Tuesday, November 27, 2018

2018 College Football Rankings - Week 13

The first thing that jumps out about our Week 13 rankings is that, once again, UCF is in our top four approaching the end of the season - ahead of undefeated Notre Dame. This may appear shocking to some, but Notre Dame has a few games where they should have won by a greater margin than they actually did. UCF does not have as many of those games. Besides - and this does not play into our analysis at all - any team that can go undefeated for two straight seasons against any kind of schedule (with two games pending this year) is a really, really good team. We feel that UCF isn't getting enough credit - and our computer analysis that takes into account such things as strength of schedule and the team's performance against that schedule backs that sentiment up. This is yet one more example of the way the system is stacked against the have-nots of the college football world. We're just surprised that more people aren't up in arms about it. According to our analysis, UCF deserves a chance to be in the playoff to show just how good they are. They have done nothing less than everything that is asked of them, but they are still locked out by an unfair system that favors teams that have been invited to be part of certain elitist conferences. Participation in the playoff should be determined by performance in 2018, not the name on the jersey or the name of the team's opponents or what any of those teams did 40 years ago to gain the reputation they have.

That being said, here is the results of our analysis after 13 weeks:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (12-0) - 1.0
2. Clemson Tigers (12-0) - 2.0
3. Georgia Bulldogs (11-1) - 3.3
4. UCF Knights (11-0) - 3.9
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-0) - 4.8
6. Michigan Wolverines (10-2) - 6.2
7. LSU Tigers (9-3) - 6.9
8. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) - 8.1
9. Oklahoma Sooners (11-1) - 9.3
10. Missouri Tigers (8-4) - 11.2
11. Syracuse Orange (9-3) - 13.3
12. Kentucky Wildcats (9-3) - 13.8
13. Fresno State Bulldogs (10-2) - 13.9
14. Florida Gators (9-3) - 14.4
15. Washington State Cougars (10-2) - 14.9
16. Penn State Nittany Lions (9-3) - 15.9
17. Mississippi State Bulldogs (8-4) - 16.1
18. Texas A&M Aggies (8-4) - 18.1
19. Appalachian State Mountaineers (9-2) - 20.1
(tie) Washington Huskies (9-3) - 20.1
21. West Virginia Mountaineers (8-3) - 20.7
22. Cincinnati Bearcats (10-2) - 22.6
23. Army Black Knights (9-2) - 23.9
24. Utah Utes (9-3) - 24.0
(tie) Utah State Aggies (10-2) - 24.0
26. Boise State Broncos (10-2) - 24.7
27. Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4) - 25.4
28. Texas Longhorns (9-3) - 27.6
29. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-5) - 28.2
30. Iowa State Cyclones (7-4) - 32.7
31. Auburn Tigers (7-5) - 33.1
(tie) Purdue Boilermakers (6-6) - 33.1
33. Michigan State Spartans (7-5) - 34.3
34. NC State Wolfpack (8-3) - 34.7
35. Miami Hurricanes (7-5) - 35.2
36. Stanford Cardinal (7-4) - 36.0
37. Oregon Ducks (8-4) - 36.6
38. Buffalo Bulls (10-2) - 37.1
39. Georgia Southern Eagles (9-3) - 39.4
40. Vanderbilt Commodores (6-6) - 40.3
41. Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5) - 41.4
42. Ohio Bobcats (8-4) - 41.5
43. Northwestern Wildcats (8-4) - 42.1
44. Troy Trojans (9-3) - 43.8
45. Arizona State Sun Devils (7-5) - 44.8
46. Virginia Cavaliers (7-5) - 46.4
47. Memphis Tigers (8-4) - 47.3
48. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (8-4) - 47.7
49. Boston College Eagles (7-5) - 49.2
50. Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-6) - 50.2
51. Wisconsin Badgers (7-5) - 52.0
52. Duke Blue Devils (7-5) - 53.6
53. Arkansas State Red Wolves (8-4) - 55.5
54. Temple Owls (8-4) - 56.4
55. Maryland Terrapins (5-7) - 57.3
56. BYU Cougars (6-6) - 57.5
57. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7-5) - 57.6
58. Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-6) - 59.1
59. Marshall Thundering Herd (8-3) - 60.0
60. USC Trojans (5-7) - 60.9
61. North Texas Mean Green (9-3) - 62.1
62. California Golden Bears (7-4) - 62.6
(tie) Houston Cougars (8-4) - 62.6
64. Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-7) - 63.6
65. Baylor Bears (6-6) - 64.5
66. Tennessee Volunteers (5-7) - 65.3
67. TCU Horned Frogs (6-6) - 66.0
68. Eastern Michigan Eagles (7-5) - 67.1
(tie) Miami University RedHawks (6-6) - 67.1
70. UAB Blazers (9-3) - 67.7
71. Ole Miss Rebels (5-7) - 69.0
72. Toledo Rockets (7-5) - 71.7
73. Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-8) - 73.3
74. Kansas State Wildcats (5-7) - 73.6
75. Indiana Hoosiers (5-7) - 74.9
76. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (7-5) - 75.0
77. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6-6) - 75.6
78. Northern Illinois Huskies (7-5) - 75.7
79. FIU Golden Panthers (8-4) - 77.0
80. Arizona Wildcats (5-7) - 77.7
81. San Diego State Aztecs (7-5) - 80.9
82. Tulane Green Wave (6-6) - 83.5
83. Western Michigan Broncos (7-5) - 83.8
84. Florida State Seminoles (5-7) - 84.1
85. Florida Atlantic Owls (5-7) - 85.2
86. Air Force Falcons (5-7) - 85.3
87. Virginia Tech Hokies (5-6) - 85.7
88. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (6-5) - 87.3
89. Colorado Buffaloes (5-7) - 87.5
90. Nevada Wolf Pack (7-5) - 88.4
91. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (6-6) - 90.6
92. SMU Mustangs (5-7) - 92.7
(tie) Wyoming Cowboys (6-6) - 92.7
94. Hawaii Warriors (8-5) - 92.8
95. South Florida Bulls (7-5) - 93.2
96. UCLA Bruins (3-9) - 95.7
97. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (7-5) - 98.1
98. Charlotte 49ers (5-7) - 99.0
99. Illinois Fighting Illini (4-8) - 99.3
100. North Carolina Tar Heels (2-9) - 100.0
101. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (5-7) - 100.4
102. Navy Midshipmen (3-9) - 101.6
103. Liberty Flames (5-6) - 103.1
104. Kansas Jayhawks (3-9) - 104.6
105. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (3-9) - 105.8
106. Arkansas Razorbacks (2-10) - 106.2
107. Ball State Cardinals (4-8) - 106.9
108. UNLV Rebels (4-8) - 108.4
109. Akron Zips (4-7) - 109.5
110. New Mexico Lobos (3-9) - 110.3
111. Massachusetts Minutemen (4-8) - 111.7
112. Old Dominion Monarchs (4-8) - 111.8
113. ECU Pirates (3-8) - 112.1
(tie) South Alabama Jaguars (3-9) - 112.1
115. Georgia State Panthers (2-10) - 115.0
116. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-11) - 115.7
117. Bowling Green Falcons (3-9) - 117.8
118. UTSA Roadrunners (3-9) - 118.4
119. Oregon State Beavers (2-10) - 118.9
120. Texas State Bobcats (3-9) - 120.7
121. Kent State Golden Flashes (2-10) - 121.1
122. Louisville Cardinals (2-10) - 122.2
123. Colorado State Rams (3-9) - 122.7
124. New Mexico State Aggies (3-9) - 123.2
125. Central Michigan Chippewas (1-11) - 124.5
126. San Jose State Spartans (1-11) - 125.8
(tie) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (3-9) - 125.8
128. Rice Owls (2-11) - 127.3
129. Connecticut Huskies (1-11) - 128.5
130. UTEP Miners (1-11) - 129.8

Monday, November 19, 2018

2018 College Football Rankings - Week 12

Not much change at the top of this week's rankings. The top 8 teams are all the same from last week. There weren't many chances for upsets, with what at least seemed like most of the SEC taking the week off to play against FCS teams. Yes, UCF is still undefeated. No, they have not yet been able to crack the top four, even after beating #17 Cincinnati soundly. What is really interesting is that Michigan, Georgia and Notre Dame are all really close to each other this week in the #3, #4 and #5 spots. It will be interesting to see if undefeated Notre Dame is able to pass one of those teams to get into our final four.

Here is the complete list of rankings:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (11-0) - 1.0
2. Clemson Tigers (11-0) - 2.0
3. Michigan Wolverines (10-1) - 4.1
4. Georgia Bulldogs (10-1) - 4.2
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-0) - 4.4
6. UCF Knights (10-0) - 5.3
7. LSU Tigers (9-2) - 7.0
8. Oklahoma Sooners (10-1) - 8.4
9. Washington State Cougars (10-1) - 9.2
10. Missouri Tigers (7-4) - 11.8
11. Fresno State Bulldogs (9-2) - 14.0
12. Penn State Nittany Lions (8-3) - 14.5
(tie) West Virginia Mountaineers (8-2) - 14.5
14. Kentucky Wildcats (8-3) - 14.8
15. Ohio State Buckeyes (10-1) - 15.0
16. Florida Gators (8-3) - 16.2
(tie) Syracuse Orange (8-3) - 16.2
18. Utah State Aggies (10-1) - 17.0
19. Texas A&M Aggies (7-4) - 18.6
20. Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-4) - 19.1
21. Iowa Hawkeyes (7-4) - 22.5
22. Army Black Knights (9-2) - 22.8
(tie) Utah Utes (8-3) - 22.8
24. Washington Huskies (8-3) - 23.9
25. Appalachian State Mountaineers (8-2) - 24.5
26. Texas Longhorns (8-3) - 24.9
27. Cincinnati Bearcats (9-2) - 25.6
28. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-4) - 27.5
29. Boise State Broncos (9-2) - 29.5
30. Michigan State Spartans (6-5) - 30.3
31. Iowa State Cyclones (6-4) - 31.8
32. Auburn Tigers (7-4) - 32.5
33. NC State Wolfpack (7-3) - 33.2
34. Pittsburgh Panthers (7-4) - 33.5
35. Stanford Cardinal (6-4) - 37.1
36. Purdue Boilermakers (5-6) - 38.3
37. Virginia Cavaliers (7-4) - 39.1
38. Oregon Ducks (7-4) - 39.4
39. Northwestern Wildcats (7-4) - 39.6
40. Wisconsin Badgers (7-4) - 40.4
41. Duke Blue Devils (7-4) - 41.0
42. Troy Trojans (9-2) - 42.6
43. Miami Hurricanes (6-5) - 42.7
44. Georgia Southern Eagles (8-3) - 44.3
45. Boston College Eagles (7-4) - 45.3
46. Buffalo Bulls (9-2) - 45.9
(tie) Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-5) - 45.9
48. Arizona State Sun Devils (6-5) - 47.5
49. Ohio Bobcats (7-4) - 47.8
50. Houston Cougars (8-3) - 49.9
51. North Texas Mean Green (8-3) - 52.3
(tie) Vanderbilt Commodores (5-6) - 52.3
53. UAB Blazers (9-2) - 52.8
54. Maryland Terrapins (5-6) - 53.7
55. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7-4) - 54.2
56. Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-6) - 55.8
57. Tennessee Volunteers (5-6) - 57.6
58. BYU Cougars (6-5) - 57.9
59. Temple Owls (7-4) - 59.3
60. Ole Miss Rebels (5-6) - 59.6
61. USC Trojans (5-6) - 61.8
62. Arkansas State Red Wolves (7-4) - 63.7
63. Memphis Tigers (7-4) - 64.0
(tie) Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (7-4) - 64.0
65. Eastern Michigan Eagles (6-5) - 65.0
66. Marshall Thundering Herd (7-3) - 65.3
67. Indiana Hoosiers (5-6) - 67.1
68. Baylor Bears (5-6) - 69.5
69. Northern Illinois Huskies (7-4) - 69.7
70. California Golden Bears (6-4) - 70.2
71. TCU Horned Frogs (5-6) - 70.7
72. Kansas State Wildcats (5-6) - 71.4
73. Florida Atlantic Owls (5-6) - 74.0
74. Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-7) - 74.5
75. Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-6) - 74.6
76. Toledo Rockets (6-5) - 74.8
77. Arizona Wildcats (5-6) - 75.3
78. Miami University RedHawks (5-6) - 75.8
79. FIU Golden Panthers (8-3) - 76.9
80. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (7-4) - 77.7
81. Nevada Wolf Pack (7-4) - 80.6
82. San Diego State Aztecs (7-4) - 81.6
83. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (6-5) - 82.2
84. Colorado Buffaloes (5-6) - 83.6
85. Florida State Seminoles (5-6) - 83.7
86. Air Force Falcons (4-7) - 84.8
87. Tulane Green Wave (5-6) - 86.6
88. SMU Mustangs (5-6) - 87.4
89. Virginia Tech Hokies (4-6) - 89.4
90. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (5-5) - 89.6
91. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-6) - 90.2
92. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (6-5) - 91.4
93. Western Michigan Broncos (6-5) - 91.5
94. South Florida Bulls (7-4) - 91.7
95. UCLA Bruins (3-8) - 96.0
96. Hawaii Warriors (7-5) - 96.1
97. Wyoming Cowboys (5-6) - 97.1
98. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (5-6) - 97.9
99. Illinois Fighting Illini (4-7) - 99.4
100. North Carolina Tar Heels (2-8) - 100.4
101. Liberty Flames (4-6) - 101.6
102. Navy Midshipmen (3-8) - 101.8
103. Charlotte 49ers (4-7) - 103.0
104. Kansas Jayhawks (3-8) - 105.0
105. Arkansas Razorbacks (2-9) - 105.3
106. Old Dominion Monarchs (4-7) - 105.5
107. Akron Zips (4-6) - 107.7
108. Ball State Cardinals (4-7) - 107.9
109. New Mexico Lobos (3-8) - 108.2
110. ECU Pirates (3-7) - 110.9
(tie) Massachusetts Minutemen (4-8) - 110.9
112. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (2-9) - 111.0
113. Georgia State Panthers (2-9) - 113.4
114. UNLV Rebels (3-8) - 114.4
115. South Alabama Jaguars (2-9) - 115.5
116. Bowling Green Falcons (3-8) - 115.7
117. Oregon State Beavers (2-9) - 116.9
118. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-10) - 117.1
119. Texas State Bobcats (3-8) - 119.1
120. UTSA Roadrunners (3-8) - 119.9
121. Kent State Golden Flashes (2-9) - 121.7
122. Louisville Cardinals (2-9) - 122.7
123. Central Michigan Chippewas (1-10) - 122.8
124. New Mexico State Aggies (3-8) - 123.0
125. Colorado State Rams (3-8) - 123.2
126. San Jose State Spartans (1-10) - 125.3
127. Connecticut Huskies (1-10) - 127.1
128. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (2-9) - 128.2
129. UTEP Miners (1-10) - 128.7
130. Rice Owls (1-11) - 129.4

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

2018 College Football Rankings - Week 11

Alabama, Clemson, Michigan and Georgia are our Top Four again this weekend. That is no surprise. Nor is Notre Dame climbing back up into the #5 spot, passing undefeated UCF. This time of year, unless there are upsets, there aren't a whole lot of surprises in the rankings - and week eleven did not have many upsets, certainly not at the top of the rankings. Even USC's loss to #79 California wasn't that big of a surprise, as the Trojans are not very good this year, falling to #52 in this week's rankings with a 5-5 record. The biggest question at this point seems to be if Notre Dame will be able to catch up with #4 Georgia before the bowls are announced. Of course, if Georgia beats Alabama in the SEC title game, it seems likely that once again, two SEC teams would be in the College Football Playoff (based on the actual College Football Rankings) and our own rankings would also likely agree. But that's still a few weeks away.

Here are our complete rankings after 11 weeks:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-0) - 1.0
2. Clemson Tigers (10-0) - 2.3
3. Michigan Wolverines (9-1) - 2.9
4. Georgia Bulldogs (9-1) - 4.3
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-0) - 5.0
6. UCF Knights (9-0) - 5.5
7. LSU Tigers (8-2) - 7.2
8. Oklahoma Sooners (9-1) - 8.4
9. West Virginia Mountaineers (8-1) - 9.5
10. Ohio State Buckeyes (9-1) - 11.4
(tie) Syracuse Orange (8-2) - 11.4
12. Utah State Aggies (9-1) - 12.1
13. Washington State Cougars (9-1) - 12.5
14. Penn State Nittany Lions (7-3) - 14.6
15. Fresno State Bulldogs (8-2) - 15.3
16. Army Black Knights (8-2) - 17.6
17. Cincinnati Bearcats (9-1) - 18.5
18. Missouri Tigers (6-4) - 18.7
19. Kentucky Wildcats (7-3) - 19.0
20. Florida Gators (7-3) - 20.0
21. Iowa State Cyclones (6-3) - 22.1
22. Iowa Hawkeyes (6-4) - 22.7
23. Mississippi State Bulldogs (6-4) - 24.0
24. Michigan State Spartans (6-4) - 25.6
(tie) Washington Huskies (7-3) - 25.6
26. Utah Utes (7-3) - 25.8
27. Buffalo Bulls (9-1) - 25.9
28. Appalachian State Mountaineers (7-2) - 26.3
29. Texas Longhorns (7-3) - 28.9
30. Texas A&M Aggies (6-4) - 30.3
31. Boise State Broncos (8-2) - 30.4
32. NC State Wolfpack (6-3) - 31.4
33. South Carolina Gamecocks (5-4) - 32.3
34. Boston College Eagles (7-3) - 36.9
35. Purdue Boilermakers (5-5) - 37.1
36. UAB Blazers (9-1) - 37.8
37. Duke Blue Devils (7-3) - 38.1
38. Stanford Cardinal (6-4) - 38.8
39. Virginia Cavaliers (7-3) - 39.1
40. Pittsburgh Panthers (6-4) - 39.3
41. Troy Trojans (8-2) - 39.8
42. Auburn Tigers (6-4) - 40.1
43. Wisconsin Badgers (6-4) - 41.9
44. Northwestern Wildcats (6-4) - 43.8
45. Oregon Ducks (6-4) - 45.6
46. Arizona State Sun Devils (6-4) - 45.7
47. Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-5) - 46.3
48. North Texas Mean Green (7-3) - 48.7
49. Tennessee Volunteers (5-5) - 49.9
50. Miami Hurricanes (5-5) - 50.1
51. Georgia Southern Eagles (7-3) - 50.3
52. USC Trojans (5-5) - 52.5
53. Vanderbilt Commodores (4-6) - 53.8
54. Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-5) - 55.3
55. Houston Cougars (7-3) - 56.4
56. Maryland Terrapins (5-5) - 57.0
57. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-4) - 58.3
58. Ole Miss Rebels (5-5) - 59.4
(tie) Temple Owls (6-4) - 59.4
60. BYU Cougars (5-5) - 59.7
61. Eastern Michigan Eagles (6-5) - 60.5
62. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (7-3) - 61.6
63. Baylor Bears (5-5) - 62.7
64. Ohio Bobcats (6-4) - 65.2
65. Northern Illinois Huskies (7-3) - 66.7
66. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (7-3) - 66.9
67. Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-5) - 67.7
68. Indiana Hoosiers (5-5) - 68.2
69. Marshall Thundering Herd (6-3) - 69.4
70. California Golden Bears (6-4) - 70.6
71. Arizona Wildcats (5-5) - 71.2
72. Arkansas State Red Wolves (6-4) - 73.1
(tie) Florida Atlantic Owls (5-5) - 73.1
74. Memphis Tigers (6-4) - 73.3
75. TCU Horned Frogs (4-6) - 74.8
76. Air Force Falcons (4-6) - 75.2
77. Tulane Green Wave (5-5) - 75.4
78. Colorado Buffaloes (5-5) - 76.8
79. Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-7) - 77.0
80. FIU Golden Panthers (7-3) - 78.4
81. SMU Mustangs (5-5) - 80.5
82. San Diego State Aztecs (7-3) - 81.8
83. Toledo Rockets (5-5) - 81.9
84. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (5-5) - 82.2
85. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-5) - 83.2
86. Nevada Wolf Pack (6-4) - 84.6
87. Kansas State Wildcats (4-6) - 85.9
88. Miami University RedHawks (4-6) - 86.2
89. Virginia Tech Hokies (4-5) - 88.0
90. Western Michigan Broncos (6-4) - 88.7
91. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (6-4) - 90.0
92. South Florida Bulls (7-3) - 90.5
93. Florida State Seminoles (4-6) - 91.7
94. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (4-5) - 93.0
95. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (5-5) - 94.6
96. Hawaii Warriors (6-5) - 96.9
97. Liberty Flames (4-5) - 98.1
(tie) UCLA Bruins (2-8) - 98.1
99. Illinois Fighting Illini (4-6) - 98.4
100. Wyoming Cowboys (4-6) - 101.0
101. Akron Zips (4-5) - 101.3
102. North Carolina Tar Heels (1-8) - 102.7
103. Charlotte 49ers (4-6) - 103.4
104. Navy Midshipmen (2-8) - 104.1
105. Arkansas Razorbacks (2-8) - 104.8
106. Kansas Jayhawks (3-7) - 106.1
107. Old Dominion Monarchs (3-7) - 106.7
108. New Mexico Lobos (3-7) - 106.8
109. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (2-8) - 109.5
110. Massachusetts Minutemen (4-7) - 109.6
111. Georgia State Panthers (2-8) - 112.5
112. UNLV Rebels (3-7) - 112.8
113. ECU Pirates (2-7) - 113.0
114. Ball State Cardinals (3-7) - 113.4
115. Oregon State Beavers (2-8) - 114.4
116. South Alabama Jaguars (2-8) - 116.6
117. UTSA Roadrunners (3-7) - 116.7
118. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-9) - 117.7
119. Kent State Golden Flashes (2-8) - 119.5
120. Texas State Bobcats (3-7) - 120.3
121. New Mexico State Aggies (3-7) - 120.4
122. Louisville Cardinals (2-8) - 121.0
123. Bowling Green Falcons (2-8) - 122.5
124. Central Michigan Chippewas (1-10) - 123.8
125. Colorado State Rams (3-7) - 124.2
126. Connecticut Huskies (1-9) - 126.1
(tie) San Jose State Spartans (1-9) - 126.1
128. UTEP Miners (1-9) - 127.6
129. Rice Owls (1-10) - 129.1
130. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (1-9) - 129.6

Sunday, November 4, 2018

2018 College Football Rankings - Week 10

This week, #3 LSU's inability to score any points against #1 Alabama, combined with #5 Michigan's convincing win over #15 Penn State 42-7, meant that the Tigers dropped to #7 in the rankings, and Michigan skipped over #4 Georgia to take LSU's spot in the Top Four. Of course, undefeated (and unchallenged) Alabama continues to be ranked #1.

Surprisingly, undefeated UCF also has squeaked past undefeated Notre Dame into the #5 spot as the Fighting Irish have not won convincingly enough against teams like #47 Northwestern (this week), #114 Ball State, #54 Vanderbilt and #58 Pittsburgh. While the Knights have not faced any opponents that are even in the same class as Northwestern, they have won almost all of their games in blowouts. Interestingly enough, both teams faced schools with 5-3 records this week. Notre Dame beat Northwestern by 10 points, while UCF beat #68 Temple by 12 points. We doubt that these games were enough to put UCF ahead of Notre Dame in the rankings, so it is likely that the difference can be found in this week's performance of teams each had previously played resulting in a strengthening of UCF's strength of schedule and (likely the most important factor) a weakening of Notre Dame's.

UCF's chances of actually getting into the Top Four either in our rankings or (more importantly for them) in the CFP rankings have taken blows recently, though, as both teams that looked to be their toughest competition of the season, Cincinnati and South Florida, which they are going to face in the final two weeks of the regular season, have lost (South Florida twice). Cincinnati currently sits at #25 in our rankings, but South Florida has dropped all the way to #82, which will not help UCF at all if they want an opportunity to climb.

The PAC 12 continues to cannibalize itself. The Power 5 conference only has one team remaining in our Top 25 - Washington State, which sits at #13. Comparatively, the SEC has 7 teams in the Top 25, the Big Ten has 6, the ACC has 3, the Big 12 has 2, and even the AAC and MWC, which are Group of 5 Conferences, each have 2. (There are also two independents.)

Here are our rankings after ten weeks:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (9-0) - 1.0
2. Clemson Tigers (9-0) - 2.6
3. Michigan Wolverines (8-1) - 2.7
4. Georgia Bulldogs (8-1) - 4.2
5. UCF Knights (8-0) - 5.3
6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-0) - 5.9
7. LSU Tigers (7-2) - 6.6
8. Oklahoma Sooners (8-1) - 8.6
9. Fresno State Bulldogs (8-1) - 10.0
10. Kentucky Wildcats (7-2) - 10.4
11. West Virginia Mountaineers (7-1) - 10.9
12. Syracuse Orange (7-2) - 12.5
13. Washington State Cougars (8-1) - 13.8
14. Utah State Aggies (8-1) - 14.2
15. Missouri Tigers (5-4) - 17.2
16. Ohio State Buckeyes (8-1) - 17.8
17. Iowa Hawkeyes (6-3) - 18.2
18. Michigan State Spartans (6-3) - 18.6
19. Mississippi State Bulldogs (6-3) - 19.8
20. NC State Wolfpack (6-2) - 20.5
21. Penn State Nittany Lions (6-3) - 22.0
22. Army Black Knights (7-2) - 22.3
23. Purdue Boilermakers (5-4) - 22.9
24. Florida Gators (6-3) - 23.3
25. Cincinnati Bearcats (8-1) - 24.3
26. North Texas Mean Green (7-2) - 26.7
27. Iowa State Cyclones (5-3) - 28.1
28. Boston College Eagles (7-2) - 28.8
29. Washington Huskies (7-3) - 29.2
30. UAB Blazers (8-1) - 29.6
31. South Carolina Gamecocks (5-3) - 30.4
32. Utah Utes (6-3) - 30.9
33. Buffalo Bulls (8-1) - 31.7
34. Texas Longhorns (6-3) - 32.8
35. Appalachian State Mountaineers (6-2) - 34.2
36. Texas A&M Aggies (5-4) - 34.9
37. Wisconsin Badgers (6-3) - 37.2
38. Duke Blue Devils (6-3) - 38.3
39. Auburn Tigers (6-3) - 39.9
40. Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-4) - 40.9
41. Arizona State Sun Devils (5-4) - 42.3
42. Stanford Cardinal (5-4) - 43.2
43. Georgia Southern Eagles (7-2) - 44.0
44. Houston Cougars (7-2) - 44.4
45. Miami Hurricanes (5-4) - 44.8
46. Boise State Broncos (7-2) - 45.1
47. Oregon Ducks (6-3) - 45.9
48. Virginia Cavaliers (6-3) - 46.5
49. Northwestern Wildcats (5-4) - 46.7
50. Pittsburgh Panthers (5-4) - 49.7
51. USC Trojans (5-4) - 49.9
52. Ole Miss Rebels (5-4) - 52.8
53. Troy Trojans (7-2) - 52.9
54. Vanderbilt Commodores (4-5) - 54.4
55. Maryland Terrapins (5-4) - 55.2
56. Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-4) - 56.8
57. Baylor Bears (5-4) - 57.1
58. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (6-3) - 58.7
59. Ohio Bobcats (6-3) - 60.2
60. Eastern Michigan Eagles (5-5) - 61.5
61. Toledo Rockets (5-4) - 63.0
62. San Diego State Aztecs (7-2) - 63.1
63. BYU Cougars (4-5) - 63.9
64. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-4) - 64.0
65. Colorado Buffaloes (5-4) - 64.5
66. TCU Horned Frogs (4-5) - 66.2
67. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (6-3) - 67.2
68. Arizona Wildcats (5-5) - 68.5
69. Temple Owls (5-4) - 69.3
70. Tennessee Volunteers (4-5) - 71.0
71. Tulane Green Wave (4-5) - 71.2
72. Virginia Tech Hokies (4-4) - 73.5
73. SMU Mustangs (4-5) - 74.3
74. Indiana Hoosiers (4-5) - 75.5
75. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (4-5) - 77.4
(tie) Memphis Tigers (5-4) - 77.4
77. Marshall Thundering Herd (5-3) - 77.5
78. Northern Illinois Huskies (6-3) - 77.6
79. California Golden Bears (5-4) - 78.0
80. Florida Atlantic Owls (4-5) - 79.0
81. Kansas State Wildcats (3-6) - 79.1
82. South Florida Bulls (7-2) - 82.3
83. FIU Golden Panthers (6-3) - 82.6
84. Air Force Falcons (3-6) - 83.8
85. Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-5) - 84.5
86. Western Michigan Broncos (6-4) - 84.7
87. Nevada Wolf Pack (5-4) - 85.4
88. Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-7) - 85.7
89. Arkansas State Red Wolves (5-4) - 85.9
90. Florida State Seminoles (4-5) - 86.2
91. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (5-4) - 87.7
92. Miami University RedHawks (3-6) - 91.0
93. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (5-4) - 91.7
94. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-5) - 93.8
95. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (4-4) - 94.0
96. Illinois Fighting Illini (4-5) - 95.6
97. Liberty Flames (4-4) - 96.6
98. Hawaii Warriors (6-5) - 98.8
99. Akron Zips (4-4) - 99.2
100. UCLA Bruins (2-7) - 100.4
101. Wyoming Cowboys (4-6) - 101.1
102. Charlotte 49ers (4-5) - 102.0
103. New Mexico Lobos (3-6) - 103.1
104. Arkansas Razorbacks (2-7) - 104.3
105. Kansas Jayhawks (3-6) - 105.4
106. North Carolina Tar Heels (1-7) - 106.6
107. Navy Midshipmen (2-7) - 106.8
108. Massachusetts Minutemen (4-6) - 107.6
109. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (2-7) - 107.7
110. South Alabama Jaguars (2-7) - 111.4
111. Georgia State Panthers (2-7) - 112.0
(tie) Oregon State Beavers (2-7) - 112.0
113. Old Dominion Monarchs (2-7) - 113.1
114. UTSA Roadrunners (3-6) - 113.6
115. Ball State Cardinals (3-7) - 113.9
116. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-8) - 116.4
117. ECU Pirates (2-6) - 117.1
118. Texas State Bobcats (3-6) - 118.4
119. Kent State Golden Flashes (2-7) - 119.3
120. Central Michigan Chippewas (1-9) - 119.9
121. Louisville Cardinals (2-7) - 120.5
122. New Mexico State Aggies (3-7) - 121.3
123. UNLV Rebels (2-7) - 122.2
124. Colorado State Rams (3-6) - 123.7
125. Connecticut Huskies (1-8) - 125.4
126. Bowling Green Falcons (1-8) - 125.6
127. San Jose State Spartans (1-8) - 125.8
128. UTEP Miners (1-8) - 127.5
129. Rice Owls (1-9) - 129.2
130. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (1-8) - 129.6