:30pm |
| 20 | 66 Vanderbilt | AT | 31 South Carolina | 34.26 | 4:00pm |
| 21 | 72 Nebraska | AT | 67 Purdue | 35.16 | 7:30pm |
| 22 | 69 Minnesota | AT | 30 Iowa | 35.5 | 6:30pm |
| 23 | 70 FIU | AT | 35 Marshall | 35.65 | 2:30pm |
| 24 | 74 Arkansas St | AT | 92 N Mexico St | 36.04 | 8:00pm |
| 25 | 76 Arkansas | AT | 68 Ole Miss | 36.62 | 12:00pm |
| 26 | 71 Duke | AT | 13 Virginia Tech | 37.15 | 7:20pm |
| 27 | 79 FAU | AT | 82 W Kentucky | 37.32 | 4:30pm |
| 28 | 37 Boise State | AT | 91 Utah State | 38.21 | 10:00pm |
| 29 | 75 Houston | AT | 18 S Florida | 38.46 | 3:45pm |
| 30 | 90 Missouri | AT | 97 Uconn | 40.84 | 6:30pm |
| 31 | 52 San Diego St | AT | 104 Hawaii | 41.27 | 11:15pm |
| 32 | 86 Air Force | AT | 44 Colorado St | 41.35 | 3:00pm |
| 33 | 84 Tulane | AT | 23 Memphis | 41.65 | (Fri) 8:00pm |
| 34 | 85 Rutgers | AT | 22 Michigan | 42.08 | 12:00pm |
| 35 | 93 S Alabama | AT | 88 Georgia St | 42.12 | (Thurs) 7:30pm |
| 36 | 61 Kansas State | AT | 110 Kansas | 42.49 | 3:00pm |
| 37 | 50 Texas | AT | 108 Baylor | 42.72 | 12:00pm |
| 38 | 21 Stanford | AT | 101 Oregon State | 42.98 | (Thurs) 9:00pm |
| 39 | 97 UL Monroe | AT | 119 Idaho | 43.14 | 5:00pm |
| 40 | 95 UAB | AT | 77 Southern Miss | 43.21 | 7:00pm |
| 41 | 97 New Mexico | AT | 83 Wyoming | 43.69 | 7:30pm |
| 42 | 97 Louisiana Tech | AT | 122 Rice | 43.95 | 3:30pm |
| 43 | 10 Wisconsin | AT | 103 Illinois | 44.67 | 12:00pm |
| 44 | 7 Miami | AT | 106 North Carolina | 45.93 | 12:00pm |
| 45 | 80 UTSA | AT | 129 UTEP | 46.99 | 8:00pm |
| 46 | 54 App State | AT | 124 Umass | 47.46 | 3:30pm |
| 47 | 107 E Michigan | AT | 65 N Illinois | 47.97 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 48 | 32 Toledo | AT | 120 Ball State | 48.11 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 49 | 113 Buffalo | AT | 87 Akron | 49.1 | 12:00pm |
| 50 | 117 Old Dominion | AT | 88 N Texas | 50.42 | 6:30pm |
| 51 | 114 Tulsa | AT | 51 SMU | 51.09 | (Fri) 9:00pm |
| 52 | 112 UNLV | AT | 36 Fresno St | 51.15 | 10:00pm |
| 53 | 125 San Jose St | AT | 118 BYU | 51.96 | 3:00pm |
| 54 | 126 Texas St | AT | 127 Co Carolina | 52 | 6:00pm |
| 55 | 123 GA Southern | AT | 60 Troy | 53.75 | 3:30pm |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 93 S Alabama | AT | 88 Georgia St | 42.12 | (Thurs) 7:30pm |
| 47 | 107 E Michigan | AT | 65 N Illinois | 47.97 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 48 | 32 Toledo | AT | 120 Ball State | 48.11 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 38 | 21 Stanford | AT | 101 Oregon State | 42.98 | (Thurs) 9:00pm |
| 9 | 34 Florida State | AT | 47 Boston College | 22.65 | (Fri) 8:00pm |
| 33 | 84 Tulane | AT | 23 Memphis | 41.65 | (Fri) 8:00pm |
| 51 | 114 Tulsa | AT | 51 SMU | 51.09 | (Fri) 9:00pm |
| 3 | 12 OK State | AT | 25 West Virginia | 14.92 | 12:00pm |
| 25 | 76 Arkansas | AT | 68 Ole Miss | 36.62 | 12:00pm |
| 34 | 85 Rutgers | AT | 22 Michigan | 42.08 | 12:00pm |
| 37 | 50 Texas | AT | 108 Baylor | 42.72 | 12:00pm |
| 43 | 10 Wisconsin | AT | 103 Illinois | 44.67 | 12:00pm |
| 44 | 7 Miami | AT | 106 North Carolina | 45.93 | 12:00pm |
| 49 | 113 Buffalo | AT | 87 Akron | 49.1 | 12:00pm |
| 12 | 41 Louisville | AT | 46 Wake Forest | 23.46 | 12:20pm |
| 16 | 55 Virginia | AT | 62 Pittsburgh | 28.84 | 12:30pm |
| 18 | 58 California | AT | 72 Colorado | 30.35 | 2:00pm |
| 23 | 70 FIU | AT | 35 Marshall | 35.65 | 2:30pm |
| 32 | 86 Air Force | AT | 44 Colorado St | 41.35 | 3:00pm |
| 36 | 61 Kansas State | AT | 110 Kansas | 42.49 | 3:00pm |
| 53 | 125 San Jose St | AT | 118 BYU | 51.96 | 3:00pm |
| 1 | 2 Penn State | AT | 14 Ohio State | 10.27 | 3:30pm |
| 2 | 16 NC State | AT | 4 Notre Dame | 12.38 | 3:30pm |
| 5 | 3 TCU | AT | 27 Iowa State | 16.68 | 3:30pm |
| 8 | 8 Michigan State | AT | 39 Northwestern | 21.48 | 3:30pm |
| 11 | 39 UCLA | AT | 20 Washington | 23.31 | 3:30pm |
| 14 | 43 Indiana | AT | 57 Maryland | 25.86 | 3:30pm |
| 15 | 1 Georgia | VS | 49 Florida | 28.65 | 3:30pm |
| 42 | 97 Louisiana Tech | AT | 122 Rice | 43.95 | 3:30pm |
| 46 | 54 App State | AT | 124 Umass | 47.46 | 3:30pm |
| 55 | 123 GA Southern | AT | 60 Troy | 53.75 | 3:30pm |
| 29 | 75 Houston | AT | 18 S Florida | 38.46 | 3:45pm |
| 20 | 66 Vanderbilt | AT | 31 South Carolina | 34.26 | 4:00pm |
| 27 | 79 FAU | AT | 82 W Kentucky | 37.32 | 4:30pm |
| 39 | 97 UL Monroe | AT | 119 Idaho | 43.14 | 5:00pm |
| 17 | 56 Utah | AT | 64 Oregon | 29.2 | 5:45pm |
| 54 | 126 Texas St | AT | 127 Co Carolina | 52 | 6:00pm |
| 22 | 69 Minnesota | AT | 30 Iowa | 35.5 | 6:30pm |
| 30 | 90 Missouri | AT | 97 Uconn | 40.84 | 6:30pm |
| 50 | 117 Old Dominion | AT | 88 N Texas | 50.42 | 6:30pm |
| 40 | 95 UAB | AT | 77 Southern Miss | 43.21 | 7:00pm |
| 4 | 24 Mississippi St | AT | 26 Texas AM | 16.1 | 7:15pm |
| 26 | 71 Duke | AT | 13 Virginia Tech | 37.15 | 7:20pm |
| 19 | 59 Tennessee | AT | 52 Kentucky | 30.61 | 7:30pm |
| 21 | 72 Nebraska | AT | 67 Purdue | 35.16 | 7:30pm |
| 41 | 97 New Mexico | AT | 83 Wyoming | 43.69 | 7:30pm |
| 7 | 29 Georgia Tech | AT | 5 Clemson | 19.24 | 8:00pm |
| 13 | 41 Texas Tech | AT | 11 Oklahoma | 24.63 | 8:00pm |
| 24 | 74 Arkansas St | AT | 92 N Mexico St | 36.04 | 8:00pm |
| 45 | 80 UTSA | AT | 129 UTEP | 46.99 | 8:00pm |
| 10 | 16 Washington St | AT | 45 Arizona | 23.21 | 9:30pm |
| 28 | 37 Boise State | AT | 91 Utah State | 38.21 | 10:00pm |
| 52 | 112 UNLV | AT | 36 Fresno St | 51.15 | 10:00pm |
| 6 | 15 USC | AT | 33 Arizona St | 18.27 | 10:45pm |
| 31 | 52 San Diego St | AT | 104 Hawaii | 41.27 | 11:15pm |