2016 College Football Rankings - Week 14

"Wait!" you exclaim. "Western Michigan in the College Football Playoff over Clemson?" Our unbiased computer analysis says, "Yes. Clemson lost to Pittsburgh, who we have ranked at #28 (and only that high because of its victory over Clemson) while Western Michigan didn't lose to anyone. In fact, we don't even have Clemson on the edge of the playoffs. We have them at #7, behind 3-loss USC. Their performance this year was that weak. And besides, how less reasonable is this than ranking four-loss Auburn higher than ANY undefeated team like the college football playoff committee did?"

There's still one game left in the regular season (Army-Navy), so there might be some changes - the outcome of any game impacts to some degree every team in FBS because of the way we do our analysis - but our rankings this week are pretty close to what they will be heading into bowl season.

Here's what we have:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (13-0) - 1.0
2. Washington Huskies (12-1) - 2.9
3. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) - 3.3
4. Western Michigan Broncos (13-0) - 3.4
5. Michigan Wolverines (10-2) - 4.6
6. USC Trojans (9-3) - 6.7
7. Clemson Tigers (12-1) - 7.0
8. Penn State Nittany Lions (11-2) - 7.5
9. Wisconsin Badgers (10-3) - 9.3
10. Oklahoma Sooners (10-2) - 10.1
11. Colorado Buffaloes (10-3) - 10.4
12. Florida State Seminoles (9-3) - 12.8
13. Louisville Cardinals (9-3) - 13.6
14. LSU Tigers (7-4) - 14.6
15. Stanford Cardinal (9-3) - 15.6
16. Miami Hurricanes (8-4) - 16.8
17. Houston Cougars (9-3) - 18.5
18. Auburn Tigers (8-4) - 18.8
19. Appalachian State Mountaineers (9-3) - 19.3
20. Boise State Broncos (10-2) - 20.7
21. South Florida Bulls (10-2) - 21.0
22. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (10-3) - 21.8
23. Tennessee Volunteers (8-4) - 23.2
24. Temple Owls (10-3) - 24.2
25. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (9-3) - 26.5
26. West Virginia Mountaineers (10-2) - 26.6
27. Florida Gators (8-4) - 27.2
28. Pittsburgh Panthers (8-4) - 27.8
29. Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-3) - 29.8
30. Virginia Tech Hokies (9-4) - 30.5
31. Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-4) - 32.9
32. Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-3) - 33.1
33. Toledo Rockets (9-3) - 33.8
34. Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4) - 34.5
35. Navy Midshipmen (9-3) - 34.9
36. Kansas State Wildcats (8-4) - 35.4
37. Memphis Tigers (8-4) - 36.7
38. Air Force Falcons (9-3) - 37.0
39. Washington State Cougars (8-4) - 37.5
40. Utah Utes (8-4) - 39.4
41. Texas A&M Aggies (8-4) - 39.6
42. BYU Cougars (8-4) - 40.6
43. North Carolina Tar Heels (8-4) - 41.0
44. Troy Trojans (9-3) - 42.7
45. Colorado State Rams (7-5) - 45.1
46. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8-4) - 45.3
47. NC State Wolfpack (6-6) - 47.5
48. Vanderbilt Commodores (6-6) - 48.0
49. Arkansas Razorbacks (7-5) - 50.1
50. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8-5) - 50.2
51. San Diego State Aztecs (10-3) - 50.8
52. Georgia Bulldogs (7-5) - 51.0
53. Ole Miss Rebels (5-7) - 52.2
54. Kentucky Wildcats (7-5) - 53.7
55. Old Dominion Monarchs (9-3) - 53.9
56. Wyoming Cowboys (8-5) - 56.3
57. Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-7) - 57.6
58. UCF Knights (6-6) - 57.7
59. TCU Horned Frogs (6-6) - 59.2
60. UCLA Bruins (4-8) - 60.8
61. Baylor Bears (6-6) - 62.8
62. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-8) - 63.0
63. California Golden Bears (5-7) - 64.4
64. Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-7) - 66.0
65. Arkansas State Red Wolves (7-5) - 66.1
66. Oregon Ducks (4-8) - 66.5
67. Boston College Eagles (6-6) - 68.7
68. Oregon State Beavers (4-8) - 68.9
69. Missouri Tigers (4-8) - 70.1
70. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (8-4) - 71.0
71. Northwestern Wildcats (6-6) - 71.5
72. UTSA Roadrunners (6-6) - 72.0
73. Maryland Terrapins (6-6) - 72.7
74. Ohio Bobcats (8-5) - 73.3
75. Idaho Vandals (8-4) - 75.3
76. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-6) - 75.4
77. SMU Mustangs (5-7) - 76.4
78. Eastern Michigan Eagles (7-5) - 77.1
79. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6-6) - 79.0
80. Indiana Hoosiers (6-6) - 79.3
81. Texas Longhorns (5-7) - 79.8
82. New Mexico Lobos (8-4) - 80.1
83. Georgia Southern Eagles (5-7) - 81.2
84. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (6-6) - 82.3
85. South Alabama Jaguars (6-6) - 82.4
86. Arizona State Sun Devils (5-7) - 85.0
87. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (6-6) - 85.5
88. Central Michigan Chippewas (6-6) - 89.0
89. Army Black Knights (6-5) - 89.9
90. Duke Blue Devils (4-8) - 90.6
91. Syracuse Orange (4-8) - 91.4
92. Northern Illinois Huskies (5-7) - 92.4
93. Tulane Green Wave (4-8) - 93.4
94. Arizona Wildcats (3-9) - 95.4
(tie) Utah State Aggies (3-9) - 95.4
96. Miami University RedHawks (6-6) - 95.6
97. Michigan State Spartans (3-9) - 96.3
98. Akron Zips (5-7) - 98.4
99. North Texas Mean Green (5-7) - 99.6
100. Ball State Cardinals (4-8) - 100.9
101. Cincinnati Bearcats (4-8) - 101.2
102. Hawaii Warriors (6-7) - 103.0
103. Charlotte 49ers (4-8) - 103.9
104. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (4-8) - 104.2
105. ECU Pirates (3-9) - 104.7
106. Illinois Fighting Illini (3-9) - 106.1
107. Georgia State Panthers (3-9) - 107.0
108. FIU Golden Panthers (4-8) - 107.5
109. Bowling Green Falcons (4-8) - 109.0
110. UNLV Rebels (4-8) - 110.1
111. Kent State Golden Flashes (3-9) - 111.7
112. New Mexico State Aggies (3-9) - 111.8
113. Nevada Wolf Pack (5-7) - 112.0
114. Iowa State Cyclones (3-9) - 112.2
115. UTEP Miners (4-8) - 115.2
116. Marshall Thundering Herd (3-9) - 115.4
(tie) San Jose State Spartans (4-8) - 115.4
118. Purdue Boilermakers (3-9) - 117.2
119. Florida Atlantic Owls (3-9) - 117.9
120. Rice Owls (3-9) - 119.8
121. Massachusetts Minutemen (2-10) - 121.2
122. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (2-10) - 122.1
123. Virginia Cavaliers (2-10) - 122.4
124. Kansas Jayhawks (2-10) - 123.0
125. Connecticut Huskies (3-9) - 123.9
126. Fresno State Bulldogs (1-11) - 125.5
127. Texas State Bobcats (2-10) - 126.8
128. Buffalo Bulls (2-10) - 127.7

2016 College Football Rankings - Week 13

We have to ask the question. What does Western Michigan have to do to get into the College Football Playoff? All they've done is win every game put before them, and usually by a lot of points. Can it really be called an FBS championship if it simply is impossible for half of the FBS teams to even be included in the playoff? As it is, people are discussing teams with two losses over an undefeated Western Michigan. Granted, we are talking about Western Michigan, but at a fundamental level, something about that just doesn't seem right - especially in light of our latest unbiased, computer analysis. (That's the advantage of ranking the teams based on their wins and losses this season rather than their names, conferences, or previous years' histories.).

As for the Big Ten dilemma, we just remind everyone that a conference championship only includes the in-conference games. It doesn't include the three or four non-conference games that make up 1/4 to 1/3 of every team's full season. Our analysis is based on the entirety of a team's season and doesn't weight conference games any more importantly than non-conference games. Every game is equally important and how a team performs in non-conference is about 1/4 to 1/3 of their overall rating - fitting since that's how much of their season ... well, you get the idea. The end result is a ranking based on who had the best overall season, not just the best performance in-conference. We think that until there are enough slots in the playoff to justify automatic bids to all conference champions, the decision about who to place in the playoff should be based on the whole season. Otherwise, it just increases the committee's inherent bias toward power conferences and continues to lock out possibly deserving teams from outside the P5. Sorry, Badgers and Nittany Lions.

Here are our results after week 13:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (12-0) - 1.0
2. Western Michigan Broncos (12-0) - 2.7
3. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) - 2.9
4. Michigan Wolverines (10-2) - 4.1
5. Washington Huskies (11-1) - 4.5
6. Clemson Tigers (11-1) - 6.2
7. USC Trojans (9-3) - 7.4
8. Colorado Buffaloes (10-2) - 8.6
9. Wisconsin Badgers (10-2) - 8.8
10. Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2) - 9.0
11. Florida State Seminoles (9-3) - 11.8
12. Louisville Cardinals (9-3) - 12.8
13. Oklahoma Sooners (9-2) - 13.8
14. LSU Tigers (7-4) - 13.9
15. Stanford Cardinal (9-3) - 15.8
16. Miami Hurricanes (8-4) - 16.9
17. Houston Cougars (9-3) - 18.6
18. Auburn Tigers (8-4) - 18.7
19. Appalachian State Mountaineers (9-3) - 18.8
20. South Florida Bulls (10-2) - 20.8
21. Boise State Broncos (10-2) - 21.3
22. Navy Midshipmen (9-2) - 23.4
23. Tennessee Volunteers (8-4) - 23.9
24. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (9-3) - 25.2
25. Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-2) - 25.5
26. Florida Gators (8-3) - 25.8
27. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (9-3) - 26.6
28. West Virginia Mountaineers (9-2) - 26.7
29. Pittsburgh Panthers (8-4) - 28.7
30. Troy Trojans (9-2) - 28.8
31. Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-3) - 30.2
32. Virginia Tech Hokies (9-3) - 33.2
33. Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-4) - 33.4
34. Toledo Rockets (9-3) - 34.0
35. Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4) - 36.0
36. Air Force Falcons (9-3) - 36.6
37. Memphis Tigers (8-4) - 37.4
38. Temple Owls (9-3) - 38.4
39. Utah Utes (8-4) - 38.5
40. Texas A&M Aggies (8-4) - 39.4
41. BYU Cougars (8-4) - 40.3
42. North Carolina Tar Heels (8-4) - 40.4
(tie) Washington State Cougars (8-4) - 40.4
44. Colorado State Rams (7-5) - 44.0
45. Kansas State Wildcats (7-4) - 45.6
46. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8-4) - 46.1
47. NC State Wolfpack (6-6) - 46.9
48. Vanderbilt Commodores (6-6) - 48.4
49. Arkansas Razorbacks (7-5) - 49.2
50. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8-4) - 49.9
51. San Diego State Aztecs (9-3) - 51.2
52. Georgia Bulldogs (7-5) - 51.3
53. Kentucky Wildcats (7-5) - 53.6
54. Ole Miss Rebels (5-7) - 53.7
55. TCU Horned Frogs (6-5) - 53.9
56. Old Dominion Monarchs (9-3) - 54.2
57. Wyoming Cowboys (8-4) - 56.5
58. UCF Knights (6-6) - 58.1
59. Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-7) - 58.4
60. UCLA Bruins (4-8) - 61.3
61. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-8) - 62.8
62. Baylor Bears (6-5) - 63.5
63. California Golden Bears (5-7) - 64.2
64. Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-7) - 65.7
65. Oregon Ducks (4-8) - 66.0
66. Boston College Eagles (6-6) - 68.3
67. Oregon State Beavers (4-8) - 68.5
68. Arkansas State Red Wolves (6-5) - 68.9
69. Missouri Tigers (4-8) - 69.7
70. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (8-4) - 70.8
71. Northwestern Wildcats (6-6) - 70.9
(tie) UTSA Roadrunners (6-6) - 70.9
73. Maryland Terrapins (6-6) - 72.6
74. SMU Mustangs (5-7) - 73.3
75. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-6) - 74.7
76. Ohio Bobcats (8-4) - 75.6
77. Eastern Michigan Eagles (7-5) - 76.4
78. Texas Longhorns (5-7) - 77.1
79. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6-6) - 78.4
80. Indiana Hoosiers (6-6) - 78.5
81. New Mexico Lobos (8-4) - 79.3
82. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (6-6) - 80.3
83. Idaho Vandals (7-4) - 81.4
84. South Alabama Jaguars (5-6) - 83.1
85. Arizona State Sun Devils (5-7) - 85.2
86. Central Michigan Chippewas (6-6) - 86.4
87. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (5-6) - 88.5
88. Georgia Southern Eagles (4-7) - 89.0
89. Duke Blue Devils (4-8) - 89.4
90. Army Black Knights (6-5) - 89.7
91. Syracuse Orange (4-8) - 90.8
92. Northern Illinois Huskies (5-7) - 91.0
93. Tulane Green Wave (4-8) - 93.9
94. Arizona Wildcats (3-9) - 95.5
(tie) Miami University RedHawks (6-6) - 95.5
96. Utah State Aggies (3-9) - 95.8
97. Michigan State Spartans (3-9) - 96.7
98. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (4-7) - 98.7
99. Akron Zips (5-7) - 99.2
100. Georgia State Panthers (3-8) - 100.8
101. North Texas Mean Green (5-7) - 101.0
102. Ball State Cardinals (4-8) - 101.1
103. Cincinnati Bearcats (4-8) - 102.2
104. Hawaii Warriors (6-7) - 104.2
105. Charlotte 49ers (4-8) - 104.6
106. Illinois Fighting Illini (3-9) - 106.1
107. ECU Pirates (3-9) - 106.2
108. FIU Golden Panthers (4-8) - 107.7
109. Bowling Green Falcons (4-8) - 109.5
110. UNLV Rebels (4-8) - 110.3
111. Kent State Golden Flashes (3-9) - 112.1
112. Nevada Wolf Pack (5-7) - 112.2
113. Iowa State Cyclones (3-9) - 112.6
114. New Mexico State Aggies (3-8) - 112.7
115. UTEP Miners (4-8) - 115.1
116. San Jose State Spartans (4-8) - 115.3
117. Marshall Thundering Herd (3-9) - 115.5
118. Purdue Boilermakers (3-9) - 117.2
119. Florida Atlantic Owls (3-9) - 118.0
120. Rice Owls (3-9) - 119.9
121. Massachusetts Minutemen (2-10) - 121.1
122. Virginia Cavaliers (2-10) - 122.1
123. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (2-10) - 122.3
124. Kansas Jayhawks (2-10) - 123.0
125. Connecticut Huskies (3-9) - 124.0
126. Texas State Bobcats (2-9) - 125.5
127. Fresno State Bulldogs (1-11) - 126.0
128. Buffalo Bulls (2-10) - 128.0