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 | 6 Georgia | AT | 5 LSU | 6.03 | 3:30pm |
| 2 | 11 Washington | AT | 21 Oregon | 13.1 | 3:30pm |
| 3 | 21 Wisconsin | AT | 12 Michigan | 14.85 | 7:30pm |
| 4 | 20 Texas AM | AT | 31 South Carolina | 17.03 | 3:30pm |
| 5 | 18 Colorado | AT | 36 USC | 19.32 | 10:30pm |
| 6 | 36 Texas Tech | AT | 29 TCU | 21.62 | (Thurs) 7:30pm |
| 7 | 27 Iowa | AT | 44 Indiana | 21.92 | 12:00pm |
| 8 | 17 Miami | AT | 49 Virginia | 24.72 | 7:00pm |
| 9 | 42 Missouri | AT | 4 Alabama | 25.44 | 7:00pm |
| 10 | 10 West Virginia | AT | 54 Iowa State | 27.33 | 7:00pm |
| 11 | 49 Michigan State | AT | 12 Penn State | 28.12 | 3:30pm |
| 12 | 33 Duke | AT | 63 Georgia Tech | 28.71 | 12:20pm |
| 13 | 55 Hawaii | AT | 60 BYU | 28.86 | 10:15pm |
| 14 | 57 Tennessee | AT | 23 Auburn | 30.97 | 12:00pm |
| 15 | 7 Florida | AT | 63 Vanderbilt | 31.04 | 12:00pm |
| 16 | 66 Mid Tennessee | AT | 76 FIU | 32.77 | 7:30pm |
| 17 | 59 Minnesota | AT | 2 Ohio State | 32.89 | 12:00pm |
| 18 | 67 OK State | AT | 81 Kansas State | 33.14 | 12:00pm |
| 19 | 62 Baylor | AT | 9 Texas | 33.75 | 3:30pm |
| 20 | 71 Ohio | AT | 89 N Illinois | 35.23 | 3:30pm |
| 21 | 53 Virginia Tech | AT | 86 North Carolina | 35.26 | 7:00pm |
| 22 | 68 Pittsburgh | AT | 1 Notre Dame | 36.62 | 2:30pm |
| 23 | 16 UCF | AT | 82 Memphis | 37.01 | 3:30pm |
| 24 | 75 Louisiana Tech | AT | 99 UTSA | 38.11 | 7:00pm |
| 25 | 56 Boise State | AT | 97 Nevada | 38.68 | 10:30pm |
| 26 | 83 Southern Miss | AT | 61 N Texas | 39.48 | 2:00pm |
| 27 | 87 Akron | AT | 65 Buffalo | 40.79 | 12:00pm |
| 28 | 70 Toledo | AT | 107 E Michigan | 40.9 | 12:00pm |
| 29 | 84 Arizona | AT | 31 Utah | 41.23 | (Fri) 10:00pm |
| 30 | 40 Houston | AT | 103 E Carolina | 41.94 | 7:00pm |
| 31 | 87 New Mexico | AT | 114 Colorado St | 42.06 | 4:00pm |
| 32 | 94 Temple | AT | 101 Navy | 42.12 | 3:30pm |
| 33 | 90 Purdue | AT | 58 Illinois | 42.19 | 3:30pm |
| 34 | 93 Nebraska | AT | 77 Northwestern | 42.5 | 12:00pm |
| 35 | 52 Troy | AT | 108 Liberty | 42.56 | 2:00pm |
| 36 | 24 S Florida | AT | 102 Tulsa | 43.03 | (Fri) 7:00pm |
| 37 | 38 Ole Miss | AT | 109 Arkansas | 44.06 | 7:30pm |
| 38 | 96 Louisville | AT | 49 Boston College | 44.79 | 12:30pm |
| 39 | 80 W Michigan | AT | 123 Bowling Green | 45.17 | 3:00pm |
| T40 | 106 Ball State | AT | 118 C Michigan | 45.76 | 3:00pm |
| T40 | 98 UCLA | AT | 44 California | 45.76 | 7:00pm |
| 42 | 99 Air Force | AT | 28 San Diego St | 46.93 | (Fri) 9:00pm |
| 43 | 74 UAB | AT | 128 Rice | 47.12 | 1:00pm |
| 44 | 78 Marshall | AT | 129 Old Dominion | 47.13 | 3:30pm |
| 45 | 111 UL Monroe | AT | 85 Co Carolina | 48.49 | 6:00pm |
| 46 | 44 Army | AT | 125 San Jose St | 48.62 | 3:30pm |
| 47 | 105 UNLV | AT | 35 Utah State | 48.73 | 4:00pm |
| 48 | 115 W Kentucky | AT | 113 Charlotte | 48.83 | 3:30pm |
| 49 | 47 GA Southern | AT | 127 Texas St | 48.98 | (Thurs) 7:30pm |
| 50 | 111 Wyoming | AT | 41 Fresno St | 50.54 | 10:30pm |
| 51 | 121 Kent State | AT | 115 Miami OH | 50.75 | 2:30pm |
| 52 | 122 N Mexico St | AT | 92 UL Lafayette | 51.95 | 5:00pm |
| 53 | 119 Rutgers | AT | 38 Maryland | 53.49 | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 36 Texas Tech | AT | 29 TCU | 21.62 | (Thurs) 7:30pm |
| 49 | 47 GA Southern | AT | 127 Texas St | 48.98 | (Thurs) 7:30pm |
| 36 | 24 S Florida | AT | 102 Tulsa | 43.03 | (Fri) 7:00pm |
| 42 | 99 Air Force | AT | 28 San Diego St | 46.93 | (Fri) 9:00pm |
| 29 | 84 Arizona | AT | 31 Utah | 41.23 | (Fri) 10:00pm |
| 7 | 27 Iowa | AT | 44 Indiana | 21.92 | 12:00pm |
| 14 | 57 Tennessee | AT | 23 Auburn | 30.97 | 12:00pm |
| 15 | 7 Florida | AT | 63 Vanderbilt | 31.04 | 12:00pm |
| 17 | 59 Minnesota | AT | 2 Ohio State | 32.89 | 12:00pm |
| 18 | 67 OK State | AT | 81 Kansas State | 33.14 | 12:00pm |
| 27 | 87 Akron | AT | 65 Buffalo | 40.79 | 12:00pm |
| 28 | 70 Toledo | AT | 107 E Michigan | 40.9 | 12:00pm |
| 34 | 93 Nebraska | AT | 77 Northwestern | 42.5 | 12:00pm |
| 53 | 119 Rutgers | AT | 38 Maryland | 53.49 | 12:00pm |
| 12 | 33 Duke | AT | 63 Georgia Tech | 28.71 | 12:20pm |
| 38 | 96 Louisville | AT | 49 Boston College | 44.79 | 12:30pm |
| 43 | 74 UAB | AT | 128 Rice | 47.12 | 1:00pm |
| 26 | 83 Southern Miss | AT | 61 N Texas | 39.48 | 2:00pm |
| 35 | 52 Troy | AT | 108 Liberty | 42.56 | 2:00pm |
| 22 | 68 Pittsburgh | AT | 1 Notre Dame | 36.62 | 2:30pm |
| 51 | 121 Kent State | AT | 115 Miami OH | 50.75 | 2:30pm |
| 39 | 80 W Michigan | AT | 123 Bowling Green | 45.17 | 3:00pm |
| T40 | 106 Ball State | AT | 118 C Michigan | 45.76 | 3:00pm |
| 1 | 6 Georgia | AT | 5 LSU | 6.03 | 3:30pm |
| 2 | 11 Washington | AT | 21 Oregon | 13.1 | 3:30pm |
| 4 | 20 Texas AM | AT | 31 South Carolina | 17.03 | 3:30pm |
| 11 | 49 Michigan State | AT | 12 Penn State | 28.12 | 3:30pm |
| 19 | 62 Baylor | AT | 9 Texas | 33.75 | 3:30pm |
| 20 | 71 Ohio | AT | 89 N Illinois | 35.23 | 3:30pm |
| 23 | 16 UCF | AT | 82 Memphis | 37.01 | 3:30pm |
| 32 | 94 Temple | AT | 101 Navy | 42.12 | 3:30pm |
| 33 | 90 Purdue | AT | 58 Illinois | 42.19 | 3:30pm |
| 44 | 78 Marshall | AT | 129 Old Dominion | 47.13 | 3:30pm |
| 46 | 44 Army | AT | 125 San Jose St | 48.62 | 3:30pm |
| 48 | 115 W Kentucky | AT | 113 Charlotte | 48.83 | 3:30pm |
| 31 | 87 New Mexico | AT | 114 Colorado St | 42.06 | 4:00pm |
| 47 | 105 UNLV | AT | 35 Utah State | 48.73 | 4:00pm |
| 52 | 122 N Mexico St | AT | 92 UL Lafayette | 51.95 | 5:00pm |
| 45 | 111 UL Monroe | AT | 85 Co Carolina | 48.49 | 6:00pm |
| 8 | 17 Miami | AT | 49 Virginia | 24.72 | 7:00pm |
| 9 | 42 Missouri | AT | 4 Alabama | 25.44 | 7:00pm |
| 10 | 10 West Virginia | AT | 54 Iowa State | 27.33 | 7:00pm |
| 21 | 53 Virginia Tech | AT | 86 North Carolina | 35.26 | 7:00pm |
| 24 | 75 Louisiana Tech | AT | 99 UTSA | 38.11 | 7:00pm |
| 30 | 40 Houston | AT | 103 E Carolina | 41.94 | 7:00pm |
| T40 | 98 UCLA | AT | 44 California | 45.76 | 7:00pm |
| 3 | 21 Wisconsin | AT | 12 Michigan | 14.85 | 7:30pm |
| 16 | 66 Mid Tennessee | AT | 76 FIU | 32.77 | 7:30pm |
| 37 | 38 Ole Miss | AT | 109 Arkansas | 44.06 | 7:30pm |
| 13 | 55 Hawaii | AT | 60 BYU | 28.86 | 10:15pm |
| 5 | 18 Colorado | AT | 36 USC | 19.32 | 10:30pm |
| 25 | 56 Boise State | AT | 97 Nevada | 38.68 | 10:30pm |
| 50 | 111 Wyoming | AT | 41 Fresno St | 50.54 | 10:30pm |