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 | 4 Oklahoma | AT | 13 OK State | 9.53 | 4:00pm |
| 2 | 14 Virginia Tech | AT | 6 Miami | 11.15 | 8:00pm |
| 3 | 3 Clemson | AT | 20 NC State | 13.31 | 3:30pm |
| 4 | 18 Stanford | AT | 23 Washington St | 13.65 | 3:30pm |
| 5 | 4 Penn State | AT | 21 Michigan State | 13.71 | 12:00pm |
| 6 | 7 Ohio State | AT | 28 Iowa | 16.75 | 3:30pm |
| 7 | 25 LSU | AT | 8 Alabama | 17.09 | 8:00pm |
| 8 | 19 Iowa State | AT | 31 West Virginia | 17.1 | 3:30pm |
| 9 | 26 Arizona | AT | 11 USC | 17.47 | 10:45pm |
| 10 | 15 Auburn | AT | 36 Texas AM | 19.56 | 12:00pm |
| 11 | 30 South Carolina | AT | 1 Georgia | 19.94 | 3:30pm |
| 12 | 32 Texas | AT | 10 TCU | 20.48 | 7:15pm |
| 13 | 37 UCLA | AT | 49 Utah | 23.25 | (Fri) 9:30pm |
| 14 | 9 UCF | AT | 47 SMU | 24.67 | 7:15pm |
| 15 | 42 Wake Forest | AT | 2 Notre Dame | 25.54 | 3:30pm |
| 16 | 44 Syracuse | AT | 58 Florida State | 26.17 | 12:20pm |
| 17 | 53 Kansas State | AT | 40 Texas Tech | 28.59 | 12:00pm |
| 18 | 33 Northwestern | AT | 64 Nebraska | 29.07 | 3:30pm |
| 19 | 35 Georgia Tech | AT | 67 Virginia | 30 | 3:00pm |
| 20 | 56 N Illinois | AT | 27 Toledo | 30.37 | (Thurs) 6:00pm |
| 21 | 55 Oregon | AT | 17 Washington | 30.43 | 10:00pm |
| 22 | 61 Marshall | AT | 72 FAU | 31.01 | (Fri) 6:00pm |
| 23 | 59 Colorado | AT | 40 Arizona St | 31.04 | 9:00pm |
| 24 | 12 Wisconsin | AT | 65 Indiana | 31.3 | 12:00pm |
| 25 | 66 Colorado St | AT | 75 Wyoming | 32.77 | 7:00pm |
| 26 | 50 Florida | AT | 84 Missouri | 34.8 | 12:00pm |
| 27 | 51 Army | AT | 85 Air Force | 35.07 | 3:30pm |
| 28 | 46 Maryland | AT | 86 Rutgers | 35.78 | 3:30pm |
| 29 | 76 Southern Miss | AT | 68 Tennessee | 36.62 | 7:30pm |
| 30 | 79 UTSA | AT | 61 FIU | 37.99 | 7:00pm |
| 31 | 34 Navy | AT | 94 Temple | 39.48 | (Thurs) 8:00pm |
| 32 | 81 Ole Miss | AT | 38 Kentucky | 39.75 | 4:00pm |
| 33 | 87 N Texas | AT | 93 Louisiana Tech | 39.89 | 3:30pm |
| 34 | 71 App State | AT | 105 UL Monroe | 40.21 | 3:00pm |
| 35 | 82 Minnesota | AT | 24 Michigan | 40.84 | 7:30pm |
| 36 | 90 W Kentucky | AT | 74 Vanderbilt | 41.53 | 12:00pm |
| 37 | 95 Utah State | AT | 107 New Mexico | 42.34 | 5:30pm |
| 38 | 97 Cincinnati | AT | 88 Tulane | 43.52 | 4:00pm |
| 39 | 98 UL Lafayette | AT | 99 S Alabama | 43.52 | 4:00pm |
| 40 | 29 S Florida | AT | 107 Uconn | 44.21 | 3:30pm |
| 41 | 96 Oregon State | AT | 57 California | 44.41 | 5:00pm |
| 42 | 99 N Mexico St | AT | 124 Texas St | 44.44 | 3:00pm |
| 43 | 101 Illinois | AT | 83 Purdue | 45.1 | 12:00pm |
| 44 | 89 Georgia St | AT | 126 GA Southern | 45.5 | 3:00pm |
| 45 | 22 Memphis | AT | 114 Tulsa | 47.11 | (Fri) 8:00pm |
| 46 | 109 Hawaii | AT | 103 UNLV | 47.14 | 6:00pm |
| 47 | 117 Baylor | AT | 118 Kansas | 49.34 | 12:00pm |
| 48 | 112 BYU | AT | 63 Fresno St | 49.81 | 10:45pm |
| 49 | 45 San Diego St | AT | 130 San Jose St | 50.09 | 10:30pm |
| 50 | 111 E Carolina | AT | 48 Houston | 50.19 | 12:00pm |
| 51 | 122 Ball State | AT | 110 E Michigan | 51.25 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 52 | 115 Idaho | AT | 51 Troy | 51.44 | (Thurs) 9:15pm |
| 53 | 123 Rice | AT | 91 UAB | 52.33 | 3:00pm |
| 54 | 127 Charlotte | AT | 119 Old Dominion | 52.58 | 3:30pm |
| 55 | 128 UTEP | AT | 105 Mid Tennessee | 53.42 | 7:30pm |
| 56 | 120 Nevada | AT | 38 Boise State | 53.84 | 7:00pm |
| 57 | 129 Co Carolina | AT | 73 Arkansas | 55.16 | 4:00pm |
| 58 | 121 Umass | AT | 16 Mississippi St | 55.37 | 12:00pm |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 56 N Illinois | AT | 27 Toledo | 30.37 | (Thurs) 6:00pm |
| 51 | 122 Ball State | AT | 110 E Michigan | 51.25 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 31 | 34 Navy | AT | 94 Temple | 39.48 | (Thurs) 8:00pm |
| 52 | 115 Idaho | AT | 51 Troy | 51.44 | (Thurs) 9:15pm |
| 22 | 61 Marshall | AT | 72 FAU | 31.01 | (Fri) 6:00pm |
| 45 | 22 Memphis | AT | 114 Tulsa | 47.11 | (Fri) 8:00pm |
| 13 | 37 UCLA | AT | 49 Utah | 23.25 | (Fri) 9:30pm |
| 5 | 4 Penn State | AT | 21 Michigan State | 13.71 | 12:00pm |
| 10 | 15 Auburn | AT | 36 Texas AM | 19.56 | 12:00pm |
| 17 | 53 Kansas State | AT | 40 Texas Tech | 28.59 | 12:00pm |
| 24 | 12 Wisconsin | AT | 65 Indiana | 31.3 | 12:00pm |
| 26 | 50 Florida | AT | 84 Missouri | 34.8 | 12:00pm |
| 36 | 90 W Kentucky | AT | 74 Vanderbilt | 41.53 | 12:00pm |
| 43 | 101 Illinois | AT | 83 Purdue | 45.1 | 12:00pm |
| 47 | 117 Baylor | AT | 118 Kansas | 49.34 | 12:00pm |
| 50 | 111 E Carolina | AT | 48 Houston | 50.19 | 12:00pm |
| 58 | 121 Umass | AT | 16 Mississippi St | 55.37 | 12:00pm |
| 16 | 44 Syracuse | AT | 58 Florida State | 26.17 | 12:20pm |
| 19 | 35 Georgia Tech | AT | 67 Virginia | 30 | 3:00pm |
| 34 | 71 App State | AT | 105 UL Monroe | 40.21 | 3:00pm |
| 42 | 99 N Mexico St | AT | 124 Texas St | 44.44 | 3:00pm |
| 44 | 89 Georgia St | AT | 126 GA Southern | 45.5 | 3:00pm |
| 53 | 123 Rice | AT | 91 UAB | 52.33 | 3:00pm |
| 3 | 3 Clemson | AT | 20 NC State | 13.31 | 3:30pm |
| 4 | 18 Stanford | AT | 23 Washington St | 13.65 | 3:30pm |
| 6 | 7 Ohio State | AT | 28 Iowa | 16.75 | 3:30pm |
| 8 | 19 Iowa State | AT | 31 West Virginia | 17.1 | 3:30pm |
| 11 | 30 South Carolina | AT | 1 Georgia | 19.94 | 3:30pm |
| 15 | 42 Wake Forest | AT | 2 Notre Dame | 25.54 | 3:30pm |
| 18 | 33 Northwestern | AT | 64 Nebraska | 29.07 | 3:30pm |
| 27 | 51 Army | AT | 85 Air Force | 35.07 | 3:30pm |
| 28 | 46 Maryland | AT | 86 Rutgers | 35.78 | 3:30pm |
| 33 | 87 N Texas | AT | 93 Louisiana Tech | 39.89 | 3:30pm |
| 40 | 29 S Florida | AT | 107 Uconn | 44.21 | 3:30pm |
| 54 | 127 Charlotte | AT | 119 Old Dominion | 52.58 | 3:30pm |
| 1 | 4 Oklahoma | AT | 13 OK State | 9.53 | 4:00pm |
| 32 | 81 Ole Miss | AT | 38 Kentucky | 39.75 | 4:00pm |
| 38 | 97 Cincinnati | AT | 88 Tulane | 43.52 | 4:00pm |
| 39 | 98 UL Lafayette | AT | 99 S Alabama | 43.52 | 4:00pm |
| 57 | 129 Co Carolina | AT | 73 Arkansas | 55.16 | 4:00pm |
| 41 | 96 Oregon State | AT | 57 California | 44.41 | 5:00pm |
| 37 | 95 Utah State | AT | 107 New Mexico | 42.34 | 5:30pm |
| 46 | 109 Hawaii | AT | 103 UNLV | 47.14 | 6:00pm |
| 25 | 66 Colorado St | AT | 75 Wyoming | 32.77 | 7:00pm |
| 30 | 79 UTSA | AT | 61 FIU | 37.99 | 7:00pm |
| 56 | 120 Nevada | AT | 38 Boise State | 53.84 | 7:00pm |
| 12 | 32 Texas | AT | 10 TCU | 20.48 | 7:15pm |
| 14 | 9 UCF | AT | 47 SMU | 24.67 | 7:15pm |
| 29 | 76 Southern Miss | AT | 68 Tennessee | 36.62 | 7:30pm |
| 35 | 82 Minnesota | AT | 24 Michigan | 40.84 | 7:30pm |
| 55 | 128 UTEP | AT | 105 Mid Tennessee | 53.42 | 7:30pm |
| 2 | 14 Virginia Tech | AT | 6 Miami | 11.15 | 8:00pm |
| 7 | 25 LSU | AT | 8 Alabama | 17.09 | 8:00pm |
| 23 | 59 Colorado | AT | 40 Arizona St | 31.04 | 9:00pm |
| 21 | 55 Oregon | AT | 17 Washington | 30.43 | 10:00pm |
| 49 | 45 San Diego St | AT | 130 San Jose St | 50.09 | 10:30pm |
| 9 | 26 Arizona | AT | 11 USC | 17.47 | 10:45pm |
| 48 | 112 BYU | AT | 63 Fresno St | 49.81 | 10:45pm |