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 | 12 NC State | AT | 3 Clemson | 10.03 | 3:30pm |
| 2 | 16 Oregon | AT | 26 Washington St | 15.09 | 7:30pm |
| 3 | 8 Michigan | AT | 25 Michigan State | 15.27 | 12:00pm |
| 4 | 24 Mississippi St | AT | 5 LSU | 16.71 | 7:00pm |
| 5 | 27 USC | AT | 34 Utah | 17.95 | 8:00pm |
| 6 | 33 Colorado | AT | 18 Washington | 20.61 | 3:30pm |
| 7 | 39 Virginia | AT | 30 Duke | 22.93 | 12:30pm |
| 8 | 39 Maryland | AT | 21 Iowa | 23.27 | 12:00pm |
| 9 | 13 Oklahoma | AT | 48 TCU | 24.69 | 12:00pm |
| 10 | 17 Stanford | AT | 50 Arizona St | 25.12 | (Thurs) 9:00pm |
| 11 | 2 Alabama | AT | 50 Tennessee | 26.55 | 3:30pm |
| 12 | 48 Auburn | AT | 34 Ole Miss | 26.71 | 12:00pm |
| 13 | 19 Penn State | AT | 55 Indiana | 26.88 | 3:00pm |
| 14 | 56 N Texas | AT | 61 UAB | 29.23 | 7:30pm |
| 15 | 59 Wake Forest | AT | 76 Florida State | 31.59 | 3:30pm |
| 16 | 67 FAU | AT | 65 Marshall | 33.33 | 2:30pm |
| 17 | 53 Buffalo | AT | 89 Toledo | 36.26 | 12:00pm |
| 18 | 68 Vanderbilt | AT | 7 Kentucky | 36.28 | 7:30pm |
| 19 | 3 Ohio State | AT | 79 Purdue | 37.21 | 7:30pm |
| 20 | 22 Cincinnati | AT | 85 Temple | 37.49 | 12:00pm |
| 21 | 77 Illinois | AT | 32 Wisconsin | 38.52 | 12:00pm |
| 22 | 41 Fresno St | AT | 93 New Mexico | 38.54 | 7:30pm |
| 23 | 80 Memphis | AT | 45 Missouri | 39.05 | 4:00pm |
| 24 | 88 Arizona | AT | 91 UCLA | 40.28 | 10:30pm |
| 25 | 83 UL Lafayette | AT | 29 App State | 40.96 | 3:30pm |
| 26 | 58 Minnesota | AT | 105 Nebraska | 41.12 | 3:30pm |
| 27 | 90 SMU | AT | 84 Tulane | 41.18 | 3:30pm |
| 28 | 71 California | AT | 109 Oregon State | 41.46 | 4:00pm |
| 29 | 96 E Michigan | AT | 102 Ball State | 42.77 | 3:00pm |
| 30 | 97 Charlotte | AT | 86 Mid Tennessee | 43.59 | 3:00pm |
| 31 | 100 Co Carolina | AT | 118 Umass | 43.85 | 3:30pm |
| 32 | 101 Air Force | AT | 113 UNLV | 44.22 | (Fri) 10:00pm |
| 33 | 38 Houston | AT | 110 Navy | 44.38 | 3:30pm |
| 34 | 94 North Carolina | AT | 42 Syracuse | 44.4 | 12:20pm |
| 35 | 87 Akron | AT | 123 Kent State | 44.73 | 3:30pm |
| 36 | 104 Tulsa | AT | 115 Arkansas | 45.16 | 12:00pm |
| 37 | 70 W Michigan | AT | 121 C Michigan | 45.27 | 3:00pm |
| 38 | 57 Northwestern | AT | 119 Rutgers | 45.65 | 12:00pm |
| 39 | 103 Georgia St | AT | 82 Arkansas St | 45.84 | (Thurs) 7:30pm |
| 40 | 99 Kansas | AT | 27 Texas Tech | 46.99 | 3:30pm |
| 41 | 30 Utah State | AT | 116 Wyoming | 47.02 | 2:30pm |
| 42 | 14 UCF | AT | 112 E Carolina | 47.21 | 7:00pm |
| 43 | 106 Nevada | AT | 65 Hawaii | 47.62 | 11:59pm |
| 44 | 47 GA Southern | AT | 124 N Mexico St | 48.05 | 6:00pm |
| 45 | 108 Colorado St | AT | 54 Boise State | 48.84 | (Fri) 9:00pm |
| 46 | 113 UTSA | AT | 92 Southern Miss | 48.9 | 7:00pm |
| 47 | 111 Miami OH | AT | 42 Army | 50.49 | 12:00pm |
| 48 | 128 Old Dominion | AT | 122 W Kentucky | 52.8 | 7:30pm |
| 49 | 127 Texas St | AT | 106 UL Monroe | 53.05 | 7:00pm |
| 50 | 125 Bowling Green | AT | 78 Ohio | 53.57 | 2:00pm |
| 51 | 117 Uconn | AT | 20 S Florida | 53.76 | 7:00pm |
| 52 | 129 Rice | AT | 72 FIU | 55.2 | 7:30pm |
| 53 | 130 UTEP | AT | 62 Louisiana Tech | 56.03 | 3:30pm |
| 54 | 126 San Jose St | AT | 23 San Diego St | 56.7 | 10:30pm |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 103 Georgia St | AT | 82 Arkansas St | 45.84 | (Thurs) 7:30pm |
| 10 | 17 Stanford | AT | 50 Arizona St | 25.12 | (Thurs) 9:00pm |
| 45 | 108 Colorado St | AT | 54 Boise State | 48.84 | (Fri) 9:00pm |
| 32 | 101 Air Force | AT | 113 UNLV | 44.22 | (Fri) 10:00pm |
| 3 | 8 Michigan | AT | 25 Michigan State | 15.27 | 12:00pm |
| 8 | 39 Maryland | AT | 21 Iowa | 23.27 | 12:00pm |
| 9 | 13 Oklahoma | AT | 48 TCU | 24.69 | 12:00pm |
| 12 | 48 Auburn | AT | 34 Ole Miss | 26.71 | 12:00pm |
| 17 | 53 Buffalo | AT | 89 Toledo | 36.26 | 12:00pm |
| 20 | 22 Cincinnati | AT | 85 Temple | 37.49 | 12:00pm |
| 21 | 77 Illinois | AT | 32 Wisconsin | 38.52 | 12:00pm |
| 36 | 104 Tulsa | AT | 115 Arkansas | 45.16 | 12:00pm |
| 38 | 57 Northwestern | AT | 119 Rutgers | 45.65 | 12:00pm |
| 47 | 111 Miami OH | AT | 42 Army | 50.49 | 12:00pm |
| 34 | 94 North Carolina | AT | 42 Syracuse | 44.4 | 12:20pm |
| 7 | 39 Virginia | AT | 30 Duke | 22.93 | 12:30pm |
| 50 | 125 Bowling Green | AT | 78 Ohio | 53.57 | 2:00pm |
| 16 | 67 FAU | AT | 65 Marshall | 33.33 | 2:30pm |
| 41 | 30 Utah State | AT | 116 Wyoming | 47.02 | 2:30pm |
| 13 | 19 Penn State | AT | 55 Indiana | 26.88 | 3:00pm |
| 29 | 96 E Michigan | AT | 102 Ball State | 42.77 | 3:00pm |
| 30 | 97 Charlotte | AT | 86 Mid Tennessee | 43.59 | 3:00pm |
| 37 | 70 W Michigan | AT | 121 C Michigan | 45.27 | 3:00pm |
| 1 | 12 NC State | AT | 3 Clemson | 10.03 | 3:30pm |
| 6 | 33 Colorado | AT | 18 Washington | 20.61 | 3:30pm |
| 11 | 2 Alabama | AT | 50 Tennessee | 26.55 | 3:30pm |
| 15 | 59 Wake Forest | AT | 76 Florida State | 31.59 | 3:30pm |
| 25 | 83 UL Lafayette | AT | 29 App State | 40.96 | 3:30pm |
| 26 | 58 Minnesota | AT | 105 Nebraska | 41.12 | 3:30pm |
| 27 | 90 SMU | AT | 84 Tulane | 41.18 | 3:30pm |
| 31 | 100 Co Carolina | AT | 118 Umass | 43.85 | 3:30pm |
| 33 | 38 Houston | AT | 110 Navy | 44.38 | 3:30pm |
| 35 | 87 Akron | AT | 123 Kent State | 44.73 | 3:30pm |
| 40 | 99 Kansas | AT | 27 Texas Tech | 46.99 | 3:30pm |
| 53 | 130 UTEP | AT | 62 Louisiana Tech | 56.03 | 3:30pm |
| 23 | 80 Memphis | AT | 45 Missouri | 39.05 | 4:00pm |
| 28 | 71 California | AT | 109 Oregon State | 41.46 | 4:00pm |
| 44 | 47 GA Southern | AT | 124 N Mexico St | 48.05 | 6:00pm |
| 4 | 24 Mississippi St | AT | 5 LSU | 16.71 | 7:00pm |
| 42 | 14 UCF | AT | 112 E Carolina | 47.21 | 7:00pm |
| 46 | 113 UTSA | AT | 92 Southern Miss | 48.9 | 7:00pm |
| 49 | 127 Texas St | AT | 106 UL Monroe | 53.05 | 7:00pm |
| 51 | 117 Uconn | AT | 20 S Florida | 53.76 | 7:00pm |
| 2 | 16 Oregon | AT | 26 Washington St | 15.09 | 7:30pm |
| 14 | 56 N Texas | AT | 61 UAB | 29.23 | 7:30pm |
| 18 | 68 Vanderbilt | AT | 7 Kentucky | 36.28 | 7:30pm |
| 19 | 3 Ohio State | AT | 79 Purdue | 37.21 | 7:30pm |
| 22 | 41 Fresno St | AT | 93 New Mexico | 38.54 | 7:30pm |
| 48 | 128 Old Dominion | AT | 122 W Kentucky | 52.8 | 7:30pm |
| 52 | 129 Rice | AT | 72 FIU | 55.2 | 7:30pm |
| 5 | 27 USC | AT | 34 Utah | 17.95 | 8:00pm |
| 24 | 88 Arizona | AT | 91 UCLA | 40.28 | 10:30pm |
| 54 | 126 San Jose St | AT | 23 San Diego St | 56.7 | 10:30pm |
| 43 | 106 Nevada | AT | 65 Hawaii | 47.62 | 11:59pm |