2016 College Football Final Rankings

We're a little late with this - well over a year late - but we're back! After running the numbers on the completed 2016 FBS college football season, our analysis confirms the validity of, well, playing it out on the field. When last we left you, we were insisting the Clemson had not done enough to merit their inclusion in the college football playoff for 2016. Of course, Clemson turned around and won their first game in the playoff, then lost a close game to champion Alabama, thereby justifying their inclusion in the playoff. And our analysis? After including all the bowl games, we agree that Clemson justified their inclusion with their performance in the actual playoff. Remember that our analysis does not try to indicate that one team was better than another team (except, of course, on a given day when those teams play head-to-head). It only seeks to show which has demonstrated that they had a better season. Clemson had not had a good enough season, or at least, it had not shown more than several other teams that they were worthy to be included in the "Final Four" of football.

Well, during the actual playoff, they showed plenty. And when all is said and done, they demonstrated through the entirety of their season that they had the second best season of any team in the FBS. Only Alabama had a better season in 2016.

Here are the final rankings as they finally shook out for the 2016 season:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (14-1) - 1.0
2. Clemson Tigers (14-1) - 2.3
3. Washington Huskies (12-2) - 3.4
4. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-2) - 4.2
5. Western Michigan Broncos (13-1) - 5.6
6. Michigan Wolverines (10-3) - 5.9
7. USC Trojans (10-3) - 6.9
8. Wisconsin Badgers (11-3) - 7.8
9. Florida State Seminoles (10-3) - 10.1
(tie) Penn State Nittany Lions (11-3) - 10.1
11. Oklahoma Sooners (11-2) - 10.4
12. LSU Tigers (8-4) - 10.5
13. Miami Hurricanes (9-4) - 13.6
14. Stanford Cardinal (10-3) - 15.6
15. Louisville Cardinals (9-4) - 16.7
16. Colorado Buffaloes (10-4) - 16.9
17. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (11-3) - 17.0
18. Appalachian State Mountaineers (10-3) - 17.7
19. Florida Gators (9-4) - 19.8
20. Tennessee Volunteers (9-4) - 20.2
21. Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-3) - 20.3
22. Auburn Tigers (8-5) - 20.7
23. Virginia Tech Hokies (10-4) - 24.1
24. Kansas State Wildcats (9-4) - 25.6
25. South Florida Bulls (11-2) - 26.0
26. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (10-3) - 26.1
27. Minnesota Golden Gophers (9-4) - 27.1
28. Pittsburgh Panthers (8-5) - 28.4
29. West Virginia Mountaineers (10-3) - 29.5
30. Houston Cougars (9-4) - 31.3
31. Air Force Falcons (10-3) - 32.0
32. North Carolina Tar Heels (8-5) - 33.7
33. Boise State Broncos (10-3) - 34.5
(tie) NC State Wolfpack (7-6) - 34.5
35. Toledo Rockets (9-4) - 34.9
36. Troy Trojans (10-3) - 36.2
37. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9-4) - 36.4
38. Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-4) - 36.8
39. Temple Owls (10-4) - 39.0
40. San Diego State Aztecs (11-3) - 39.3
41. Texas A&M Aggies (8-5) - 39.5
42. Washington State Cougars (8-5) - 41.6
43. BYU Cougars (9-4) - 42.0
44. Utah Utes (9-4) - 42.3
45. Iowa Hawkeyes (8-5) - 45.1
46. Memphis Tigers (8-5) - 46.8
(tie) Navy Midshipmen (9-5) - 46.8
48. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (9-5) - 47.6
49. Georgia Bulldogs (8-5) - 47.8
50. Colorado State Rams (7-6) - 50.0
51. Arkansas Razorbacks (7-6) - 50.8
(tie) Baylor Bears (7-6) - 50.8
53. Old Dominion Monarchs (10-3) - 51.1
54. Vanderbilt Commodores (6-7) - 53.1
55. Ole Miss Rebels (5-7) - 53.7
56. Kentucky Wildcats (7-6) - 56.5
57. Wyoming Cowboys (8-6) - 57.6
58. Mississippi State Bulldogs (6-7) - 59.9
59. Arkansas State Red Wolves (8-5) - 60.2
60. TCU Horned Frogs (6-7) - 61.0
61. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-8) - 62.3
62. UCLA Bruins (4-8) - 63.8
63. Boston College Eagles (7-6) - 64.2
64. California Golden Bears (5-7) - 65.4
65. Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-7) - 65.6
66. Northwestern Wildcats (7-6) - 66.6
67. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (7-6) - 66.9
68. Idaho Vandals (9-4) - 67.0
69. UCF Knights (6-7) - 68.5
70. Oregon Ducks (4-8) - 69.9
71. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-7) - 70.5
72. Oregon State Beavers (4-8) - 71.6
73. Missouri Tigers (4-8) - 72.2
74. Ohio Bobcats (8-6) - 75.0
75. New Mexico Lobos (9-4) - 75.9
(tie) UTSA Roadrunners (6-7) - 75.9
77. Texas Longhorns (5-7) - 76.2
78. Indiana Hoosiers (6-7) - 77.4
79. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (7-6) - 79.1
80. Maryland Terrapins (6-7) - 79.2
81. Georgia Southern Eagles (5-7) - 79.6
82. Eastern Michigan Eagles (7-6) - 81.0
83. SMU Mustangs (5-7) - 81.1
84. South Alabama Jaguars (6-7) - 83.8
85. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (8-5) - 84.8
86. Arizona State Sun Devils (5-7) - 86.0
(tie) Army Black Knights (8-5) - 86.0
88. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (6-7) - 87.2
89. Duke Blue Devils (4-8) - 88.2
90. Syracuse Orange (4-8) - 90.1
91. Central Michigan Chippewas (6-7) - 91.0
92. Northern Illinois Huskies (5-7) - 94.7
93. Utah State Aggies (3-9) - 95.2
94. Arizona Wildcats (3-9) - 95.3
(tie) Hawaii Warriors (7-7) - 95.3
(tie) Tulane Green Wave (4-8) - 95.3
97. Michigan State Spartans (3-9) - 95.7
98. Miami University RedHawks (6-7) - 96.7
99. Akron Zips (5-7) - 99.5
100. North Texas Mean Green (5-8) - 99.6
101. Ball State Cardinals (4-8) - 102.4
102. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (4-8) - 103.3
103. Cincinnati Bearcats (4-8) - 103.9
104. Charlotte 49ers (4-8) - 105.3
105. Georgia State Panthers (3-9) - 105.5
106. ECU Pirates (3-9) - 105.6
107. Illinois Fighting Illini (3-9) - 106.4
108. FIU Golden Panthers (4-8) - 108.0
109. UNLV Rebels (4-8) - 109.4
110. Bowling Green Falcons (4-8) - 110.2
111. Nevada Wolf Pack (5-7) - 110.5
112. New Mexico State Aggies (3-9) - 111.4
113. Iowa State Cyclones (3-9) - 111.7
114. Kent State Golden Flashes (3-9) - 113.2
115. San Jose State Spartans (4-8) - 114.7
(tie) UTEP Miners (4-8) - 114.7
117. Marshall Thundering Herd (3-9) - 116.0
118. Purdue Boilermakers (3-9) - 117.9
119. Florida Atlantic Owls (3-9) - 118.3
120. Rice Owls (3-9) - 120.0
121. Massachusetts Minutemen (2-10) - 120.6
122. Virginia Cavaliers (2-10) - 121.7
123. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (2-10) - 122.8
124. Kansas Jayhawks (2-10) - 123.1
125. Connecticut Huskies (3-9) - 123.8
126. Fresno State Bulldogs (1-11) - 125.5
127. Texas State Bobcats (2-10) - 126.8
128. Buffalo Bulls (2-10) - 127.7