Sunday, October 30, 2011

Week 9 - 2011 College Football Rankings

Alabama and LSU are on a collision course for a #1 versus #2 showdown this weekend. The gap tightened between the two just a bit this week, suggesting that an LSU victory should be enough to move the Tigers to the top spot. On the other hand, the sizeable difference between LSU and Oklahoma State at #3 suggest that a close game might also result in the loser staying ahead of the Cowboys in next week's rankings, even if Oklahoma State remains undefeated. All of this, of course, is affected by the performance of other teams these teams have played, and in fact, since everything is connected, in some small portion, the results of every game in the schedule. It will be interesting to see how things turn out. But for now, here are the rankings after nine weeks of the college football season. Six teams remain undefeated while only two teams have yet to win a game:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0) - 1.3
2. LSU Tigers (8-0) - 1.7
3. Oklahoma State Cowboys (8-0) - 3.2
4. Boise State Broncos (7-0) - 4.4
5. Stanford Cardinal (8-0) - 4.6
6. Oklahoma Sooners (7-1) - 6.5
7. Oregon Ducks (7-1) - 6.7
8. Wisconsin Badgers (6-2) - 9.0
9. Michigan Wolverines (7-1) - 9.2
10. Clemson Tigers (8-1) - 9.4
11. Houston Cougars (8-0) - 11.2
12. Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-1) - 11.4
13. Texas A&M Aggies (5-3) - 13.7
14. Virginia Tech Hokies (8-1) - 15.3
15. Arizona State Sun Devils (6-2) - 15.7
16. USC Trojans (6-2) - 16.1
17. South Carolina Gamecocks (7-1) - 17.9
18. Arkansas Razorbacks (7-1) - 19.5
19. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (7-1) - 20.1
20. Michigan State Spartans (6-2) - 21.2
21. Penn State Nittany Lions (8-1) - 21.9
22. Texas Longhorns (5-2) - 22.1
23. Georgia Bulldogs (6-2) - 22.2
24. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-3) - 22.7
25. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7-2) - 24.2
26. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-3) - 25.8
27. Florida State Seminoles (5-3) - 26.5
28. Kansas State Wildcats (7-1) - 27.1
29. TCU Horned Frogs (6-2) - 28.1
30. Toledo Rockets (5-3) - 28.4
31. North Carolina Tar Heels (6-3) - 32.7
32. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (5-3) - 33.3
33. Missouri Tigers (4-4) - 33.5
34. Cincinnati Bearcats (6-1) - 33.6
35. Illinois Fighting Illini (6-3) - 34.3
36. West Virginia Mountaineers (6-2) - 35.7
37. Auburn Tigers (6-3) - 37.8
38. Baylor Bears (4-3) - 38.5
39. Miami Hurricanes (4-4) - 39.6
40. Washington Huskies (6-2) - 40.1
41. Tennessee Volunteers (3-5) - 41.0
42. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-3) - 41.3
43. Temple Owls (5-3) - 41.4
44. Arkansas State Red Wolves (6-2) - 43.5
45. Florida Gators (4-4) - 44.1
46. Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-3) - 46.4
47. South Florida Bulls (4-3) - 47.6
(tie) Vanderbilt Commodores (4-4) - 47.6
49. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-4) - 48.9
50. Nevada Wolf Pack (5-3) - 50.8
51. Louisville Cardinals (4-4) - 51.6
52. SMU Mustangs (5-3) - 53.3
53. Syracuse Orange (5-3) - 53.7
54. BYU Cougars (6-3) - 54.1
55. San Diego State Aztecs (4-3) - 54.3
56. Ohio Bobcats (5-3) - 57.0
(tie) Western Michigan Broncos (5-4) - 57.0
58. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-3) - 57.5
59. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (7-2) - 60.1
60. Iowa Hawkeyes (5-3) - 60.7
61. Northern Illinois Huskies (5-3) - 61.3
62. Utah Utes (4-4) - 61.4
63. Pittsburgh Panthers (4-4) - 63.2
64. Virginia Cavaliers (5-3) - 63.5
65. NC State Wolfpack (4-4) - 63.8
66. Purdue Boilermakers (4-4) - 65.3
67. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (4-4) - 65.6
68. Wyoming Cowboys (5-2) - 69.0
69. Hawaii Warriors (5-3) - 70.0
70. California Golden Bears (4-4) - 72.2
71. ECU Pirates (4-4) - 72.4
(tie) Iowa State Cyclones (4-4) - 72.4
73. FIU Golden Panthers (5-3) - 72.9
74. Navy Midshipmen (2-6) - 75.9
75. Marshall Thundering Herd (4-5) - 76.1
76. UCF Knights (4-4) - 77.2
77. UCLA Bruins (4-4) - 77.3
78. Utah State Aggies (2-5) - 77.5
79. Northwestern Wildcats (3-5) - 77.6
80. Connecticut Huskies (3-5) - 77.9
81. Ball State Cardinals (5-4) - 80.6
82. UTEP Miners (4-4) - 83.0
83. Eastern Michigan Eagles (5-3) - 83.2
84. Arizona Wildcats (2-6) - 83.6
(tie) Bowling Green Falcons (4-5) - 83.6
86. Air Force Falcons (4-4) - 84.4
87. San Jose State Spartans (3-5) - 86.1
88. Maryland Terrapins (2-6) - 87.9
89. Ole Miss Rebels (2-6) - 88.1
90. Kentucky Wildcats (3-5) - 89.3
91. Fresno State Bulldogs (3-5) - 90.2
92. Boston College Eagles (2-6) - 93.5
93. Rice Owls (2-6) - 94.6
94. Miami University RedHawks (3-5) - 94.7
95. Kansas Jayhawks (2-6) - 96.2
96. Army Black Knights (3-5) - 96.3
97. Duke Blue Devils (3-5) - 96.8
98. New Mexico State Aggies (3-5) - 98.2
99. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (2-5) - 99.0
100. Central Michigan Chippewas (3-6) - 99.6
101. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (2-6) - 100.2
102. Kent State Golden Flashes (2-6) - 101.4
103. Washington State Cougars (3-5) - 101.7
104. North Texas Mean Green (3-6) - 103.9
105. Troy Trojans (2-5) - 105.0
106. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (4-4) - 107.4
107. Colorado State Rams (3-5) - 107.6
108. Buffalo Bulls (2-7) - 109.1
109. Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-6) - 109.2
110. Colorado Buffaloes (1-8) - 109.5
111. UNLV Rebels (2-5) - 109.6
112. Indiana Hoosiers (1-8) - 110.7
113. Idaho Vandals (1-7) - 111.1
114. Oregon State Beavers (2-6) - 112.6
115. Akron Zips (1-7) - 113.2
116. Memphis Tigers (2-7) - 115.1
117. UAB Blazers (1-7) - 116.4
118. Tulane Green Wave (2-7) - 117.7
119. Florida Atlantic Owls (0-7) - 118.6
120. New Mexico Lobos (0-8) - 120.2

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Week 8 - 2011 College Football Rankings

Two previously undefeated teams lost this weekend: Oklahoma and Wisconsin. The difference between a loss and victory in each case was literally a matter of inches. Oklahoma's kicker hit the upright in a late field goal and the Sooners lost to Texas Tech by three, while the Michigan State-Wisconsin game had one of the most amazing endings in college football history, with a tipped Hail Mary pass being caught but the player was originally ruled as having never quite crossed the goal line only to have that ruling be overturned by a video review that showed the ball barely getting across for the touchdown.

How does this affect the rankings? The top six teams are still undefeated, but Wisconsin and Oklahoma don't drop very far. Alabama maintains the top ranking for the fifth straight week. Auburn was blown out yet again - this time by LSU - but we still find ourselves wondering if the voters will still find an excuse to keep the Tigers in the Top 25. (We have them at #41, which is essentially where we thought they belonged last week - before they failed to be competitive with a top-tier team yet again.)

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0) - 1.0
2. LSU Tigers (8-0) - 2.1
3. Boise State Broncos (7-0) - 3.9
(tie) Stanford Cardinal (7-0) - 3.9
5. Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-0) - 4.4
6. Clemson Tigers (8-0) - 6.2
7. Wisconsin Badgers (6-1) - 7.2
8. Oregon Ducks (6-1) - 7.4
9. Oklahoma Sooners (6-1) - 9.2
10. Texas A&M Aggies (5-2) - 10.5
11. Michigan Wolverines (6-1) - 10.8
12. Michigan State Spartans (6-1) - 12.3
13. Virginia Tech Hokies (7-1) - 13.2
14. Houston Cougars (7-0) - 14.1
15. Arizona State Sun Devils (5-2) - 16.6
(tie) Arkansas Razorbacks (6-1) - 16.6
17. Kansas State Wildcats (7-0) - 16.8
18. Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-1) - 19.1
19. Penn State Nittany Lions (7-1) - 20.2
20. USC Trojans (6-1) - 21.2
21. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-1) - 21.5
22. TCU Horned Frogs (5-2) - 22.1
23. Georgia Bulldogs (5-2) - 23.8
24. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (6-1) - 24.6
25. Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-2) - 25.3
26. Toledo Rockets (5-3) - 25.5
27. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-3) - 25.6
28. Miami Hurricanes (4-3) - 25.8
29. Florida State Seminoles (4-3) - 28.1
30. Cincinnati Bearcats (6-1) - 29.8
31. Ohio State Buckeyes (4-3) - 31.4
32. Texas Longhorns (4-2) - 31.6
33. Baylor Bears (4-2) - 31.8
34. West Virginia Mountaineers (5-2) - 34.9
35. Temple Owls (5-3) - 35.9
36. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-2) - 37.6
37. Tennessee Volunteers (3-4) - 38.5
38. Illinois Fighting Illini (6-2) - 38.6
39. SMU Mustangs (5-2) - 40.0
40. Florida Gators (4-3) - 40.7
41. Auburn Tigers (5-3) - 41.6
42. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-2) - 42.1
43. North Carolina Tar Heels (5-3) - 43.2
44. Washington Huskies (5-2) - 43.3
45. Syracuse Orange (5-2) - 43.6
46. Missouri Tigers (3-4) - 44.2
47. South Florida Bulls (4-3) - 47.3
48. Vanderbilt Commodores (4-3) - 47.8
49. Iowa Hawkeyes (5-2) - 48.7
50. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-2) - 48.9
51. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (4-3) - 50.7
52. San Diego State Aztecs (4-2) - 50.8
53. Arkansas State Red Wolves (5-2) - 53.0
54. Nevada Wolf Pack (4-3) - 54.2
55. Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-4) - 55.1
56. Ohio Bobcats (5-3) - 55.7
57. Northern Illinois Huskies (5-3) - 58.1
58. NC State Wolfpack (4-3) - 58.5
59. Western Michigan Broncos (4-4) - 58.7
60. California Golden Bears (4-3) - 59.1
61. BYU Cougars (6-2) - 59.4
62. Purdue Boilermakers (4-3) - 61.1
63. Pittsburgh Panthers (3-4) - 64.0
64. Hawaii Warriors (4-3) - 66.4
65. Louisville Cardinals (3-4) - 67.6
66. Maryland Terrapins (2-5) - 68.1
67. Utah Utes (3-4) - 68.5
68. FIU Golden Panthers (4-3) - 69.1
69. UTEP Miners (4-3) - 69.3
70. Navy Midshipmen (2-5) - 70.9
71. Bowling Green Falcons (4-4) - 71.3
72. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (3-4) - 72.1
73. Ball State Cardinals (5-3) - 72.4
74. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (6-2) - 73.8
75. Connecticut Huskies (3-4) - 74.5
76. Virginia Cavaliers (4-3) - 75.1
77. Eastern Michigan Eagles (5-3) - 78.5
78. ECU Pirates (3-4) - 78.7
79. San Jose State Spartans (3-4) - 79.6
(tie) Utah State Aggies (2-5) - 79.6
81. Arizona Wildcats (2-5) - 80.8
82. UCF Knights (3-4) - 80.9
83. Wyoming Cowboys (4-2) - 82.2
84. Marshall Thundering Herd (3-5) - 82.6
85. Ole Miss Rebels (2-5) - 84.3
86. Northwestern Wildcats (2-5) - 85.5
87. Kentucky Wildcats (3-4) - 86.1
88. Air Force Falcons (3-4) - 88.2
89. Fresno State Bulldogs (3-5) - 88.5
90. UCLA Bruins (3-4) - 89.0
91. Kansas Jayhawks (2-5) - 90.7
92. Iowa State Cyclones (3-4) - 92.1
93. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (2-4) - 93.7
94. Rice Owls (2-5) - 94.1
95. New Mexico State Aggies (3-4) - 94.9
96. Duke Blue Devils (3-4) - 98.0
97. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (2-5) - 98.1
98. Washington State Cougars (3-4) - 99.0
99. Central Michigan Chippewas (2-6) - 99.5
100. Buffalo Bulls (2-6) - 99.7
101. North Texas Mean Green (3-5) - 100.0
102. Army Black Knights (2-5) - 100.4
103. Colorado State Rams (3-4) - 101.2
104. Colorado Buffaloes (1-7) - 105.3
105. Troy Trojans (2-4) - 105.5
106. Indiana Hoosiers (1-7) - 105.6
107. Miami University RedHawks (2-5) - 106.9
108. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (3-4) - 107.5
109. Oregon State Beavers (2-5) - 108.2
110. Boston College Eagles (1-6) - 108.5
111. Idaho Vandals (1-6) - 109.7
112. Akron Zips (1-6) - 111.8
113. Memphis Tigers (2-6) - 112.2
114. Kent State Golden Flashes (1-6) - 113.9
(tie) UNLV Rebels (1-5) - 113.9
116. UAB Blazers (1-6) - 114.7
117. Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-6) - 116.5
118. Tulane Green Wave (2-6) - 117.1
119. Florida Atlantic Owls (0-7) - 118.8
120. New Mexico Lobos (0-7) - 120.4

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Week 7 - 2011 College Football Rankings

While Alabama is ranked #1 in our analysis for the fourth straight week, LSU closed the gap a bit with their convincing 38-7 victory over Tennessee. Wisconsin also leapfrogged to #3 with its 59-7 victory of Indiana combined with Michigan's 28-14 loss to Michigan State. The Badgers passed Boise State despite the Broncos' 63-13 victory over Colorado State, indicative that Wisconsin has had the tougher schedule to this point as both teams are still undefeated. Boise State ended up holding steady at #4.

The top eight teams in the rankings are all still undefeated seven weeks into the season. Michigan, Georgia Tech and Illinois each lost their first games of the season over the weekend, leaving ten undefeated teams among the FBS ranks. Houston and Boise State are the only remaining undefeated teams that do not belong to a BCS conference.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0) - 1.3
2. LSU Tigers (7-0) - 1.8
3. Wisconsin Badgers (6-0) - 3.5
4. Boise State Broncos (6-0) - 3.7
5. Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-0) - 5.8
6. Stanford Cardinal (6-0) - 6.0
7. Oklahoma Sooners (6-0) - 6.2
8. Clemson Tigers (7-0) - 8.2
9. Oregon Ducks (5-1) - 8.8
10. Michigan Wolverines (6-1) - 9.8
11. Texas A&M Aggies (4-2) - 11.0
12. Arkansas Razorbacks (5-1) - 13.8
13. West Virginia Mountaineers (5-1) - 14.1
14. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-2) - 14.7
15. Michigan State Spartans (5-1) - 14.8
16. Virginia Tech Hokies (6-1) - 15.2
17. Arizona State Sun Devils (5-2) - 16.6
18. Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1) - 19.3
19. Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1) - 20.6
20. TCU Horned Frogs (4-2) - 21.0
21. Houston Cougars (6-0) - 21.8
22. Kansas State Wildcats (6-0) - 23.0
23. Georgia Bulldogs (5-2) - 23.5
24. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-1) - 23.8
25. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-1) - 24.9
26. Temple Owls (5-2) - 25.1
27. SMU Mustangs (5-1) - 27.2
(tie) Texas Longhorns (4-2) - 27.2
29. Illinois Fighting Illini (6-1) - 30.4
30. Toledo Rockets (4-3) - 31.1
31. Baylor Bears (4-2) - 32.2
32. Miami Hurricanes (3-3) - 32.3
33. Ohio State Buckeyes (4-3) - 33.1
34. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-1) - 34.4
35. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (5-1) - 35.5
36. Tennessee Volunteers (3-3) - 36.2
37. Cincinnati Bearcats (5-1) - 36.5
38. Missouri Tigers (3-3) - 38.3
39. Washington Huskies (5-1) - 38.7
40. Florida State Seminoles (3-3) - 38.9
(tie) North Carolina Tar Heels (5-2) - 38.9
42. Auburn Tigers (5-2) - 40.4
43. USC Trojans (5-1) - 41.7
44. South Florida Bulls (4-2) - 43.9
45. Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-2) - 44.4
46. Florida Gators (4-3) - 44.6
47. San Diego State Aztecs (4-2) - 47.7
48. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (6-1) - 48.5
49. Iowa Hawkeyes (4-2) - 48.9
50. Western Michigan Broncos (4-3) - 49.1
51. Northern Illinois Huskies (4-3) - 53.4
52. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-2) - 54.4
53. Vanderbilt Commodores (3-3) - 55.2
54. Nevada Wolf Pack (3-3) - 56.3
55. Utah Utes (3-3) - 56.5
56. Virginia Cavaliers (4-2) - 57.3
57. FIU Golden Panthers (4-2) - 57.9
58. Maryland Terrapins (2-4) - 58.8
59. Ohio Bobcats (4-3) - 59.2
60. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (3-3) - 59.3
61. BYU Cougars (5-2) - 59.4
62. Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-4) - 59.6
63. Pittsburgh Panthers (3-4) - 62.0
64. UCF Knights (3-3) - 62.3
65. Arkansas State Red Wolves (4-2) - 66.1
66. Navy Midshipmen (2-4) - 67.3
67. Syracuse Orange (4-2) - 67.7
68. Ball State Cardinals (4-3) - 69.1
69. UCLA Bruins (3-3) - 69.2
70. Connecticut Huskies (3-4) - 70.1
(tie) Utah State Aggies (2-4) - 70.1
72. Hawaii Warriors (3-3) - 70.8
73. Purdue Boilermakers (3-3) - 70.9
74. NC State Wolfpack (3-3) - 74.1
(tie) Washington State Cougars (3-3) - 74.1
76. UTEP Miners (3-3) - 74.7
77. Louisville Cardinals (2-4) - 76.9
78. San Jose State Spartans (3-4) - 77.2
79. Marshall Thundering Herd (3-4) - 78.7
80. Bowling Green Falcons (3-4) - 79.4
81. Northwestern Wildcats (2-4) - 80.4
82. California Golden Bears (3-3) - 81.5
(tie) Wyoming Cowboys (4-2) - 81.5
84. Kansas Jayhawks (2-4) - 83.1
85. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (2-4) - 86.1
86. Air Force Falcons (3-3) - 87.1
87. Ole Miss Rebels (2-4) - 88.8
88. Fresno State Bulldogs (3-4) - 90.4
(tie) Iowa State Cyclones (3-3) - 90.4
90. Eastern Michigan Eagles (4-3) - 90.9
91. Rice Owls (2-4) - 91.0
92. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (2-4) - 91.3
93. ECU Pirates (2-4) - 91.8
94. New Mexico State Aggies (3-3) - 94.8
95. Army Black Knights (2-4) - 94.9
96. Kentucky Wildcats (2-4) - 95.0
97. Colorado State Rams (3-3) - 95.4
98. Duke Blue Devils (3-3) - 95.9
99. Indiana Hoosiers (1-6) - 99.4
100. Colorado Buffaloes (1-6) - 100.1
101. Miami University RedHawks (2-4) - 100.9
102. Buffalo Bulls (2-5) - 101.6
103. Central Michigan Chippewas (2-5) - 102.8
104. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (1-4) - 103.5
105. Troy Trojans (2-4) - 105.6
106. North Texas Mean Green (2-5) - 106.3
107. Boston College Eagles (1-5) - 106.5
108. Arizona Wildcats (1-5) - 106.8
109. Akron Zips (1-5) - 107.5
110. Idaho Vandals (1-6) - 109.7
111. Kent State Golden Flashes (1-6) - 111.5
112. UNLV Rebels (1-5) - 111.6
113. Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-5) - 113.1
114. Tulane Green Wave (2-5) - 113.4
115. Oregon State Beavers (1-5) - 115.9
116. Memphis Tigers (1-6) - 116.1
117. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (2-4) - 116.4
118. UAB Blazers (0-6) - 117.1
119. Florida Atlantic Owls (0-6) - 117.5
120. New Mexico Lobos (0-6) - 120.0

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Week 6 - 2011 College Football Rankings

Ten of the top eleven teams in our rankings are still undefeated this week. In total there are 13 undefeated teams currently. Unlike past years, only two of those teams (Boise State and Houston) are not in a BCS Conference. For the third straight week, Alabama comes in at #1, but there is a new #2 this week - LSU. Last week's #2, Wisconsin, dropped to #5, but not because of any poor performance by the Badgers. They simply had a bye this week, which allowed some teams that did play to move ahead of them (but those teams will have byes in the future). Also, the performance of teams Wisconsin has already played (and beaten) might have pulled their ranking down a little.

Here is how things stand currently:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-0) - 1.0
2. LSU Tigers (6-0) - 2.2
3. Michigan Wolverines (6-0) - 2.9
4. Boise State Broncos (5-0) - 4.5
5. Wisconsin Badgers (5-0) - 4.6
6. Stanford Cardinal (5-0) - 6.5
7. Oklahoma Sooners (5-0) - 6.9
8. Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-0) - 7.7
9. Clemson Tigers (6-0) - 8.9
10. Oregon Ducks (4-1) - 10.4
11. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-0) - 11.6
12. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-2) - 11.8
13. Arizona State Sun Devils (5-1) - 13.0
14. Illinois Fighting Illini (6-0) - 13.8
15. West Virginia Mountaineers (5-1) - 14.9
16. Arkansas Razorbacks (5-1) - 16.9
17. Baylor Bears (4-1) - 17.9
(tie) Texas A&M Aggies (3-2) - 17.9
19. Texas Longhorns (4-1) - 20.6
20. Georgia Bulldogs (4-2) - 21.2
21. South Carolina Gamecocks (5-1) - 23.0
(tie) TCU Horned Frogs (4-2) - 23.0
23. Penn State Nittany Lions (5-1) - 23.6
24. Houston Cougars (6-0) - 24.0
25. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-1) - 24.7
26. Tennessee Volunteers (3-2) - 26.6
27. Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1) - 26.7
28. Western Michigan Broncos (4-2) - 27.0
29. North Carolina Tar Heels (5-1) - 28.4
30. Kansas State Wildcats (5-0) - 30.3
31. Virginia Tech Hokies (5-1) - 31.2
32. Florida Gators (4-2) - 31.7
33. South Florida Bulls (4-1) - 32.8
34. Cincinnati Bearcats (4-1) - 33.4
35. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (5-1) - 33.8
36. Temple Owls (4-2) - 34.5
37. Michigan State Spartans (4-1) - 36.1
38. Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-1) - 37.0
39. Toledo Rockets (3-3) - 37.8
40. Washington Huskies (4-1) - 42.3
41. Auburn Tigers (4-2) - 43.2
42. Miami Hurricanes (2-3) - 45.0
43. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-1) - 45.1
44. Missouri Tigers (2-3) - 46.3
45. Pittsburgh Panthers (3-3) - 46.4
(tie) San Diego State Aztecs (3-2) - 46.4
47. SMU Mustangs (4-1) - 47.1
48. UCF Knights (3-2) - 47.8
49. Ohio Bobcats (4-2) - 48.4
50. Florida State Seminoles (2-3) - 50.4
51. Ohio State Buckeyes (3-3) - 50.6
52. Iowa Hawkeyes (3-2) - 51.7
53. USC Trojans (4-1) - 52.0
54. FIU Golden Panthers (4-2) - 52.4
55. Vanderbilt Commodores (3-2) - 53.4
56. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (5-1) - 54.0
57. Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-3) - 59.8
(tie) Utah State Aggies (2-3) - 59.8
59. Maryland Terrapins (2-3) - 60.2
60. BYU Cougars (4-2) - 60.6
61. Hawaii Warriors (3-2) - 61.2
62. Nevada Wolf Pack (2-3) - 63.2
63. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (2-3) - 63.9
64. Washington State Cougars (3-2) - 65.1
65. Purdue Boilermakers (3-2) - 66.7
66. Navy Midshipmen (2-3) - 67.9
67. Arkansas State Red Wolves (4-2) - 68.2
68. Syracuse Orange (4-2) - 68.5
(tie) UCLA Bruins (3-3) - 68.5
70. Northern Illinois Huskies (3-3) - 69.0
71. Virginia Cavaliers (3-2) - 70.1
72. Utah Utes (2-3) - 70.4
73. NC State Wolfpack (3-3) - 71.5
74. California Golden Bears (3-2) - 71.6
75. Northwestern Wildcats (2-3) - 72.7
76. Louisville Cardinals (2-3) - 75.5
77. Connecticut Huskies (2-4) - 77.0
78. Bowling Green Falcons (3-3) - 78.6
79. Air Force Falcons (3-2) - 79.6
80. Kansas Jayhawks (2-3) - 80.3
81. Ball State Cardinals (3-3) - 80.4
(tie) Marshall Thundering Herd (2-4) - 80.4
83. Iowa State Cyclones (3-2) - 83.4
84. San Jose State Spartans (2-4) - 84.5
85. Duke Blue Devils (3-2) - 85.2
86. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (2-4) - 86.4
87. Rice Owls (2-3) - 86.6
88. UTEP Miners (2-3) - 87.6
89. Colorado State Rams (3-2) - 88.5
(tie) Ole Miss Rebels (2-3) - 88.5
91. Wyoming Cowboys (3-2) - 90.6
92. Troy Trojans (2-3) - 91.3
93. Colorado Buffaloes (1-5) - 94.0
94. Kentucky Wildcats (2-4) - 95.0
95. Buffalo Bulls (2-4) - 96.2
96. Indiana Hoosiers (1-5) - 96.3
97. Army Black Knights (2-4) - 97.0
(tie) New Mexico State Aggies (2-3) - 97.0
99. Eastern Michigan Eagles (3-3) - 97.6
100. ECU Pirates (1-4) - 99.2
101. Fresno State Bulldogs (2-4) - 99.8
102. North Texas Mean Green (2-4) - 100.4
103. Central Michigan Chippewas (2-4) - 102.5
104. Boston College Eagles (1-5) - 103.7
105. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (1-4) - 103.9
106. Miami University RedHawks (1-4) - 105.7
107. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (1-4) - 107.9
108. UNLV Rebels (1-4) - 108.4
109. Arizona Wildcats (1-5) - 109.2
110. Florida Atlantic Owls (0-5) - 110.2
111. Akron Zips (1-5) - 110.4
112. Kent State Golden Flashes (1-5) - 111.1
113. Tulane Green Wave (2-4) - 111.7
114. Idaho Vandals (1-5) - 113.0
115. Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-5) - 115.5
116. Oregon State Beavers (1-4) - 115.9
117. Memphis Tigers (1-5) - 116.1
118. UAB Blazers (0-5) - 116.8
119. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (1-4) - 119.2
120. New Mexico Lobos (0-5) - 119.6

Monday, October 3, 2011

Week 5 - 2011 College Football Rankings

The parity index is a little higher this year. As a result, even after week 5, things are a little less settled than they have been in the past. Except for Alabama. Alabama, at least for now, has a solid hold on the top ranking in our analysis, and their solid victory over Florida only helped strengthen that position. Our analysis is a little less fickle than the voters are, by the way. An Auburn team that had dropped out of the Top 25, with a single 16-13 victory over a pretty good South Carolina team jumped clear up to #15 in the AP poll. We still have the Tigers down at #39. It is, after all, just one game, and the Tigers just haven't shown enough, in our opinion, after barely escaping with victories against a Utah State team that is now 1-3 and ranked #76 in our analysis and against a Mississippi State team that is now 2-3 and ranked #72. Granted, this is Auburn's most impressive game of the season so far, but after all, our rankings are based on the entire season's performance - not a single game.

Here are our rankings after five weeks of the 2011 season:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0) - 1.1
2. Wisconsin Badgers (5-0) - 2.5
3. Michigan Wolverines (5-0) - 2.9
4. LSU Tigers (5-0) - 3.6
5. Boise State Broncos (4-0) - 5.3
6. Stanford Cardinal (4-0) - 5.8
7. Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-0) - 7.8
8. Clemson Tigers (5-0) - 8.4
9. Oklahoma Sooners (4-0) - 9.1
10. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-0) - 9.6
11. Texas Longhorns (4-0) - 10.6
12. Tennessee Volunteers (3-1) - 13.1
13. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-2) - 13.4
14. Florida Gators (4-1) - 13.5
15. Illinois Fighting Illini (5-0) - 16.4
16. West Virginia Mountaineers (4-1) - 17.5
17. Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-1) - 18.3
18. Arizona State Sun Devils (4-1) - 18.4
19. Oregon Ducks (3-1) - 18.8
20. South Carolina Gamecocks (4-1) - 20.0
21. Texas A&M Aggies (2-2) - 22.2
22. South Florida Bulls (4-1) - 23.8
23. North Carolina Tar Heels (4-1) - 24.4
24. Penn State Nittany Lions (4-1) - 26.6
(tie) Virginia Tech Hokies (4-1) - 26.6
26. Pittsburgh Panthers (3-2) - 27.2
27. TCU Horned Frogs (3-2) - 27.3
28. Kansas State Wildcats (4-0) - 29.1
29. Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-0) - 29.6
30. Baylor Bears (3-1) - 29.8
31. Cincinnati Bearcats (4-1) - 31.2
32. Arkansas Razorbacks (4-1) - 31.7
33. Ohio Bobcats (4-1) - 32.7
34. Georgia Bulldogs (3-2) - 33.2
35. San Diego State Aztecs (3-1) - 33.8
36. Houston Cougars (5-0) - 34.4
37. Michigan State Spartans (4-1) - 35.1
38. Iowa Hawkeyes (3-1) - 36.6
39. Auburn Tigers (4-1) - 38.0
40. Western Michigan Broncos (3-2) - 38.8
41. Washington Huskies (4-1) - 39.0
42. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-1) - 41.4
43. Florida State Seminoles (2-2) - 42.5
44. Miami Hurricanes (2-2) - 44.2
(tie) Vanderbilt Commodores (3-1) - 44.2
46. Temple Owls (3-2) - 47.4
47. Missouri Tigers (2-2) - 48.0
48. Ohio State Buckeyes (3-2) - 49.3
49. SMU Mustangs (4-1) - 51.1
50. Toledo Rockets (2-3) - 51.2
51. USC Trojans (4-1) - 51.4
52. Navy Midshipmen (2-2) - 51.7
(tie) Washington State Cougars (3-1) - 51.7
54. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (4-1) - 52.6
(tie) UCF Knights (2-2) - 52.6
56. California Golden Bears (3-1) - 56.5
57. FIU Golden Panthers (3-2) - 57.7
58. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-1) - 58.4
59. Hawaii Warriors (3-2) - 59.0
60. Utah Utes (2-2) - 62.7
61. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (4-1) - 63.0
62. Northwestern Wildcats (2-2) - 63.8
63. Air Force Falcons (3-1) - 64.6
64. Bowling Green Falcons (3-2) - 66.5
(tie) Iowa State Cyclones (3-1) - 66.5
66. BYU Cougars (3-2) - 66.8
67. Arkansas State Red Wolves (3-2) - 67.0
(tie) Maryland Terrapins (2-2) - 67.0
69. Connecticut Huskies (2-3) - 68.6
70. Ball State Cardinals (3-2) - 68.9
71. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (2-3) - 69.1
72. Mississippi State Bulldogs (2-3) - 70.4
73. Wyoming Cowboys (3-1) - 72.7
74. Virginia Cavaliers (3-2) - 74.2
75. Northern Illinois Huskies (2-3) - 76.3
76. Utah State Aggies (1-3) - 76.5
77. Louisville Cardinals (2-2) - 77.6
78. Kansas Jayhawks (2-2) - 77.9
79. Syracuse Orange (3-2) - 78.7
80. UCLA Bruins (2-3) - 79.0
81. Nevada Wolf Pack (1-3) - 81.7
82. Marshall Thundering Herd (2-3) - 83.0
83. San Jose State Spartans (2-3) - 84.2
84. NC State Wolfpack (2-3) - 84.3
85. Purdue Boilermakers (2-2) - 86.1
86. Troy Trojans (2-2) - 86.4
87. Duke Blue Devils (3-2) - 87.1
88. UTEP Miners (2-3) - 88.5
89. Army Black Knights (2-3) - 89.2
90. Ole Miss Rebels (2-3) - 89.6
91. Colorado Buffaloes (1-4) - 90.9
92. Colorado State Rams (3-2) - 91.2
93. Kentucky Wildcats (2-3) - 91.7
94. Eastern Michigan Eagles (3-2) - 93.5
(tie) Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (1-3) - 93.5
96. Fresno State Bulldogs (2-3) - 94.4
97. ECU Pirates (1-3) - 95.5
98. Indiana Hoosiers (1-4) - 95.9
99. Arizona Wildcats (1-4) - 97.5
100. New Mexico State Aggies (2-3) - 98.0
101. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (1-4) - 98.9
102. Central Michigan Chippewas (2-3) - 102.6
103. UNLV Rebels (1-3) - 103.3
104. Rice Owls (1-3) - 104.0
105. Boston College Eagles (1-4) - 104.2
106. Florida Atlantic Owls (0-4) - 104.4
107. Buffalo Bulls (1-4) - 105.7
108. Kent State Golden Flashes (1-4) - 106.6
109. Idaho Vandals (1-4) - 110.6
110. Akron Zips (1-4) - 111.2
111. North Texas Mean Green (1-4) - 111.5
112. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (1-3) - 111.8
113. Miami University RedHawks (0-4) - 112.3
114. Tulane Green Wave (2-3) - 112.5
115. Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-4) - 113.6
116. Memphis Tigers (1-4) - 114.2
117. UAB Blazers (0-4) - 116.3
118. New Mexico Lobos (0-5) - 118.2
119. Oregon State Beavers (0-4) - 119.7
120. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (0-4) - 120.2