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 quality 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). Rankings come from my most recent power rankings: http://rpubs.com/ditrapani4.
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 | 5 Stanford | AT | 5 Notre Dame | 5.32 | 7:30pm |
| 2 | 7 Ohio State | AT | 10 Penn State | 7.63 | 7:30pm |
| 3 | 13 West Virginia | AT | 17 Texas Tech | 11.05 | 12:00pm |
| 4 | 19 BYU | AT | 12 Washington | 13.78 | 8:30pm |
| 5 | 24 Oregon | AT | 14 California | 16.34 | 10:30pm |
| 6 | 30 Ole Miss | AT | 1 LSU | 19.94 | 9:00pm |
| 7 | 31 Syracuse | AT | 3 Clemson | 20.33 | 12:00pm |
| 8 | 35 South Carolina | AT | 9 Kentucky | 21.95 | 7:30pm |
| 9 | 39 Florida | AT | 26 Mississippi St | 23.07 | 6:00pm |
| 10 | 44 Utah | AT | 53 Washington St | 24.68 | 6:00pm |
| 11 | 50 Virginia | AT | 31 NC State | 27.68 | 12:20pm |
| 12 | 52 Arkansas St | AT | 65 GA Southern | 28.26 | 6:00pm |
| 13 | 58 Iowa State | AT | 38 TCU | 30.72 | 7:00pm |
| 14 | 59 Army | AT | 42 Buffalo | 30.96 | 12:00pm |
| 15 | 57 Virginia Tech | AT | 18 Duke | 31.22 | 7:00pm |
| 16 | 60 Louisiana Tech | AT | 34 N Texas | 31.7 | 7:30pm |
| 17 | 63 Toledo | AT | 53 Fresno St | 32.16 | 10:30pm |
| 18 | 21 Texas | AT | 70 Kansas State | 32.29 | 3:30pm |
| 19 | 51 USC | AT | 77 Arizona | 32.36 | 10:30pm |
| 20 | 56 FAU | AT | 80 Mid Tennessee | 33.06 | 7:00pm |
| 21 | 62 Baylor | AT | 8 Oklahoma | 33.8 | 3:30pm |
| 22 | 72 Pittsburgh | AT | 15 UCF | 37.44 | 3:30pm |
| 23 | 20 Michigan | AT | 85 Northwestern | 37.68 | 4:30pm |
| 24 | 66 Memphis | AT | 97 Tulane | 37.99 | (Fri) 8:00pm |
| 25 | 81 Co Carolina | AT | 61 Troy | 38.74 | 3:30pm |
| 26 | 82 Florida State | AT | 68 Louisville | 38.84 | 3:30pm |
| 27 | 77 Tennessee | AT | 3 Georgia | 40.05 | 3:30pm |
| 28 | 28 Boise State | AT | 99 Wyoming | 41.68 | 7:00pm |
| 29 | 86 North Carolina | AT | 16 Miami | 42.77 | (Thurs) 8:00pm |
| 30 | 90 W Michigan | AT | 119 Miami OH | 43.38 | 3:30pm |
| 31 | 42 Cincinnati | AT | 108 Uconn | 43.39 | 3:30pm |
| 32 | 98 Nevada | AT | 94 Air Force | 43.67 | 4:00pm |
| 33 | 88 Southern Miss | AT | 11 Auburn | 43.8 | 4:00pm |
| 34 | 66 Marshall | AT | 118 W Kentucky | 44.63 | 7:30pm |
| T35 | 100 N Illinois | AT | 83 E Michigan | 44.75 | 6:00pm |
| T35 | 92 UL Monroe | AT | 124 Georgia St | 44.75 | 2:00pm |
| 37 | 96 Temple | AT | 49 Boston College | 44.79 | 12:00pm |
| 38 | 44 Indiana | AT | 113 Rutgers | 44.83 | 12:00pm |
| 39 | 28 OK State | AT | 110 Kansas | 45.27 | 12:00pm |
| 40 | 74 Hawaii | AT | 122 San Jose St | 45.28 | 7:00pm |
| 41 | 105 Purdue | AT | 93 Nebraska | 46.12 | 3:30pm |
| 42 | 103 Liberty | AT | 71 New Mexico | 46.29 | 6:00pm |
| 43 | 108 Kent State | AT | 111 Ball State | 46.57 | 3:00pm |
| 44 | 101 UCLA | AT | 23 Colorado | 47.92 | (Fri) 9:00pm |
| 45 | 106 Oregon State | AT | 48 Arizona St | 48.43 | 10:00pm |
| 46 | 116 Charlotte | AT | 89 UAB | 50.04 | 7:00pm |
| 47 | 107 UL Lafayette | AT | 2 Alabama | 51.24 | 12:00pm |
| 48 | 115 S Alabama | AT | 41 App State | 51.95 | 3:30pm |
| 49 | 113 C Michigan | AT | 24 Michigan State | 52.14 | 12:00pm |
| 50 | 121 Bowling Green | AT | 79 Georgia Tech | 52.17 | 12:00pm |
| 51 | 123 Umass | AT | 87 Ohio | 52.5 | 2:00pm |
| 52 | 125 Old Dominion | AT | 103 E Carolina | 52.51 | 3:30pm |
| 53 | 117 Arkansas | AT | 33 Texas AM | 53.06 | 12:00pm |
| 54 | 130 UTEP | AT | 119 UTSA | 53.55 | 7:00pm |
| 55 | 126 Rice | AT | 69 Wake Forest | 54.33 | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 86 North Carolina | AT | 16 Miami | 42.77 | (Thurs) 8:00pm |
| 24 | 66 Memphis | AT | 97 Tulane | 37.99 | (Fri) 8:00pm |
| 44 | 101 UCLA | AT | 23 Colorado | 47.92 | (Fri) 9:00pm |
| 3 | 13 West Virginia | AT | 17 Texas Tech | 11.05 | 12:00pm |
| 7 | 31 Syracuse | AT | 3 Clemson | 20.33 | 12:00pm |
| 14 | 59 Army | AT | 42 Buffalo | 30.96 | 12:00pm |
| 37 | 96 Temple | AT | 49 Boston College | 44.79 | 12:00pm |
| 38 | 44 Indiana | AT | 113 Rutgers | 44.83 | 12:00pm |
| 39 | 28 OK State | AT | 110 Kansas | 45.27 | 12:00pm |
| 47 | 107 UL Lafayette | AT | 2 Alabama | 51.24 | 12:00pm |
| 49 | 113 C Michigan | AT | 24 Michigan State | 52.14 | 12:00pm |
| 50 | 121 Bowling Green | AT | 79 Georgia Tech | 52.17 | 12:00pm |
| 53 | 117 Arkansas | AT | 33 Texas AM | 53.06 | 12:00pm |
| 11 | 50 Virginia | AT | 31 NC State | 27.68 | 12:20pm |
| T35 | 92 UL Monroe | AT | 124 Georgia St | 44.75 | 2:00pm |
| 51 | 123 Umass | AT | 87 Ohio | 52.5 | 2:00pm |
| 43 | 108 Kent State | AT | 111 Ball State | 46.57 | 3:00pm |
| 18 | 21 Texas | AT | 70 Kansas State | 32.29 | 3:30pm |
| 21 | 62 Baylor | AT | 8 Oklahoma | 33.8 | 3:30pm |
| 22 | 72 Pittsburgh | AT | 15 UCF | 37.44 | 3:30pm |
| 25 | 81 Co Carolina | AT | 61 Troy | 38.74 | 3:30pm |
| 26 | 82 Florida State | AT | 68 Louisville | 38.84 | 3:30pm |
| 27 | 77 Tennessee | AT | 3 Georgia | 40.05 | 3:30pm |
| 30 | 90 W Michigan | AT | 119 Miami OH | 43.38 | 3:30pm |
| 31 | 42 Cincinnati | AT | 108 Uconn | 43.39 | 3:30pm |
| 41 | 105 Purdue | AT | 93 Nebraska | 46.12 | 3:30pm |
| 48 | 115 S Alabama | AT | 41 App State | 51.95 | 3:30pm |
| 52 | 125 Old Dominion | AT | 103 E Carolina | 52.51 | 3:30pm |
| 55 | 126 Rice | AT | 69 Wake Forest | 54.33 | 3:30pm |
| 32 | 98 Nevada | AT | 94 Air Force | 43.67 | 4:00pm |
| 33 | 88 Southern Miss | AT | 11 Auburn | 43.8 | 4:00pm |
| 23 | 20 Michigan | AT | 85 Northwestern | 37.68 | 4:30pm |
| 9 | 39 Florida | AT | 26 Mississippi St | 23.07 | 6:00pm |
| 10 | 44 Utah | AT | 53 Washington St | 24.68 | 6:00pm |
| 12 | 52 Arkansas St | AT | 65 GA Southern | 28.26 | 6:00pm |
| T35 | 100 N Illinois | AT | 83 E Michigan | 44.75 | 6:00pm |
| 42 | 103 Liberty | AT | 71 New Mexico | 46.29 | 6:00pm |
| 13 | 58 Iowa State | AT | 38 TCU | 30.72 | 7:00pm |
| 15 | 57 Virginia Tech | AT | 18 Duke | 31.22 | 7:00pm |
| 20 | 56 FAU | AT | 80 Mid Tennessee | 33.06 | 7:00pm |
| 28 | 28 Boise State | AT | 99 Wyoming | 41.68 | 7:00pm |
| 40 | 74 Hawaii | AT | 122 San Jose St | 45.28 | 7:00pm |
| 46 | 116 Charlotte | AT | 89 UAB | 50.04 | 7:00pm |
| 54 | 130 UTEP | AT | 119 UTSA | 53.55 | 7:00pm |
| 1 | 5 Stanford | AT | 5 Notre Dame | 5.32 | 7:30pm |
| 2 | 7 Ohio State | AT | 10 Penn State | 7.63 | 7:30pm |
| 8 | 35 South Carolina | AT | 9 Kentucky | 21.95 | 7:30pm |
| 16 | 60 Louisiana Tech | AT | 34 N Texas | 31.7 | 7:30pm |
| 34 | 66 Marshall | AT | 118 W Kentucky | 44.63 | 7:30pm |
| 4 | 19 BYU | AT | 12 Washington | 13.78 | 8:30pm |
| 6 | 30 Ole Miss | AT | 1 LSU | 19.94 | 9:00pm |
| 45 | 106 Oregon State | AT | 48 Arizona St | 48.43 | 10:00pm |
| 5 | 24 Oregon | AT | 14 California | 16.34 | 10:30pm |
| 17 | 63 Toledo | AT | 53 Fresno St | 32.16 | 10:30pm |
| 19 | 51 USC | AT | 77 Arizona | 32.36 | 10:30pm |