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 | 7 Florida | VS | 8 Georgia | 6.96 | 3:30pm |
| 2 | 13 Washington St | AT | 16 Stanford | 10.59 | 7:00pm |
| 3 | 15 Iowa | AT | 19 Penn State | 11.94 | 3:30pm |
| 4 | 27 Texas Tech | AT | 32 Iowa State | 17.51 | 12:00pm |
| 5 | 11 Texas AM | AT | 32 Mississippi St | 18.18 | 7:00pm |
| 6 | 20 NC State | AT | 35 Syracuse | 18.74 | 7:00pm |
| 7 | 23 S Florida | AT | 37 Houston | 19.36 | 3:30pm |
| 8 | 25 App State | AT | 44 GA Southern | 22.06 | (Thurs) 7:30pm |
| 9 | 28 Miami | AT | 46 Boston College | 22.64 | (Fri) 7:00pm |
| 10 | 6 Kentucky | AT | 42 Missouri | 22.92 | 4:00pm |
| 11 | 46 Duke | AT | 58 Pittsburgh | 26.1 | 3:30pm |
| 12 | 24 Wisconsin | AT | 55 Northwestern | 26.44 | 12:00pm |
| 13 | 53 Tennessee | AT | 38 South Carolina | 28.66 | 7:30pm |
| 14 | 57 Baylor | AT | 18 West Virginia | 31.22 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 15 | 1 Clemson | AT | 63 Florida State | 31.63 | 12:00pm |
| 16 | 64 Indiana | AT | 76 Minnesota | 32.07 | (Fri) 8:00pm |
| 17 | 10 Texas | AT | 67 OK State | 32.23 | 8:00pm |
| 18 | 61 Purdue | AT | 30 Michigan State | 32.29 | 12:00pm |
| 19 | 59 Louisiana Tech | AT | 82 FAU | 33.55 | (Fri) 6:30pm |
| 20 | 65 Arizona St | AT | 36 USC | 33.63 | 3:30pm |
| 21 | 14 Washington | AT | 75 California | 34.73 | 6:30pm |
| 22 | 70 N Illinois | AT | 55 BYU | 34.8 | 3:30pm |
| 23 | 45 Cincinnati | AT | 84 SMU | 35.18 | 3:30pm |
| 24 | 66 Wake Forest | AT | 91 Louisville | 36.07 | 12:00pm |
| 25 | 72 Georgia Tech | AT | 40 Virginia Tech | 36.2 | (Thurs) 7:30pm |
| 26 | 77 Arkansas St | AT | 86 UL Lafayette | 36.54 | 7:00pm |
| 27 | 39 Army | AT | 89 E Michigan | 37.36 | 12:00pm |
| 28 | 72 Kansas State | AT | 8 Oklahoma | 37.82 | 3:30pm |
| 29 | 51 Boise State | AT | 94 Air Force | 38.07 | 7:00pm |
| 30 | 21 Utah | AT | 88 UCLA | 38.61 | (Fri) 10:30pm |
| 31 | 80 Illinois | AT | 48 Maryland | 38.91 | 3:30pm |
| 32 | 68 Vanderbilt | AT | 105 Arkansas | 40.4 | 12:00pm |
| 33 | 83 Hawaii | AT | 34 Fresno St | 40.71 | 10:30pm |
| 34 | 90 Southern Miss | AT | 103 Charlotte | 40.74 | 2:00pm |
| 35 | 52 TCU | AT | 104 Kansas | 41.27 | 3:00pm |
| 36 | 92 Co Carolina | AT | 107 Georgia St | 41.36 | 2:00pm |
| 37 | 26 San Diego St | AT | 98 Nevada | 41.53 | 10:30pm |
| 38 | 22 Oregon | AT | 97 Arizona | 41.56 | 10:30pm |
| 39 | 96 Toledo | AT | 59 W Michigan | 44.32 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 40 | 102 Tulane | AT | 109 Tulsa | 44.62 | 7:00pm |
| 41 | 81 Mid Tennessee | AT | 122 Old Dominion | 44.8 | 3:30pm |
| 42 | 62 FIU | AT | 122 W Kentucky | 46.19 | 7:30pm |
| 43 | 100 North Carolina | AT | 31 Virginia | 47.14 | 12:20pm |
| 44 | 101 New Mexico | AT | 29 Utah State | 47.61 | 4:00pm |
| 45 | 112 Wyoming | AT | 110 Colorado St | 47.93 | (Fri) 10:00pm |
| 46 | 110 Ball State | AT | 78 Ohio | 48.44 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 47 | 117 UNLV | AT | 121 San Jose St | 49.26 | 6:30pm |
| 48 | 54 UAB | AT | 130 UTEP | 49.32 | 7:30pm |
| 49 | 119 Umass | AT | 116 Uconn | 50.06 | 12:00pm |
| 50 | 114 Oregon State | AT | 40 Colorado | 51.65 | 3:00pm |
| 51 | 125 N Mexico St | AT | 127 Texas St | 51.68 | 7:00pm |
| 52 | 124 C Michigan | AT | 85 Akron | 52.92 | 12:00pm |
| 53 | 2 Notre Dame | VS | 113 Navy | 53.28 | 8:00pm |
| 54 | 129 Rice | AT | 74 N Texas | 55.11 | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 25 App State | AT | 44 GA Southern | 22.06 | (Thurs) 7:30pm |
| 14 | 57 Baylor | AT | 18 West Virginia | 31.22 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 25 | 72 Georgia Tech | AT | 40 Virginia Tech | 36.2 | (Thurs) 7:30pm |
| 39 | 96 Toledo | AT | 59 W Michigan | 44.32 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 46 | 110 Ball State | AT | 78 Ohio | 48.44 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 19 | 59 Louisiana Tech | AT | 82 FAU | 33.55 | (Fri) 6:30pm |
| 9 | 28 Miami | AT | 46 Boston College | 22.64 | (Fri) 7:00pm |
| 16 | 64 Indiana | AT | 76 Minnesota | 32.07 | (Fri) 8:00pm |
| 30 | 21 Utah | AT | 88 UCLA | 38.61 | (Fri) 10:30pm |
| 45 | 112 Wyoming | AT | 110 Colorado St | 47.93 | (Fri) 10:00pm |
| 4 | 27 Texas Tech | AT | 32 Iowa State | 17.51 | 12:00pm |
| 12 | 24 Wisconsin | AT | 55 Northwestern | 26.44 | 12:00pm |
| 15 | 1 Clemson | AT | 63 Florida State | 31.63 | 12:00pm |
| 18 | 61 Purdue | AT | 30 Michigan State | 32.29 | 12:00pm |
| 24 | 66 Wake Forest | AT | 91 Louisville | 36.07 | 12:00pm |
| 27 | 39 Army | AT | 89 E Michigan | 37.36 | 12:00pm |
| 32 | 68 Vanderbilt | AT | 105 Arkansas | 40.4 | 12:00pm |
| 49 | 119 Umass | AT | 116 Uconn | 50.06 | 12:00pm |
| 52 | 124 C Michigan | AT | 85 Akron | 52.92 | 12:00pm |
| 43 | 100 North Carolina | AT | 31 Virginia | 47.14 | 12:20pm |
| 34 | 90 Southern Miss | AT | 103 Charlotte | 40.74 | 2:00pm |
| 36 | 92 Co Carolina | AT | 107 Georgia St | 41.36 | 2:00pm |
| 35 | 52 TCU | AT | 104 Kansas | 41.27 | 3:00pm |
| 50 | 114 Oregon State | AT | 40 Colorado | 51.65 | 3:00pm |
| 1 | 7 Florida | VS | 8 Georgia | 6.96 | 3:30pm |
| 3 | 15 Iowa | AT | 19 Penn State | 11.94 | 3:30pm |
| 7 | 23 S Florida | AT | 37 Houston | 19.36 | 3:30pm |
| 11 | 46 Duke | AT | 58 Pittsburgh | 26.1 | 3:30pm |
| 20 | 65 Arizona St | AT | 36 USC | 33.63 | 3:30pm |
| 22 | 70 N Illinois | AT | 55 BYU | 34.8 | 3:30pm |
| 23 | 45 Cincinnati | AT | 84 SMU | 35.18 | 3:30pm |
| 28 | 72 Kansas State | AT | 8 Oklahoma | 37.82 | 3:30pm |
| 31 | 80 Illinois | AT | 48 Maryland | 38.91 | 3:30pm |
| 41 | 81 Mid Tennessee | AT | 122 Old Dominion | 44.8 | 3:30pm |
| 10 | 6 Kentucky | AT | 42 Missouri | 22.92 | 4:00pm |
| 44 | 101 New Mexico | AT | 29 Utah State | 47.61 | 4:00pm |
| 54 | 129 Rice | AT | 74 N Texas | 55.11 | 4:00pm |
| 21 | 14 Washington | AT | 75 California | 34.73 | 6:30pm |
| 47 | 117 UNLV | AT | 121 San Jose St | 49.26 | 6:30pm |
| 2 | 13 Washington St | AT | 16 Stanford | 10.59 | 7:00pm |
| 5 | 11 Texas AM | AT | 32 Mississippi St | 18.18 | 7:00pm |
| 6 | 20 NC State | AT | 35 Syracuse | 18.74 | 7:00pm |
| 26 | 77 Arkansas St | AT | 86 UL Lafayette | 36.54 | 7:00pm |
| 29 | 51 Boise State | AT | 94 Air Force | 38.07 | 7:00pm |
| 40 | 102 Tulane | AT | 109 Tulsa | 44.62 | 7:00pm |
| 51 | 125 N Mexico St | AT | 127 Texas St | 51.68 | 7:00pm |
| 13 | 53 Tennessee | AT | 38 South Carolina | 28.66 | 7:30pm |
| 42 | 62 FIU | AT | 122 W Kentucky | 46.19 | 7:30pm |
| 48 | 54 UAB | AT | 130 UTEP | 49.32 | 7:30pm |
| 17 | 10 Texas | AT | 67 OK State | 32.23 | 8:00pm |
| 53 | 2 Notre Dame | VS | 113 Navy | 53.28 | 8:00pm |
| 33 | 83 Hawaii | AT | 34 Fresno St | 40.71 | 10:30pm |
| 37 | 26 San Diego St | AT | 98 Nevada | 41.53 | 10:30pm |
| 38 | 22 Oregon | AT | 97 Arizona | 41.56 | 10:30pm |