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 | 7 Alabama | AT | 5 Auburn | 6.73 | 3:30pm |
| 2 | 6 Notre Dame | AT | 16 Stanford | 10.98 | 8:00pm |
| 3 | 14 Washington St | AT | 18 Washington | 11.5 | 8:00pm |
| 4 | 12 Ohio State | AT | 25 Michigan | 14.92 | 12:00pm |
| 5 | 1 Clemson | AT | 28 South Carolina | 17.34 | 7:30pm |
| 6 | 27 S Florida | AT | 13 UCF | 17.9 | (Fri) 3:30pm |
| 7 | 32 Texas AM | AT | 23 LSU | 19.96 | 7:30pm |
| 8 | 30 Iowa State | AT | 42 Kansas State | 20.95 | 12:30pm |
| 9 | 37 Louisville | AT | 45 Kentucky | 21.88 | 12:00pm |
| 10 | 24 Boise State | AT | 44 Fresno St | 22.14 | 3:30pm |
| 11 | 35 West Virginia | AT | 4 Oklahoma | 22.2 | 3:45pm |
| 12 | 40 Arizona | AT | 38 Arizona St | 23.15 | 4:30pm |
| 13 | 3 Georgia | AT | 42 Georgia Tech | 23.22 | 12:00pm |
| 14 | 21 Virginia Tech | AT | 53 Virginia | 25.93 | (Fri) 8:00pm |
| 15 | 41 Navy | AT | 60 Houston | 27.04 | (Fri) 12:00pm |
| 16 | 54 California | AT | 48 UCLA | 28.73 | (Fri) 10:30pm |
| 17 | 48 Florida State | AT | 68 Florida | 29.45 | 12:00pm |
| 18 | 57 Indiana | AT | 56 Purdue | 29.71 | 12:00pm |
| 19 | 59 Missouri | AT | 64 Arkansas | 30.32 | (Fri) 2:30pm |
| 20 | 46 Boston College | AT | 73 Syracuse | 31.32 | 12:20pm |
| 21 | 9 Penn State | AT | 66 Maryland | 31.96 | 3:30pm |
| 22 | 62 Texas Tech | AT | 33 Texas | 32.56 | (Fri) 8:00pm |
| 23 | 63 Duke | AT | 31 Wake Forest | 33.05 | 12:30pm |
| 24 | 65 Colorado | AT | 50 Utah | 33.05 | 10:00pm |
| 25 | 67 Southern Miss | AT | 78 Marshall | 33.11 | 2:30pm |
| 26 | 55 N Illinois | AT | 81 C Michigan | 33.45 | 12:00pm |
| 27 | 29 Iowa | AT | 77 Nebraska | 34.08 | (Fri) 4:00pm |
| 28 | 75 App State | AT | 76 Georgia St | 36.02 | 2:00pm |
| 29 | 69 Arkansas St | AT | 94 UL Monroe | 36.86 | 3:00pm |
| 30 | 7 Wisconsin | AT | 80 Minnesota | 37.17 | 3:30pm |
| 31 | 72 Ole Miss | AT | 15 Mississippi St | 37.44 | (Thurs) 8:00pm |
| 32 | 17 Michigan State | AT | 85 Rutgers | 37.95 | 4:00pm |
| 33 | 69 Ohio | AT | 98 Buffalo | 38.12 | 1:00pm |
| 34 | 2 Miami | AT | 84 Pittsburgh | 39.05 | (Fri) 12:00pm |
| 35 | 82 W Michigan | AT | 39 Toledo | 40.08 | 12:00pm |
| 36 | 88 Utah State | AT | 97 Air Force | 40.16 | 10:15pm |
| 37 | 90 UTSA | AT | 94 Louisiana Tech | 40.9 | 7:30pm |
| 38 | 87 Tulane | AT | 58 SMU | 41.08 | 12:00pm |
| 39 | 89 Temple | AT | 111 Tulsa | 41.11 | 4:00pm |
| 40 | 92 Vanderbilt | AT | 79 Tennessee | 42.07 | 4:00pm |
| 41 | 93 W Kentucky | AT | 83 FIU | 42.28 | (Fri) 7:00pm |
| 42 | 21 Northwestern | AT | 105 Illinois | 44.29 | 4:00pm |
| 43 | 101 Old Dominion | AT | 101 Mid Tennessee | 44.49 | 3:00pm |
| 44 | 103 UNLV | AT | 113 Nevada | 44.87 | 3:00pm |
| 45 | 106 Uconn | AT | 110 Cincinnati | 45.93 | 12:00pm |
| 46 | 96 North Carolina | AT | 26 NC State | 45.95 | 3:30pm |
| 47 | 109 BYU | AT | 120 Hawaii | 46.69 | 9:00pm |
| 48 | 61 N Texas | AT | 127 Rice | 47.82 | 1:00pm |
| 49 | 71 Wyoming | AT | 130 San Jose St | 47.96 | 5:00pm |
| 50 | 107 Oregon State | AT | 46 Oregon | 48.88 | 7:00pm |
| 51 | 51 FAU | AT | 128 Charlotte | 48.95 | 2:00pm |
| 52 | 117 Idaho | AT | 98 N Mexico St | 50.02 | 4:00pm |
| 53 | 123 GA Southern | AT | 100 UL Lafayette | 51.96 | 5:00pm |
| 54 | 118 New Mexico | AT | 34 San Diego St | 53.35 | (Fri) 3:30pm |
| 55 | 116 E Carolina | AT | 20 Memphis | 53.41 | 12:00pm |
| 56 | 115 Baylor | AT | 9 TCU | 53.67 | (Fri) 12:00pm |
| 57 | 129 UTEP | AT | 91 UAB | 54.34 | 1:00pm |
| 58 | 119 Kansas | AT | 19 OK State | 54.51 | 12:00pm |
| 59 | 124 Texas St | AT | 36 Troy | 55.32 | (Fri) 4:00pm |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 72 Ole Miss | AT | 15 Mississippi St | 37.44 | (Thurs) 8:00pm |
| 15 | 41 Navy | AT | 60 Houston | 27.04 | (Fri) 12:00pm |
| 34 | 2 Miami | AT | 84 Pittsburgh | 39.05 | (Fri) 12:00pm |
| 56 | 115 Baylor | AT | 9 TCU | 53.67 | (Fri) 12:00pm |
| 19 | 59 Missouri | AT | 64 Arkansas | 30.32 | (Fri) 2:30pm |
| 6 | 27 S Florida | AT | 13 UCF | 17.9 | (Fri) 3:30pm |
| 54 | 118 New Mexico | AT | 34 San Diego St | 53.35 | (Fri) 3:30pm |
| 27 | 29 Iowa | AT | 77 Nebraska | 34.08 | (Fri) 4:00pm |
| 59 | 124 Texas St | AT | 36 Troy | 55.32 | (Fri) 4:00pm |
| 41 | 93 W Kentucky | AT | 83 FIU | 42.28 | (Fri) 7:00pm |
| 14 | 21 Virginia Tech | AT | 53 Virginia | 25.93 | (Fri) 8:00pm |
| 22 | 62 Texas Tech | AT | 33 Texas | 32.56 | (Fri) 8:00pm |
| 16 | 54 California | AT | 48 UCLA | 28.73 | (Fri) 10:30pm |
| 4 | 12 Ohio State | AT | 25 Michigan | 14.92 | 12:00pm |
| 9 | 37 Louisville | AT | 45 Kentucky | 21.88 | 12:00pm |
| 13 | 3 Georgia | AT | 42 Georgia Tech | 23.22 | 12:00pm |
| 17 | 48 Florida State | AT | 68 Florida | 29.45 | 12:00pm |
| 18 | 57 Indiana | AT | 56 Purdue | 29.71 | 12:00pm |
| 26 | 55 N Illinois | AT | 81 C Michigan | 33.45 | 12:00pm |
| 35 | 82 W Michigan | AT | 39 Toledo | 40.08 | 12:00pm |
| 38 | 87 Tulane | AT | 58 SMU | 41.08 | 12:00pm |
| 45 | 106 Uconn | AT | 110 Cincinnati | 45.93 | 12:00pm |
| 55 | 116 E Carolina | AT | 20 Memphis | 53.41 | 12:00pm |
| 58 | 119 Kansas | AT | 19 OK State | 54.51 | 12:00pm |
| 20 | 46 Boston College | AT | 73 Syracuse | 31.32 | 12:20pm |
| 8 | 30 Iowa State | AT | 42 Kansas State | 20.95 | 12:30pm |
| 23 | 63 Duke | AT | 31 Wake Forest | 33.05 | 12:30pm |
| 33 | 69 Ohio | AT | 98 Buffalo | 38.12 | 1:00pm |
| 48 | 61 N Texas | AT | 127 Rice | 47.82 | 1:00pm |
| 57 | 129 UTEP | AT | 91 UAB | 54.34 | 1:00pm |
| 28 | 75 App State | AT | 76 Georgia St | 36.02 | 2:00pm |
| 51 | 51 FAU | AT | 128 Charlotte | 48.95 | 2:00pm |
| 25 | 67 Southern Miss | AT | 78 Marshall | 33.11 | 2:30pm |
| 29 | 69 Arkansas St | AT | 94 UL Monroe | 36.86 | 3:00pm |
| 43 | 101 Old Dominion | AT | 101 Mid Tennessee | 44.49 | 3:00pm |
| 44 | 103 UNLV | AT | 113 Nevada | 44.87 | 3:00pm |
| 1 | 7 Alabama | AT | 5 Auburn | 6.73 | 3:30pm |
| 10 | 24 Boise State | AT | 44 Fresno St | 22.14 | 3:30pm |
| 21 | 9 Penn State | AT | 66 Maryland | 31.96 | 3:30pm |
| 30 | 7 Wisconsin | AT | 80 Minnesota | 37.17 | 3:30pm |
| 46 | 96 North Carolina | AT | 26 NC State | 45.95 | 3:30pm |
| 11 | 35 West Virginia | AT | 4 Oklahoma | 22.2 | 3:45pm |
| 32 | 17 Michigan State | AT | 85 Rutgers | 37.95 | 4:00pm |
| 39 | 89 Temple | AT | 111 Tulsa | 41.11 | 4:00pm |
| 40 | 92 Vanderbilt | AT | 79 Tennessee | 42.07 | 4:00pm |
| 42 | 21 Northwestern | AT | 105 Illinois | 44.29 | 4:00pm |
| 52 | 117 Idaho | AT | 98 N Mexico St | 50.02 | 4:00pm |
| 12 | 40 Arizona | AT | 38 Arizona St | 23.15 | 4:30pm |
| 49 | 71 Wyoming | AT | 130 San Jose St | 47.96 | 5:00pm |
| 53 | 123 GA Southern | AT | 100 UL Lafayette | 51.96 | 5:00pm |
| 50 | 107 Oregon State | AT | 46 Oregon | 48.88 | 7:00pm |
| 5 | 1 Clemson | AT | 28 South Carolina | 17.34 | 7:30pm |
| 7 | 32 Texas AM | AT | 23 LSU | 19.96 | 7:30pm |
| 37 | 90 UTSA | AT | 94 Louisiana Tech | 40.9 | 7:30pm |
| 2 | 6 Notre Dame | AT | 16 Stanford | 10.98 | 8:00pm |
| 3 | 14 Washington St | AT | 18 Washington | 11.5 | 8:00pm |
| 47 | 109 BYU | AT | 120 Hawaii | 46.69 | 9:00pm |
| 24 | 65 Colorado | AT | 50 Utah | 33.05 | 10:00pm |
| 36 | 88 Utah State | AT | 97 Air Force | 40.16 | 10:15pm |