This Week’s Best Games


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.

Week 11

Rank Away   Home Score Time
1 13 Ohio State AT 17 Michigan State 11.05 12:00pm
2 1 Clemson AT 18 Boston College 12.5 8:00pm
3 20 Mississippi St AT 2 Alabama 14.71 3:30pm
4 27 Auburn AT 5 Georgia 18.24 7:00pm
5 19 Texas AT 35 Texas Tech 18.81 7:30pm
6 32 South Carolina AT 15 Florida 20.26 12:00pm
7 37 Wisconsin AT 16 Penn State 22.56 12:00pm
8 38 Northwestern AT 27 Iowa 22.59 3:30pm
9 26 Fresno St AT 48 Boise State 23.57 (Fri) 10:15pm
10 45 Oregon AT 29 Utah 25.61 5:30pm
11 9 Kentucky AT 53 Tennessee 27.04 3:30pm
12 50 Baylor AT 21 Iowa State 28.12 3:30pm
13 55 Miami AT 57 Georgia Tech 28.9 7:00pm
14 54 S Florida AT 31 Cincinnati 29.36 7:00pm
15 56 Ole Miss AT 24 Texas AM 30.51 12:00pm
16 52 Maryland AT 73 Indiana 30.94 12:00pm
17 60 Virginia Tech AT 33 Pittsburgh 31.75 3:30pm
18 58 Wake Forest AT 10 NC State 32.05 (Thurs) 7:30pm
19 47 Purdue AT 76 Minnesota 32.29 3:30pm
20 64 Troy AT 42 GA Southern 32.97 2:00pm
21 63 Vanderbilt AT 25 Missouri 33.34 12:00pm
22 62 OK State AT 7 Oklahoma 33.86 3:30pm
23 11 Washington St AT 72 Colorado 33.95 3:30pm
24 67 Temple AT 44 Houston 34.07 7:00pm
25 69 California AT 51 USC 34.57 10:30pm
26 65 TCU AT 8 West Virginia 35.02 12:00pm
27 68 Florida State AT 4 Notre Dame 36.45 7:30pm
28 80 Arkansas St AT 92 Co Carolina 37.51 3:00pm
29 85 Akron AT 96 E Michigan 39.16 12:00pm
30 88 Illinois AT 95 Nebraska 40.19 12:00pm
31 79 FIU AT 111 UTSA 41.58 7:00pm
32 91 UL Monroe AT 117 S Alabama 42.76 5:00pm
33 84 SMU AT 118 Uconn 43.41 12:00pm
34 92 Southern Miss AT 43 UAB 43.62 7:30pm
35 94 UCLA AT 49 Arizona St 44.06 2:00pm
36 100 Charlotte AT 75 Marshall 45.06 2:30pm
37 99 Liberty AT 45 Virginia 46.07 3:00pm
38 40 App State AT 116 Texas St 46.13 3:00pm
39 107 New Mexico AT 103 Air Force 46.47 3:30pm
40 104 Kansas AT 74 Kansas State 46.52 12:00pm
41 6 LSU AT 109 Arkansas 47 7:30pm
42 61 N Texas AT 125 Old Dominion 47.2 3:30pm
43 98 Louisville AT 14 Syracuse 47.32 (Fri) 7:00pm
44 71 Mid Tennessee AT 128 UTEP 47.34 3:00pm
45 102 North Carolina AT 36 Duke 47.6 12:20pm
46 110 E Carolina AT 83 Tulane 48.23 4:00pm
47 105 Oregon State AT 33 Stanford 48.83 9:00pm
48 3 Michigan AT 115 Rutgers 49.22 3:30pm
49 113 Tulsa AT 78 Memphis 49.48 12:00pm
50 114 Colorado St AT 82 Nevada 49.65 10:30pm
51 120 Georgia St AT 87 UL Lafayette 51.48 3:30pm
52 127 Bowling Green AT 126 C Michigan 52.35 3:00pm
53 112 Navy AT 12 UCF 52.45 12:00pm
54 129 W Kentucky AT 90 FAU 54.38 5:00pm
55 122 UNLV AT 40 San Diego St 54.42 10:30pm
56 124 San Jose St AT 22 Utah State 56.07 4:00pm
57 130 Rice AT 59 Louisiana Tech 56.18 7:00pm


Best Games, Sorted by Time


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
18 58 Wake Forest AT 10 NC State 32.05 (Thurs) 7:30pm
43 98 Louisville AT 14 Syracuse 47.32 (Fri) 7:00pm
9 26 Fresno St AT 48 Boise State 23.57 (Fri) 10:15pm
1 13 Ohio State AT 17 Michigan State 11.05 12:00pm
6 32 South Carolina AT 15 Florida 20.26 12:00pm
7 37 Wisconsin AT 16 Penn State 22.56 12:00pm
15 56 Ole Miss AT 24 Texas AM 30.51 12:00pm
16 52 Maryland AT 73 Indiana 30.94 12:00pm
21 63 Vanderbilt AT 25 Missouri 33.34 12:00pm
26 65 TCU AT 8 West Virginia 35.02 12:00pm
29 85 Akron AT 96 E Michigan 39.16 12:00pm
30 88 Illinois AT 95 Nebraska 40.19 12:00pm
33 84 SMU AT 118 Uconn 43.41 12:00pm
40 104 Kansas AT 74 Kansas State 46.52 12:00pm
49 113 Tulsa AT 78 Memphis 49.48 12:00pm
53 112 Navy AT 12 UCF 52.45 12:00pm
45 102 North Carolina AT 36 Duke 47.6 12:20pm
20 64 Troy AT 42 GA Southern 32.97 2:00pm
35 94 UCLA AT 49 Arizona St 44.06 2:00pm
36 100 Charlotte AT 75 Marshall 45.06 2:30pm
28 80 Arkansas St AT 92 Co Carolina 37.51 3:00pm
37 99 Liberty AT 45 Virginia 46.07 3:00pm
38 40 App State AT 116 Texas St 46.13 3:00pm
44 71 Mid Tennessee AT 128 UTEP 47.34 3:00pm
52 127 Bowling Green AT 126 C Michigan 52.35 3:00pm
3 20 Mississippi St AT 2 Alabama 14.71 3:30pm
8 38 Northwestern AT 27 Iowa 22.59 3:30pm
11 9 Kentucky AT 53 Tennessee 27.04 3:30pm
12 50 Baylor AT 21 Iowa State 28.12 3:30pm
17 60 Virginia Tech AT 33 Pittsburgh 31.75 3:30pm
19 47 Purdue AT 76 Minnesota 32.29 3:30pm
22 62 OK State AT 7 Oklahoma 33.86 3:30pm
23 11 Washington St AT 72 Colorado 33.95 3:30pm
39 107 New Mexico AT 103 Air Force 46.47 3:30pm
42 61 N Texas AT 125 Old Dominion 47.2 3:30pm
48 3 Michigan AT 115 Rutgers 49.22 3:30pm
51 120 Georgia St AT 87 UL Lafayette 51.48 3:30pm
46 110 E Carolina AT 83 Tulane 48.23 4:00pm
56 124 San Jose St AT 22 Utah State 56.07 4:00pm
32 91 UL Monroe AT 117 S Alabama 42.76 5:00pm
54 129 W Kentucky AT 90 FAU 54.38 5:00pm
10 45 Oregon AT 29 Utah 25.61 5:30pm
4 27 Auburn AT 5 Georgia 18.24 7:00pm
13 55 Miami AT 57 Georgia Tech 28.9 7:00pm
14 54 S Florida AT 31 Cincinnati 29.36 7:00pm
24 67 Temple AT 44 Houston 34.07 7:00pm
31 79 FIU AT 111 UTSA 41.58 7:00pm
57 130 Rice AT 59 Louisiana Tech 56.18 7:00pm
5 19 Texas AT 35 Texas Tech 18.81 7:30pm
27 68 Florida State AT 4 Notre Dame 36.45 7:30pm
34 92 Southern Miss AT 43 UAB 43.62 7:30pm
41 6 LSU AT 109 Arkansas 47 7:30pm
2 1 Clemson AT 18 Boston College 12.5 8:00pm
47 105 Oregon State AT 33 Stanford 48.83 9:00pm
25 69 California AT 51 USC 34.57 10:30pm
50 114 Colorado St AT 82 Nevada 49.65 10:30pm
55 122 UNLV AT 40 San Diego St 54.42 10:30pm