A couple of days ago I was a little worried about how these rankings were shaking out.
So I adjusted them. This didn’t make a huge difference, but it at least made them palatable for the time being.
More crucial: I figured out some Excel shortcuts that will more than likely save me a couple of hours a week trying to input these things.
I am suddenly very open to continuing to run them (funny how that works).
I’ll save you the normal spiel; you can find that at the above link. Suffice it to say, this ranking attempts to assess what you have accomplished on the field of play, to cut through the gobbledygook of “eye tests” and “objective stats analysis.” This is about who you’ve beaten.
And in the new formula, the biggest loser is…
| Rank | Team | Record | F/+ | AI |
| 1 | Mich St | (8-0) | 16 | 155 |
| 2 | OSU | (8-0) | 8 | 165.375 |
| 3 | Memph | (7-0) | 23 | 190.1428571 |
| 4 | LSU | (7-0) | 4 | 199.4285714 |
| 5 | ND | (6-1) | 6 | 217 |
| 6 | Iowa | (7-0) | 11 | 223.7142857 |
| 7 | Clem | (7-0) | 1 | 226.1428571 |
| 8 | TCU | (7-0) | 13 | 228.4285714 |
| 9 | Temple | (7-0) | 33 | 229 |
| 10 | Fla | (6-1) | 12 | 237.3333333 |
| 11 | Utah | (6-1) | 14 | 247.5 |
| 12 | Bay | (7-0) | 5 | 253.2857143 |
| 13 | Toledo | (7-0) | 32 | 256.8571429 |
| 14 | Hou | (7-0) | 27 | 258.5714286 |
| 15 | OkSt | (7-0) | 18 | 262.4285714 |
| 16 | App St | (6-1) | 28 | 281.3333333 |
| 17 | Ala | (7-1) | 3 | 287 |
| 18 | Pitt | (6-1) | 38 | 309.3333333 |
| 19 | NW | (6-2) | 43 | 313.8333333 |
| 20 | BYU | (6-2) | 39 | 380.1666667 |
| 21 | Wis | (6-2) | 25 | 388.3333333 |
| 22 | aTm | (5-2) | 26 | 440.8 |
| 23 | Miss St | (6-2) | 19 | 462.1666667 |
| 24 | Navy | (5-1) | 31 | 465.8 |
| 25 | Ole Miss | (6-2) | 15 | 524.6666667 |
Temple! The Owls have a solid enough resume’, but in giving everyone a slight boost in point value for wins accrued, the Owls saw enough of a dip compared to the competition to fall several spots … from the Top 5 sniffing the playoff to No. 9 instead.
Of course they do play Notre Dame this week, and that might influence these rankings a bit.
On a side note, Alabama is finally in the Top 20, which is certainly an improvement from where it was.
| Rank | Team | Record | F/+ | AI |
| 26 | TT | (5-3) | 55 | 547.8 |
| 27 | PSU | (6-2) | 50 | 565 |
| 28 | Stan | (6-1) | 9 | 570.6666667 |
| 29 | Cal | (5-2) | 35 | 586.2 |
| 30 | Uga | (5-2) | 36 | 614 |
| 31 | BG | (6-2) | 34 | 623.6666667 |
| 32 | FSU | (6-1) | 17 | 625.6666667 |
| 33 | Mich | (5-2) | 2 | 631.4 |
| 34 | Duke | (6-1) | 21 | 725.6666667 |
| 35 | WKU | (6-2) | 29 | 753.3333333 |
| 36 | Marsh | (7-1) | 59 | 817.1428571 |
| 37 | Ga South | (5-2) | 57 | 821 |
| 38 | OU | (6-1) | 7 | 926.1666667 |
| 39 | Boise | (6-2) | 37 | 950.1666667 |
| 40 | UCLA | (5-2) | 20 | 1057.8 |
| 41 | ASU | (4-3) | 54 | 1090.75 |
| 42 | UNC | (6-1) | 30 | 1138.333333 |
| 43 | WVU | (3-3) | 22 | 1149 |
| 44 | USC | (4-3) | 10 | 1208.5 |
| 45 | Aub | (4-3) | 70 | 1270.75 |
| 46 | Illinois | (4-3) | 49 | 1320.5 |
| 47 | Mia | (4-3) | 62 | 1343.5 |
| 48 | Ariz | (5-3) | 74 | 1350.6 |
| 49 | NCSt | (5-2) | 42 | 1431.6 |
| 50 | W. Mich | (4-3) | 71 | 1444.25 |
The rankings are still having trouble cutting any slack to Oklahoma or Stanford, but at least in OU’s case the Sooners have seen a bump above the likes of Miami. Multiple losses now hurt a team more than a single loss.
It’s still TBD if that will make sense for me long-term.
| Rank | Team | Record | F/+ | AI |
| 51 | N. Illinois | (5-3) | 56 | 1482.4 |
| 52 | LaTech | (5-3) | 44 | 1502 |
| 53 | SouthMiss | (5-3) | 67 | 1527.8 |
| 54 | Ore | (4-3) | 58 | 1681 |
| 55 | Cinci | (4-3) | 66 | 1688 |
| 56 | UtSt | (4-3) | 48 | 1750.25 |
| 57 | Minn | (4-3) | 75 | 1763.25 |
| 58 | Rice | (4-3) | 117 | 1799.25 |
| 59 | Tenn | (3-4) | 24 | 1804.333333 |
| 60 | ECU | (4-4) | 63 | 1828 |
| 61 | Texas | (3-4) | 72 | 1881 |
| 62 | Ken | (4-3) | 77 | 1979.75 |
| 63 | USF | (4-3) | 68 | 2000 |
| 64 | AF | (4-3) | 80 | 2047 |
| 65 | Ark St | (4-3) | 87 | 2188 |
| 66 | K-State | (3-4) | 76 | 2303.333333 |
| 67 | GT | (3-5) | 47 | 2315.333333 |
| 68 | WSU | (5-2) | 53 | 2411.6 |
| 69 | Lville | (3-4) | 45 | 2477.333333 |
| 70 | C. Mich | (4-4) | 60 | 2498.75 |
| 71 | SDSt | (5-3) | 61 | 2624.8 |
| 72 | Mizz | (4-4) | 73 | 2666.25 |
| 73 | Tulsa | (3-4) | 84 | 2716.666667 |
| 74 | Ind | (4-4) | 65 | 2853.5 |
| 75 | Ohio | (5-3) | 78 | 2892.6 |
Wazzu had been one of those teams that just couldn’t shake a bad loss, and while the Cougs still aren’t setting the world on fire here, their status is much improved (from a team in the 100s up to one in the 60s).
| Rank | Team | Record | F/+ | AI |
| 76 | Ark | (3-4) | 46 | 2936 |
| 77 | Rut | (3-4) | 96 | 3035.666667 |
| 78 | Wash | (3-4) | 40 | 3247 |
| 79 | Vand | (3-4) | 64 | 3494 |
| 80 | IowaSt | (2-5) | 79 | 3716 |
| 81 | Akron | (3-4) | 88 | 3719.666667 |
| 82 | VaTech | (3-5) | 52 | 3849 |
| 83 | M Tenn | (3-5) | 86 | 3917.666667 |
| 84 | FIU | (4-4) | 89 | 3964 |
| 85 | BC | (3-5) | 51 | 3997.333333 |
| 86 | SoCar | (3-4) | 82 | 4016 |
| 87 | Syr | (3-4) | 69 | 4042 |
| 88 | UVA | (2-5) | 91 | 4197 |
| 89 | Maryland | (2-5) | 83 | 4250.5 |
| 90 | Troy | (3-4) | 102 | 4364 |
| 91 | UTEP | (4-3) | 128 | 4441.75 |
| 92 | ODU | (3-4) | 121 | 4519.666667 |
| 93 | Neb | (3-5) | 41 | 4549.666667 |
| 94 | SJ St | (4-4) | 103 | 4563.25 |
| 95 | Colo | (4-4) | 90 | 4596.5 |
| 96 | WF | (3-5) | 93 | 4724.333333 |
| 97 | UNM | (4-4) | 112 | 4922.25 |
| 98 | Tulane | (2-5) | 116 | 5026.5 |
| 99 | KentSt | (3-5) | 108 | 5055.333333 |
| 100 | Nev | (4-4) | 95 | 5081.25 |
When I look at this group, I see a bunch of teams that either just don’t have enough in the holster to compete or frankly have lost games they shouldn’t have (*cough* Arkansas and Nebraska *cough*).
| Rank | Team | Record | F/+ | AI |
| 101 | Buff | (3-4) | 92 | 5213 |
| 102 | Uconn | (3-5) | 85 | 5551.333333 |
| 103 | CSU | (3-4) | 81 | 5586 |
| 104 | SouthAla | (3-4) | 111 | 5923.333333 |
| 105 | Tx St | (2-4) | 115 | 6670 |
| 106 | OregSt | (2-5) | 106 | 7233 |
| 107 | Fresno | (2-6) | 120 | 8988.5 |
| 108 | ULL | (2-4) | 99 | 9036 |
| 109 | UNLV | (2-5) | 100 | 9191 |
| 110 | Hawaii | (2-6) | 110 | 9388.5 |
| 111 | Ball St | (2-6) | 104 | 10410 |
| 112 | Idaho | (2-5) | 119 | 11285.5 |
| 113 | Ga St | (2-4) | 109 | 11755 |
| 114 | Char | (2-5) | 123 | 12548 |
| 115 | Army | (2-6) | 105 | 15055 |
| 116 | Pur | (1-6) | 94 | 17047 |
| 117 | La-Mon | (1-6) | 118 | 18827 |
| 118 | Umass | (1-6) | 97 | 19267 |
| 119 | SMU | (1-6) | 107 | 19961 |
| 120 | UTSA | (1-6) | 101 | 22538 |
| 121 | Miami Oh | (1-7) | 124 | 24477 |
| 122 | KU | (0-7) | 125 | 24880 |
| 123 | UNT | (0-7) | 127 | 31840 |
| 124 | NM St | (0-7) | 126 | 33920 |
| 125 | E. Mich | (1-7) | 113 | 33974 |
| 126 | FAU | (1-6) | 98 | 34213 |
| 127 | Wyo | (1-7) | 114 | 34965 |
| 128 | UCF | (0-8) | 122 | 35100 |
I know UCF has achieved a rare and remarkable death spiral, but I’m still a little weirded out seeing them at the bottom of the FBS.
George O’Leary probably had the right idea re: retirement, yes?