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 | 3 Alabama | AT | 4 LSU | 4 | 8:00pm |
| 2 | 6 Georgia | AT | 7 Kentucky | 6.1 | 3:30pm |
| 3 | 13 Penn State | AT | 5 Michigan | 10.58 | 3:45pm |
| 4 | 14 West Virginia | AT | 15 Texas | 11.01 | 3:30pm |
| 5 | 21 Stanford | AT | 28 Washington | 15.7 | 9:00pm |
| 6 | 9 Oklahoma | AT | 33 Texas Tech | 18.8 | 8:00pm |
| 7 | 17 Texas AM | AT | 37 Auburn | 19.82 | 12:00pm |
| 8 | 22 Michigan State | AT | 43 Maryland | 21.89 | 12:00pm |
| 9 | 36 South Carolina | AT | 47 Ole Miss | 22.56 | 12:00pm |
| 10 | 2 Notre Dame | AT | 42 Northwestern | 23.32 | 7:15pm |
| 11 | 40 Pittsburgh | AT | 31 Virginia | 23.34 | (Fri) 7:30pm |
| 12 | 40 Missouri | AT | 8 Florida | 24.32 | 4:00pm |
| 13 | 43 Duke | AT | 39 Miami | 24.41 | 7:00pm |
| 14 | 32 Boston College | AT | 55 Virginia Tech | 25.81 | 3:45pm |
| 15 | 16 Utah | AT | 57 Arizona St | 27.92 | 4:00pm |
| 16 | 54 OK State | AT | 62 Baylor | 28.46 | 12:00pm |
| 17 | 20 Iowa | AT | 61 Purdue | 29.07 | 3:30pm |
| 18 | 24 Syracuse | AT | 62 Wake Forest | 29.08 | 12:00pm |
| 19 | 52 Louisiana Tech | AT | 18 Mississippi St | 29.11 | 7:30pm |
| 20 | 59 N Illinois | AT | 80 Akron | 32.89 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 21 | 60 Colorado | AT | 81 Arizona | 33.17 | (Fri) 10:30pm |
| 22 | 72 Ohio | AT | 78 W Michigan | 34.89 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 23 | 73 Kansas State | AT | 75 TCU | 35.31 | 3:30pm |
| 24 | 69 Minnesota | AT | 90 Illinois | 35.61 | 3:30pm |
| 25 | 67 California | AT | 10 Washington St | 35.72 | 10:45pm |
| 26 | 70 Florida State | AT | 23 NC State | 36.24 | 3:30pm |
| 27 | 38 App State | AT | 87 Co Carolina | 36.77 | 5:00pm |
| 28 | 27 Utah State | AT | 88 Hawaii | 38.07 | 11:59pm |
| 29 | 79 BYU | AT | 53 Boise State | 38.32 | 10:15pm |
| 30 | 74 Temple | AT | 11 UCF | 38.44 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 31 | 57 Georgia Tech | AT | 97 North Carolina | 38.61 | 12:15pm |
| 32 | 71 Marshall | AT | 102 Southern Miss | 39.26 | 3:00pm |
| 33 | 84 UL Lafayette | AT | 68 Troy | 39.58 | 3:30pm |
| 34 | 82 Memphis | AT | 105 E Carolina | 39.62 | 12:00pm |
| 35 | 19 Houston | AT | 91 SMU | 39.82 | 8:00pm |
| 36 | 85 UCLA | AT | 50 Oregon | 40.7 | 7:30pm |
| 37 | 26 GA Southern | AT | 96 UL Monroe | 40.86 | 3:00pm |
| 38 | 48 USC | AT | 104 Oregon State | 41.59 | 10:00pm |
| 39 | 30 Iowa State | AT | 100 Kansas | 41.83 | 12:00pm |
| 40 | 93 FAU | AT | 65 FIU | 42.98 | 7:30pm |
| 41 | 93 Tulane | AT | 25 S Florida | 44.9 | 7:00pm |
| 42 | 98 Charlotte | AT | 56 Tennessee | 45.18 | 4:00pm |
| 43 | 95 Nebraska | AT | 12 Ohio State | 46.34 | 12:00pm |
| 44 | 77 Mid Tennessee | AT | 127 W Kentucky | 46.6 | (Fri) 8:00pm |
| 45 | 103 Air Force | AT | 35 Army | 48.01 | 12:00pm |
| 46 | 29 Fresno St | AT | 120 UNLV | 48.38 | 10:30pm |
| 47 | 99 Louisville | AT | 1 Clemson | 48.41 | 12:00pm |
| 48 | 108 New Mexico | AT | 46 San Diego St | 49.23 | 10:15pm |
| 49 | 107 Navy | AT | 34 Cincinnati | 49.49 | 3:30pm |
| 50 | 114 S Alabama | AT | 83 Arkansas St | 49.61 | 3:00pm |
| 51 | 110 UTSA | AT | 49 UAB | 49.79 | 7:30pm |
| 52 | 118 Uconn | AT | 113 Tulsa | 49.82 | 3:30pm |
| 53 | 122 Texas St | AT | 117 Georgia St | 51.01 | 2:00pm |
| 54 | 121 San Jose St | AT | 106 Wyoming | 51.06 | 2:00pm |
| 55 | 119 Rutgers | AT | 43 Wisconsin | 53.23 | 12:00pm |
| 56 | 130 UTEP | AT | 128 Rice | 53.25 | 3:30pm |
| 57 | 128 C Michigan | AT | 101 E Michigan | 53.58 | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 59 N Illinois | AT | 80 Akron | 32.89 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 22 | 72 Ohio | AT | 78 W Michigan | 34.89 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 30 | 74 Temple | AT | 11 UCF | 38.44 | (Thurs) 7:00pm |
| 11 | 40 Pittsburgh | AT | 31 Virginia | 23.34 | (Fri) 7:30pm |
| 44 | 77 Mid Tennessee | AT | 127 W Kentucky | 46.6 | (Fri) 8:00pm |
| 21 | 60 Colorado | AT | 81 Arizona | 33.17 | (Fri) 10:30pm |
| 7 | 17 Texas AM | AT | 37 Auburn | 19.82 | 12:00pm |
| 8 | 22 Michigan State | AT | 43 Maryland | 21.89 | 12:00pm |
| 9 | 36 South Carolina | AT | 47 Ole Miss | 22.56 | 12:00pm |
| 16 | 54 OK State | AT | 62 Baylor | 28.46 | 12:00pm |
| 18 | 24 Syracuse | AT | 62 Wake Forest | 29.08 | 12:00pm |
| 34 | 82 Memphis | AT | 105 E Carolina | 39.62 | 12:00pm |
| 39 | 30 Iowa State | AT | 100 Kansas | 41.83 | 12:00pm |
| 43 | 95 Nebraska | AT | 12 Ohio State | 46.34 | 12:00pm |
| 45 | 103 Air Force | AT | 35 Army | 48.01 | 12:00pm |
| 47 | 99 Louisville | AT | 1 Clemson | 48.41 | 12:00pm |
| 55 | 119 Rutgers | AT | 43 Wisconsin | 53.23 | 12:00pm |
| 57 | 128 C Michigan | AT | 101 E Michigan | 53.58 | 12:00pm |
| 31 | 57 Georgia Tech | AT | 97 North Carolina | 38.61 | 12:15pm |
| 53 | 122 Texas St | AT | 117 Georgia St | 51.01 | 2:00pm |
| 54 | 121 San Jose St | AT | 106 Wyoming | 51.06 | 2:00pm |
| 32 | 71 Marshall | AT | 102 Southern Miss | 39.26 | 3:00pm |
| 37 | 26 GA Southern | AT | 96 UL Monroe | 40.86 | 3:00pm |
| 50 | 114 S Alabama | AT | 83 Arkansas St | 49.61 | 3:00pm |
| 2 | 6 Georgia | AT | 7 Kentucky | 6.1 | 3:30pm |
| 4 | 14 West Virginia | AT | 15 Texas | 11.01 | 3:30pm |
| 17 | 20 Iowa | AT | 61 Purdue | 29.07 | 3:30pm |
| 23 | 73 Kansas State | AT | 75 TCU | 35.31 | 3:30pm |
| 24 | 69 Minnesota | AT | 90 Illinois | 35.61 | 3:30pm |
| 26 | 70 Florida State | AT | 23 NC State | 36.24 | 3:30pm |
| 33 | 84 UL Lafayette | AT | 68 Troy | 39.58 | 3:30pm |
| 49 | 107 Navy | AT | 34 Cincinnati | 49.49 | 3:30pm |
| 52 | 118 Uconn | AT | 113 Tulsa | 49.82 | 3:30pm |
| 56 | 130 UTEP | AT | 128 Rice | 53.25 | 3:30pm |
| 3 | 13 Penn State | AT | 5 Michigan | 10.58 | 3:45pm |
| 14 | 32 Boston College | AT | 55 Virginia Tech | 25.81 | 3:45pm |
| 12 | 40 Missouri | AT | 8 Florida | 24.32 | 4:00pm |
| 15 | 16 Utah | AT | 57 Arizona St | 27.92 | 4:00pm |
| 42 | 98 Charlotte | AT | 56 Tennessee | 45.18 | 4:00pm |
| 27 | 38 App State | AT | 87 Co Carolina | 36.77 | 5:00pm |
| 13 | 43 Duke | AT | 39 Miami | 24.41 | 7:00pm |
| 41 | 93 Tulane | AT | 25 S Florida | 44.9 | 7:00pm |
| 10 | 2 Notre Dame | AT | 42 Northwestern | 23.32 | 7:15pm |
| 19 | 52 Louisiana Tech | AT | 18 Mississippi St | 29.11 | 7:30pm |
| 36 | 85 UCLA | AT | 50 Oregon | 40.7 | 7:30pm |
| 40 | 93 FAU | AT | 65 FIU | 42.98 | 7:30pm |
| 51 | 110 UTSA | AT | 49 UAB | 49.79 | 7:30pm |
| 1 | 3 Alabama | AT | 4 LSU | 4 | 8:00pm |
| 6 | 9 Oklahoma | AT | 33 Texas Tech | 18.8 | 8:00pm |
| 35 | 19 Houston | AT | 91 SMU | 39.82 | 8:00pm |
| 5 | 21 Stanford | AT | 28 Washington | 15.7 | 9:00pm |
| 38 | 48 USC | AT | 104 Oregon State | 41.59 | 10:00pm |
| 29 | 79 BYU | AT | 53 Boise State | 38.32 | 10:15pm |
| 48 | 108 New Mexico | AT | 46 San Diego St | 49.23 | 10:15pm |
| 46 | 29 Fresno St | AT | 120 UNLV | 48.38 | 10:30pm |
| 25 | 67 California | AT | 10 Washington St | 35.72 | 10:45pm |
| 28 | 27 Utah State | AT | 88 Hawaii | 38.07 | 11:59pm |