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 | 13 Syracuse | VS | 2 Notre Dame | 10.56 | 2:30pm |
| 2 | 17 Iowa State | AT | 14 Texas | 12.65 | 8:00pm |
| 3 | 25 Cincinnati | AT | 11 UCF | 16.97 | 8:00pm |
| 4 | 33 Duke | AT | 1 Clemson | 21.4 | 7:00pm |
| 5 | 27 Missouri | AT | 43 Tennessee | 21.52 | 3:30pm |
| 6 | 37 UAB | AT | 29 Texas AM | 22.07 | 7:00pm |
| 7 | 28 Pittsburgh | AT | 46 Wake Forest | 22.64 | 12:00pm |
| 8 | 45 Virginia | AT | 52 Georgia Tech | 25.04 | 3:30pm |
| 9 | 8 West Virginia | AT | 49 OK State | 25.56 | 3:30pm |
| 10 | 47 Arizona St | AT | 44 Oregon | 25.97 | 10:30pm |
| 11 | 41 Wisconsin | AT | 63 Purdue | 28.12 | 3:30pm |
| 12 | 40 Texas Tech | AT | 69 Kansas State | 30.34 | 3:30pm |
| 13 | 57 San Diego St | AT | 34 Fresno St | 30.47 | 10:30pm |
| 14 | 59 S Florida | AT | 56 Temple | 30.49 | 12:00pm |
| 15 | 22 Boston College | AT | 66 Florida State | 30.74 | 3:30pm |
| 16 | 62 Miami | AT | 73 Virginia Tech | 31.36 | 3:30pm |
| 17 | 61 TCU | AT | 50 Baylor | 31.47 | 12:00pm |
| 18 | 10 Ohio State | AT | 65 Maryland | 31.49 | 12:00pm |
| 19 | 18 Utah | AT | 70 Colorado | 32.56 | 1:30pm |
| 20 | 32 Northwestern | AT | 75 Minnesota | 33.11 | 12:00pm |
| 21 | 68 Ole Miss | AT | 66 Vanderbilt | 33.68 | 7:30pm |
| 22 | 64 Mid Tennessee | AT | 16 Kentucky | 34.19 | 12:00pm |
| 23 | 70 Indiana | AT | 4 Michigan | 37.25 | 4:00pm |
| 24 | 55 USC | AT | 93 UCLA | 37.44 | 3:30pm |
| 25 | 20 Michigan State | AT | 88 Nebraska | 38.71 | 12:00pm |
| 26 | 41 Iowa | AT | 94 Illinois | 38.88 | 3:30pm |
| 27 | 77 FIU | AT | 103 Charlotte | 39.24 | 2:00pm |
| 28 | 51 Louisiana Tech | AT | 98 Southern Miss | 39.39 | 3:30pm |
| 29 | 54 GA Southern | AT | 100 Co Carolina | 39.81 | 5:00pm |
| 30 | 80 Arizona | AT | 9 Washington St | 40.87 | 10:30pm |
| 31 | 89 UL Monroe | AT | 81 Arkansas St | 40.93 | 3:00pm |
| 32 | 26 NC State | AT | 97 Louisville | 41.19 | 12:20pm |
| 33 | 99 Air Force | AT | 95 Wyoming | 43.98 | 4:00pm |
| 34 | 83 Nevada | AT | 125 San Jose St | 45.58 | 3:00pm |
| 35 | 21 Utah State | AT | 112 Colorado St | 46.56 | 2:00pm |
| 36 | 100 Liberty | AT | 36 Auburn | 46.88 | 4:00pm |
| 37 | 14 Penn State | AT | 113 Rutgers | 47.53 | 12:00pm |
| 38 | 114 Tulsa | AT | 107 Navy | 48.69 | 3:30pm |
| T39 | 104 Kansas | AT | 6 Oklahoma | 49.94 | 7:30pm |
| T39 | 106 Oregon State | AT | 19 Washington | 49.94 | 4:30pm |
| 41 | 116 UNLV | AT | 91 Hawaii | 49.96 | 11:00pm |
| 42 | 108 Arkansas | AT | 23 Mississippi St | 50.43 | 12:00pm |
| 43 | 117 UTSA | AT | 77 Marshall | 50.9 | 2:30pm |
| 44 | 122 Uconn | AT | 111 E Carolina | 51.21 | 7:00pm |
| 45 | 120 S Alabama | AT | 86 UL Lafayette | 51.53 | 5:00pm |
| 46 | 109 Umass | AT | 5 Georgia | 51.78 | 4:00pm |
| 47 | 127 UTEP | AT | 127 W Kentucky | 52.32 | 7:30pm |
| 48 | 119 Texas St | AT | 48 Troy | 52.98 | 3:30pm |
| 49 | 126 Bowling Green | AT | 90 Akron | 53.38 | 3:30pm |
| 50 | 124 Georgia St | AT | 38 App State | 55.21 | 2:30pm |
| 51 | 130 Rice | AT | 7 LSU | 58.95 | 7:30pm |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 28 Pittsburgh | AT | 46 Wake Forest | 22.64 | 12:00pm |
| 14 | 59 S Florida | AT | 56 Temple | 30.49 | 12:00pm |
| 17 | 61 TCU | AT | 50 Baylor | 31.47 | 12:00pm |
| 18 | 10 Ohio State | AT | 65 Maryland | 31.49 | 12:00pm |
| 20 | 32 Northwestern | AT | 75 Minnesota | 33.11 | 12:00pm |
| 22 | 64 Mid Tennessee | AT | 16 Kentucky | 34.19 | 12:00pm |
| 25 | 20 Michigan State | AT | 88 Nebraska | 38.71 | 12:00pm |
| 37 | 14 Penn State | AT | 113 Rutgers | 47.53 | 12:00pm |
| 42 | 108 Arkansas | AT | 23 Mississippi St | 50.43 | 12:00pm |
| 32 | 26 NC State | AT | 97 Louisville | 41.19 | 12:20pm |
| 19 | 18 Utah | AT | 70 Colorado | 32.56 | 1:30pm |
| 27 | 77 FIU | AT | 103 Charlotte | 39.24 | 2:00pm |
| 35 | 21 Utah State | AT | 112 Colorado St | 46.56 | 2:00pm |
| 1 | 13 Syracuse | VS | 2 Notre Dame | 10.56 | 2:30pm |
| 43 | 117 UTSA | AT | 77 Marshall | 50.9 | 2:30pm |
| 50 | 124 Georgia St | AT | 38 App State | 55.21 | 2:30pm |
| 31 | 89 UL Monroe | AT | 81 Arkansas St | 40.93 | 3:00pm |
| 34 | 83 Nevada | AT | 125 San Jose St | 45.58 | 3:00pm |
| 5 | 27 Missouri | AT | 43 Tennessee | 21.52 | 3:30pm |
| 8 | 45 Virginia | AT | 52 Georgia Tech | 25.04 | 3:30pm |
| 9 | 8 West Virginia | AT | 49 OK State | 25.56 | 3:30pm |
| 11 | 41 Wisconsin | AT | 63 Purdue | 28.12 | 3:30pm |
| 12 | 40 Texas Tech | AT | 69 Kansas State | 30.34 | 3:30pm |
| 15 | 22 Boston College | AT | 66 Florida State | 30.74 | 3:30pm |
| 16 | 62 Miami | AT | 73 Virginia Tech | 31.36 | 3:30pm |
| 24 | 55 USC | AT | 93 UCLA | 37.44 | 3:30pm |
| 26 | 41 Iowa | AT | 94 Illinois | 38.88 | 3:30pm |
| 28 | 51 Louisiana Tech | AT | 98 Southern Miss | 39.39 | 3:30pm |
| 38 | 114 Tulsa | AT | 107 Navy | 48.69 | 3:30pm |
| 48 | 119 Texas St | AT | 48 Troy | 52.98 | 3:30pm |
| 49 | 126 Bowling Green | AT | 90 Akron | 53.38 | 3:30pm |
| 23 | 70 Indiana | AT | 4 Michigan | 37.25 | 4:00pm |
| 33 | 99 Air Force | AT | 95 Wyoming | 43.98 | 4:00pm |
| 36 | 100 Liberty | AT | 36 Auburn | 46.88 | 4:00pm |
| 46 | 109 Umass | AT | 5 Georgia | 51.78 | 4:00pm |
| T39 | 106 Oregon State | AT | 19 Washington | 49.94 | 4:30pm |
| 29 | 54 GA Southern | AT | 100 Co Carolina | 39.81 | 5:00pm |
| 45 | 120 S Alabama | AT | 86 UL Lafayette | 51.53 | 5:00pm |
| 4 | 33 Duke | AT | 1 Clemson | 21.4 | 7:00pm |
| 6 | 37 UAB | AT | 29 Texas AM | 22.07 | 7:00pm |
| 44 | 122 Uconn | AT | 111 E Carolina | 51.21 | 7:00pm |
| 21 | 68 Ole Miss | AT | 66 Vanderbilt | 33.68 | 7:30pm |
| T39 | 104 Kansas | AT | 6 Oklahoma | 49.94 | 7:30pm |
| 47 | 127 UTEP | AT | 127 W Kentucky | 52.32 | 7:30pm |
| 51 | 130 Rice | AT | 7 LSU | 58.95 | 7:30pm |
| 2 | 17 Iowa State | AT | 14 Texas | 12.65 | 8:00pm |
| 3 | 25 Cincinnati | AT | 11 UCF | 16.97 | 8:00pm |
| 10 | 47 Arizona St | AT | 44 Oregon | 25.97 | 10:30pm |
| 13 | 57 San Diego St | AT | 34 Fresno St | 30.47 | 10:30pm |
| 30 | 80 Arizona | AT | 9 Washington St | 40.87 | 10:30pm |
| 41 | 116 UNLV | AT | 91 Hawaii | 49.96 | 11:00pm |