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 | 4 Michigan | AT | 10 Ohio State | 7.81 | 12:00pm |
| 2 | 6 Oklahoma | AT | 12 West Virginia | 8.81 | (Fri) 8:00pm |
| 3 | 7 LSU | AT | 19 Texas AM | 12.44 | 7:30pm |
| 4 | 17 Washington | AT | 9 Washington St | 12.77 | (Fri) 8:30pm |
| 5 | 22 Utah State | AT | 28 Boise State | 15.67 | 10:15pm |
| 6 | 32 Auburn | AT | 3 Alabama | 20.81 | 3:30pm |
| 7 | 18 Syracuse | AT | 40 Boston College | 20.99 | 12:00pm |
| 8 | 34 South Carolina | AT | 2 Clemson | 21.83 | 7:00pm |
| 9 | 44 Troy | AT | 37 App State | 24.9 | 2:30pm |
| 10 | 41 OK State | AT | 56 TCU | 25.6 | 8:00pm |
| 11 | 43 Georgia Tech | AT | 5 Georgia | 25.84 | 12:00pm |
| 12 | 23 Pittsburgh | AT | 55 Miami | 26.53 | 3:30pm |
| 13 | 42 UAB | AT | 60 Mid Tennessee | 26.98 | 3:00pm |
| 14 | 50 Tennessee | AT | 54 Vanderbilt | 26.99 | 4:00pm |
| 15 | 13 Florida | AT | 57 Florida State | 28.2 | 12:00pm |
| 16 | 49 Houston | AT | 70 Memphis | 30.08 | (Fri) 12:00pm |
| 17 | 57 Wake Forest | AT | 29 Duke | 30.69 | 12:30pm |
| 18 | 1 Notre Dame | AT | 64 USC | 32 | 8:00pm |
| 19 | 8 UCF | AT | 67 S Florida | 32.42 | (Fri) 4:15pm |
| 20 | 61 Kansas State | AT | 25 Iowa State | 32.52 | 7:00pm |
| 21 | 64 Baylor | AT | 48 Texas Tech | 32.73 | 12:00pm |
| 22 | 61 Maryland | AT | 14 Penn State | 33.08 | 3:30pm |
| 23 | 52 Arizona St | AT | 80 Arizona | 33.31 | 3:30pm |
| 24 | 63 BYU | AT | 16 Utah | 33.79 | 10:00pm |
| 25 | 46 Virginia | AT | 84 Virginia Tech | 35.1 | (Fri) 3:30pm |
| 26 | 73 Purdue | AT | 68 Indiana | 35.5 | 12:00pm |
| 27 | 75 Marshall | AT | 75 FIU | 36.04 | 12:00pm |
| 28 | 74 Colorado | AT | 46 California | 36.71 | 7:00pm |
| 29 | 27 Stanford | AT | 86 UCLA | 37.38 | 3:00pm |
| 30 | 83 UL Lafayette | AT | 95 UL Monroe | 38.49 | 3:00pm |
| 31 | 80 Minnesota | AT | 34 Wisconsin | 39.57 | 3:30pm |
| 32 | 82 Nebraska | AT | 39 Iowa | 40.08 | (Fri) 12:00pm |
| 33 | 85 Hawaii | AT | 59 San Diego St | 40.3 | 10:30pm |
| 34 | 88 Wyoming | AT | 113 New Mexico | 41.72 | 2:30pm |
| 35 | 31 NC State | AT | 101 North Carolina | 42.07 | 12:20pm |
| 36 | 88 SMU | AT | 115 Tulsa | 42.3 | 3:30pm |
| 37 | 38 Oregon | AT | 105 Oregon State | 42.76 | (Fri) 4:00pm |
| 38 | 79 Nevada | AT | 117 UNLV | 43.41 | 9:30pm |
| 39 | 15 Texas | AT | 102 Kansas | 43.87 | (Fri) 12:00pm |
| 40 | 78 Arkansas St | AT | 119 Texas St | 44.09 | 4:00pm |
| 41 | 98 Akron | AT | 77 Ohio | 44.27 | 12:00pm |
| 42 | 69 N Texas | AT | 118 UTSA | 44.41 | 7:00pm |
| 43 | 11 Kentucky | AT | 103 Louisville | 44.57 | 7:00pm |
| 44 | 87 E Michigan | AT | 123 Kent State | 44.73 | 12:00pm |
| 45 | 106 Co Carolina | AT | 123 S Alabama | 45.69 | (Fri) 3:00pm |
| 46 | 104 Navy | AT | 88 Tulane | 45.95 | 12:00pm |
| 47 | 97 Illinois | AT | 26 Northwestern | 46.31 | 3:30pm |
| 48 | 94 Southern Miss | AT | 130 UTEP | 46.39 | 3:00pm |
| 49 | 107 Charlotte | AT | 93 FAU | 46.81 | 6:00pm |
| 50 | 51 GA Southern | AT | 122 Georgia St | 47.09 | 2:00pm |
| 51 | 45 Buffalo | AT | 121 Bowling Green | 47.28 | 12:00pm |
| 52 | 53 Temple | AT | 125 Uconn | 47.85 | 3:30pm |
| 53 | 116 Old Dominion | AT | 129 Rice | 48.75 | 1:00pm |
| 54 | 109 E Carolina | AT | 36 Cincinnati | 50.1 | (Fri) 3:30pm |
| 55 | 108 Arkansas | AT | 20 Missouri | 50.59 | (Fri) 2:30pm |
| 56 | 120 N Mexico St | AT | 100 Liberty | 50.95 | 2:00pm |
| 57 | 112 Rutgers | AT | 33 Michigan State | 51.31 | 4:00pm |
| 58 | 128 C Michigan | AT | 92 Toledo | 53.96 | 12:00pm |
| 59 | 127 W Kentucky | AT | 71 Louisiana Tech | 54.58 | 12:00pm |
| 60 | 125 San Jose St | AT | 30 Fresno St | 55.98 | 7:00pm |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 49 Houston | AT | 70 Memphis | 30.08 | (Fri) 12:00pm |
| 32 | 82 Nebraska | AT | 39 Iowa | 40.08 | (Fri) 12:00pm |
| 39 | 15 Texas | AT | 102 Kansas | 43.87 | (Fri) 12:00pm |
| 55 | 108 Arkansas | AT | 20 Missouri | 50.59 | (Fri) 2:30pm |
| 25 | 46 Virginia | AT | 84 Virginia Tech | 35.1 | (Fri) 3:30pm |
| 45 | 106 Co Carolina | AT | 123 S Alabama | 45.69 | (Fri) 3:00pm |
| 54 | 109 E Carolina | AT | 36 Cincinnati | 50.1 | (Fri) 3:30pm |
| 19 | 8 UCF | AT | 67 S Florida | 32.42 | (Fri) 4:15pm |
| 37 | 38 Oregon | AT | 105 Oregon State | 42.76 | (Fri) 4:00pm |
| 2 | 6 Oklahoma | AT | 12 West Virginia | 8.81 | (Fri) 8:00pm |
| 4 | 17 Washington | AT | 9 Washington St | 12.77 | (Fri) 8:30pm |
| 1 | 4 Michigan | AT | 10 Ohio State | 7.81 | 12:00pm |
| 7 | 18 Syracuse | AT | 40 Boston College | 20.99 | 12:00pm |
| 11 | 43 Georgia Tech | AT | 5 Georgia | 25.84 | 12:00pm |
| 15 | 13 Florida | AT | 57 Florida State | 28.2 | 12:00pm |
| 21 | 64 Baylor | AT | 48 Texas Tech | 32.73 | 12:00pm |
| 26 | 73 Purdue | AT | 68 Indiana | 35.5 | 12:00pm |
| 27 | 75 Marshall | AT | 75 FIU | 36.04 | 12:00pm |
| 41 | 98 Akron | AT | 77 Ohio | 44.27 | 12:00pm |
| 44 | 87 E Michigan | AT | 123 Kent State | 44.73 | 12:00pm |
| 46 | 104 Navy | AT | 88 Tulane | 45.95 | 12:00pm |
| 51 | 45 Buffalo | AT | 121 Bowling Green | 47.28 | 12:00pm |
| 58 | 128 C Michigan | AT | 92 Toledo | 53.96 | 12:00pm |
| 59 | 127 W Kentucky | AT | 71 Louisiana Tech | 54.58 | 12:00pm |
| 35 | 31 NC State | AT | 101 North Carolina | 42.07 | 12:20pm |
| 17 | 57 Wake Forest | AT | 29 Duke | 30.69 | 12:30pm |
| 53 | 116 Old Dominion | AT | 129 Rice | 48.75 | 1:00pm |
| 50 | 51 GA Southern | AT | 122 Georgia St | 47.09 | 2:00pm |
| 56 | 120 N Mexico St | AT | 100 Liberty | 50.95 | 2:00pm |
| 9 | 44 Troy | AT | 37 App State | 24.9 | 2:30pm |
| 34 | 88 Wyoming | AT | 113 New Mexico | 41.72 | 2:30pm |
| 13 | 42 UAB | AT | 60 Mid Tennessee | 26.98 | 3:00pm |
| 29 | 27 Stanford | AT | 86 UCLA | 37.38 | 3:00pm |
| 30 | 83 UL Lafayette | AT | 95 UL Monroe | 38.49 | 3:00pm |
| 48 | 94 Southern Miss | AT | 130 UTEP | 46.39 | 3:00pm |
| 6 | 32 Auburn | AT | 3 Alabama | 20.81 | 3:30pm |
| 12 | 23 Pittsburgh | AT | 55 Miami | 26.53 | 3:30pm |
| 22 | 61 Maryland | AT | 14 Penn State | 33.08 | 3:30pm |
| 23 | 52 Arizona St | AT | 80 Arizona | 33.31 | 3:30pm |
| 31 | 80 Minnesota | AT | 34 Wisconsin | 39.57 | 3:30pm |
| 36 | 88 SMU | AT | 115 Tulsa | 42.3 | 3:30pm |
| 47 | 97 Illinois | AT | 26 Northwestern | 46.31 | 3:30pm |
| 52 | 53 Temple | AT | 125 Uconn | 47.85 | 3:30pm |
| 14 | 50 Tennessee | AT | 54 Vanderbilt | 26.99 | 4:00pm |
| 40 | 78 Arkansas St | AT | 119 Texas St | 44.09 | 4:00pm |
| 57 | 112 Rutgers | AT | 33 Michigan State | 51.31 | 4:00pm |
| 49 | 107 Charlotte | AT | 93 FAU | 46.81 | 6:00pm |
| 8 | 34 South Carolina | AT | 2 Clemson | 21.83 | 7:00pm |
| 20 | 61 Kansas State | AT | 25 Iowa State | 32.52 | 7:00pm |
| 28 | 74 Colorado | AT | 46 California | 36.71 | 7:00pm |
| 42 | 69 N Texas | AT | 118 UTSA | 44.41 | 7:00pm |
| 43 | 11 Kentucky | AT | 103 Louisville | 44.57 | 7:00pm |
| 60 | 125 San Jose St | AT | 30 Fresno St | 55.98 | 7:00pm |
| 3 | 7 LSU | AT | 19 Texas AM | 12.44 | 7:30pm |
| 10 | 41 OK State | AT | 56 TCU | 25.6 | 8:00pm |
| 18 | 1 Notre Dame | AT | 64 USC | 32 | 8:00pm |
| 38 | 79 Nevada | AT | 117 UNLV | 43.41 | 9:30pm |
| 24 | 63 BYU | AT | 16 Utah | 33.79 | 10:00pm |
| 5 | 22 Utah State | AT | 28 Boise State | 15.67 | 10:15pm |
| 33 | 85 Hawaii | AT | 59 San Diego St | 40.3 | 10:30pm |