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 | 26 Michigan | AT | 8 Wisconsin | 17.6 | 12:00pm |
| 2 | 23 NC State | AT | 36 Wake Forest | 18.95 | 7:30pm |
| 3 | 34 Texas | AT | 22 West Virginia | 20.93 | 12:00pm |
| 4 | 12 TCU | AT | 46 Texas Tech | 23.98 | 12:00pm |
| 5 | 42 Navy | AT | 6 Notre Dame | 25.33 | 3:30pm |
| 6 | 31 Arizona | AT | 56 Oregon | 26.26 | 7:00pm |
| 7 | 46 Utah | AT | 21 Washington | 26.38 | 10:30pm |
| 8 | 45 Kentucky | AT | 5 Georgia | 26.73 | 3:30pm |
| 9 | 46 UCLA | AT | 13 USC | 26.76 | 8:00pm |
| 10 | 51 Fresno St | AT | 59 Wyoming | 27.34 | 2:00pm |
| 11 | 35 Texas AM | AT | 61 Ole Miss | 27.82 | 7:00pm |
| 12 | 53 California | AT | 18 Stanford | 29.54 | 8:00pm |
| 13 | 52 Kansas State | AT | 9 OK State | 29.57 | 3:30pm |
| 14 | 54 SMU | AT | 19 Memphis | 29.91 | 12:00pm |
| 15 | 38 Army | AT | 70 N Texas | 30.85 | 6:30pm |
| 16 | 55 Virginia | AT | 4 Miami | 31.11 | 12:00pm |
| 17 | 32 Georgia Tech | AT | 71 Duke | 31.69 | 3:30pm |
| 18 | 15 Mississippi St | AT | 67 Arkansas | 31.75 | 12:00pm |
| 19 | 63 Syracuse | AT | 43 Louisville | 32.53 | 3:30pm |
| 20 | 66 Missouri | AT | 85 Vanderbilt | 34.17 | 7:30pm |
| 21 | 65 Maryland | AT | 17 Michigan State | 34.55 | 4:00pm |
| 22 | 68 Purdue | AT | 24 Iowa | 35.39 | 3:30pm |
| 23 | 72 FIU | AT | 58 FAU | 35.46 | 7:00pm |
| 24 | 25 LSU | AT | 80 Tennessee | 35.48 | 7:00pm |
| 25 | 64 Marshall | AT | 92 UTSA | 36.51 | 7:00pm |
| 26 | 40 Houston | AT | 89 Tulane | 37.28 | 4:00pm |
| 27 | 74 Minnesota | AT | 27 Northwestern | 37.6 | 12:00pm |
| 28 | 80 Rutgers | AT | 60 Indiana | 38.4 | 12:00pm |
| 29 | 14 UCF | AT | 86 Temple | 38.58 | 12:00pm |
| 30 | 77 Pittsburgh | AT | 20 Virginia Tech | 39.13 | 12:20pm |
| 31 | 87 UAB | AT | 75 Florida | 40.41 | 4:00pm |
| 32 | 93 N Mexico St | AT | 102 UL Lafayette | 41.76 | 5:00pm |
| 33 | 44 Arizona St | AT | 105 Oregon State | 42.25 | 3:00pm |
| 34 | 84 Nebraska | AT | 10 Penn State | 42.34 | 4:00pm |
| 35 | 90 Utah State | AT | 118 Hawaii | 43.09 | 3:00pm |
| 36 | 98 Mid Tennessee | AT | 95 W Kentucky | 43.64 | (Fri) 9:00pm |
| 37 | 49 Boston College | VS | 99 Uconn | 43.89 | 7:00pm |
| 38 | 100 Buffalo | AT | 123 Ball State | 44.15 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 39 | 103 S Alabama | AT | 125 GA Southern | 44.79 | 3:00pm |
| 40 | 104 Cincinnati | AT | 119 E Carolina | 45.1 | 12:00pm |
| 41 | 94 Air Force | AT | 28 Boise State | 45.11 | 10:15pm |
| 42 | 100 Louisiana Tech | AT | 128 UTEP | 45.52 | 3:00pm |
| 43 | 29 Iowa State | AT | 114 Baylor | 46.47 | 2:30pm |
| 44 | 96 UL Monroe | AT | 3 Auburn | 47.2 | 12:00pm |
| 45 | 111 UNLV | AT | 116 New Mexico | 47.43 | (Fri) 9:30pm |
| 46 | 115 Umass | AT | 108 BYU | 48.99 | 3:00pm |
| 47 | 110 Tulsa | AT | 30 S Florida | 50.77 | (Thurs) 7:30pm |
| 48 | 2 Oklahoma | AT | 120 Kansas | 50.89 | 3:30pm |
| 49 | 109 Illinois | AT | 11 Ohio State | 51.44 | 3:30pm |
| 50 | 124 Rice | AT | 111 Old Dominion | 51.87 | 2:00pm |
| 51 | 117 Nevada | AT | 38 San Diego St | 52.8 | 10:30pm |
| 52 | 129 Co Carolina | AT | 111 Idaho | 53.52 | 5:00pm |
| 53 | 126 Texas St | AT | 78 Arkansas St | 53.91 | 3:00pm |
| 54 | 127 Charlotte | AT | 73 Southern Miss | 54.48 | 3:00pm |
| 55 | 130 San Jose St | AT | 79 Colorado St | 55.21 | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 100 Buffalo | AT | 123 Ball State | 44.15 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 47 | 110 Tulsa | AT | 30 S Florida | 50.77 | (Thurs) 7:30pm |
| 36 | 98 Mid Tennessee | AT | 95 W Kentucky | 43.64 | (Fri) 9:00pm |
| 45 | 111 UNLV | AT | 116 New Mexico | 47.43 | (Fri) 9:30pm |
| 1 | 26 Michigan | AT | 8 Wisconsin | 17.6 | 12:00pm |
| 3 | 34 Texas | AT | 22 West Virginia | 20.93 | 12:00pm |
| 4 | 12 TCU | AT | 46 Texas Tech | 23.98 | 12:00pm |
| 14 | 54 SMU | AT | 19 Memphis | 29.91 | 12:00pm |
| 16 | 55 Virginia | AT | 4 Miami | 31.11 | 12:00pm |
| 18 | 15 Mississippi St | AT | 67 Arkansas | 31.75 | 12:00pm |
| 27 | 74 Minnesota | AT | 27 Northwestern | 37.6 | 12:00pm |
| 28 | 80 Rutgers | AT | 60 Indiana | 38.4 | 12:00pm |
| 29 | 14 UCF | AT | 86 Temple | 38.58 | 12:00pm |
| 40 | 104 Cincinnati | AT | 119 E Carolina | 45.1 | 12:00pm |
| 44 | 96 UL Monroe | AT | 3 Auburn | 47.2 | 12:00pm |
| 30 | 77 Pittsburgh | AT | 20 Virginia Tech | 39.13 | 12:20pm |
| 10 | 51 Fresno St | AT | 59 Wyoming | 27.34 | 2:00pm |
| 50 | 124 Rice | AT | 111 Old Dominion | 51.87 | 2:00pm |
| 43 | 29 Iowa State | AT | 114 Baylor | 46.47 | 2:30pm |
| 33 | 44 Arizona St | AT | 105 Oregon State | 42.25 | 3:00pm |
| 35 | 90 Utah State | AT | 118 Hawaii | 43.09 | 3:00pm |
| 39 | 103 S Alabama | AT | 125 GA Southern | 44.79 | 3:00pm |
| 42 | 100 Louisiana Tech | AT | 128 UTEP | 45.52 | 3:00pm |
| 46 | 115 Umass | AT | 108 BYU | 48.99 | 3:00pm |
| 53 | 126 Texas St | AT | 78 Arkansas St | 53.91 | 3:00pm |
| 54 | 127 Charlotte | AT | 73 Southern Miss | 54.48 | 3:00pm |
| 5 | 42 Navy | AT | 6 Notre Dame | 25.33 | 3:30pm |
| 8 | 45 Kentucky | AT | 5 Georgia | 26.73 | 3:30pm |
| 13 | 52 Kansas State | AT | 9 OK State | 29.57 | 3:30pm |
| 17 | 32 Georgia Tech | AT | 71 Duke | 31.69 | 3:30pm |
| 19 | 63 Syracuse | AT | 43 Louisville | 32.53 | 3:30pm |
| 22 | 68 Purdue | AT | 24 Iowa | 35.39 | 3:30pm |
| 48 | 2 Oklahoma | AT | 120 Kansas | 50.89 | 3:30pm |
| 49 | 109 Illinois | AT | 11 Ohio State | 51.44 | 3:30pm |
| 55 | 130 San Jose St | AT | 79 Colorado St | 55.21 | 3:30pm |
| 21 | 65 Maryland | AT | 17 Michigan State | 34.55 | 4:00pm |
| 26 | 40 Houston | AT | 89 Tulane | 37.28 | 4:00pm |
| 31 | 87 UAB | AT | 75 Florida | 40.41 | 4:00pm |
| 34 | 84 Nebraska | AT | 10 Penn State | 42.34 | 4:00pm |
| 32 | 93 N Mexico St | AT | 102 UL Lafayette | 41.76 | 5:00pm |
| 52 | 129 Co Carolina | AT | 111 Idaho | 53.52 | 5:00pm |
| 15 | 38 Army | AT | 70 N Texas | 30.85 | 6:30pm |
| 6 | 31 Arizona | AT | 56 Oregon | 26.26 | 7:00pm |
| 11 | 35 Texas AM | AT | 61 Ole Miss | 27.82 | 7:00pm |
| 23 | 72 FIU | AT | 58 FAU | 35.46 | 7:00pm |
| 24 | 25 LSU | AT | 80 Tennessee | 35.48 | 7:00pm |
| 25 | 64 Marshall | AT | 92 UTSA | 36.51 | 7:00pm |
| 37 | 49 Boston College | VS | 99 Uconn | 43.89 | 7:00pm |
| 2 | 23 NC State | AT | 36 Wake Forest | 18.95 | 7:30pm |
| 20 | 66 Missouri | AT | 85 Vanderbilt | 34.17 | 7:30pm |
| 9 | 46 UCLA | AT | 13 USC | 26.76 | 8:00pm |
| 12 | 53 California | AT | 18 Stanford | 29.54 | 8:00pm |
| 41 | 94 Air Force | AT | 28 Boise State | 45.11 | 10:15pm |
| 7 | 46 Utah | AT | 21 Washington | 26.38 | 10:30pm |
| 51 | 117 Nevada | AT | 38 San Diego St | 52.8 | 10:30pm |