Rank |
Team |
Points
|
1. |
Alabama |
2106
|
2. |
Florida
State |
1960
|
3. |
California |
1918
|
4. |
Colorado |
1881
|
5. |
Arizona |
1856
|
6. |
Notre
Dame |
1838
|
7. |
Georgia
Tech |
1833
|
8. |
UCLA |
1823
|
9. |
Southern
Cal |
1807
|
10. |
Tennessee |
1795
|
11. |
Florida |
1783
|
12. |
Texas
Tech |
1774
|
13. |
Iowa |
1768
|
14. |
Purdue |
1750
|
15. |
Washington
State |
1743
|
16. |
Iowa
State |
1738
|
17. |
North
Carolina |
1734
|
18. |
Michigan
State |
1707
|
19. |
Stanford |
1703
|
20. |
Texas
A&M |
1687
|
21. |
Syracuse |
1671
|
22. |
Miami
FL |
1670
|
23. |
West
Virginia |
1664
|
24. |
Oklahoma |
1652
|
25. |
Auburn |
1651
|
26. |
Ohio
State |
1650
|
27. |
South
Carolina |
1646
|
28. |
Wake
Forest |
1643
|
29. |
Arkansas |
1638
|
30. |
Indiana |
1633
|
31. |
Northwestern |
1629
|
32. |
Georgia |
1626
|
33. |
Mississippi
State |
1624
|
34. |
Nebraska |
1613
|
35. |
Boston
College |
1605
|
36. |
Texas |
1603
|
37. |
Temple |
1577
|
38. |
Baylor |
1556
|
39. |
Vanderbilt |
1546
|
40. |
Oregon |
1544
|
41. |
Virginia |
1537
|
42. |
Clemson |
1535
|
43. |
Duke |
1535
|
44. |
NC
State |
1513
|
45. |
Washington |
1505
|
46. |
Penn
State |
1503
|
47. |
Wisconsin |
1499
|
48. |
Louisiana
State |
1491
|
49. |
Pittsburgh |
1491
|
50. |
Michigan |
1489
|
51. |
Missouri |
1439
|
52. |
Oregon
State |
1439
|
53. |
Illinois |
1428
|
54. |
Arizona
State |
1411
|
55. |
Kentucky |
1388
|
56. |
Mississippi |
1376
|
57. |
Virginia
Tech |
1369
|
58. |
Brigham
Young |
1352
|
59. |
Oklahoma
State |
1321
|
60. |
Rutgers |
1298
|
61. |
Maryland |
1280
|
62. |
Fresno
State |
1274
|
63. |
Kansas |
1226
|
64. |
Kansas
State |
1142
|
65. |
East
Carolina |
1119
|
66. |
Minnesota |
1086
|
67. |
Louisiana
Tech |
1077
|
68. |
UNLV |
1025
|
69. |
San
Diego State |
1011
|
70. |
Southern
Miss |
989
|
71. |
Utah |
989
|
72. |
UAB |
949
|
73. |
Troy
State |
945
|
74. |
Army |
919
|
75. |
Colorado
State |
919
|
76. |
Ball
State |
915
|
77. |
Houston |
895
|
78. |
UTEP |
892
|
79. |
Wyoming |
892
|
80. |
New
Mexico |
874
|
81. |
Hawaii |
869
|
82. |
Nevada |
861
|
83. |
Miami
OH |
850
|
84. |
Kent
State |
846
|
85. |
Tulane |
845
|
86. |
Cincinnati |
825
|
87. |
SMU |
798
|
88. |
Bowling
Green |
794
|
89. |
New
Mexico State |
793
|
90. |
Memphis |
792
|
91. |
Western
Michigan |
786
|
92. |
San
Jose State |
782
|
93. |
Ohio |
776
|
94. |
Buffalo |
774
|
95. |
Marshall |
766
|
96. |
Connecticut |
764
|
97. |
Northern
Illinois |
735
|
98. |
North
Texas |
726
|
99. |
UL-Monroe |
722
|
100. |
UCF |
721
|
101. |
Toledo |
714
|
102. |
Tulsa |
703
|
103. |
Rice |
700
|
104. |
Louisville |
693
|
105. |
Utah
State |
680
|
106. |
Central
Michigan |
675
|
107. |
UL-Lafayette |
660
|
108. |
TCU |
642
|
109. |
Boise
State |
632
|
110. |
Middle
Tennessee |
632
|
111. |
Eastern
Michigan |
605
|
112. |
Air
Force |
573
|
113. |
Idaho |
569
|
114. |
Navy |
503
|
115. |
Akron |
454
|
116. |
Arkansas
State |
415
|
N/A |
South
Florida |
(incomplete)
|
|
TOUGHEST
SCHEDULE IN THE NATION!
Alabama takes the 2003 crown with a brutal slate consisting
of three legitimate Top 10 teams - Georgia, Auburn and
Oklahoma. Other SEC Top 25 competition - Tennessee and
LSU - gives the Tide a full slate. The non-conference
games all contain possible conference champion candidates
with Northern Illinois (MAC), Southern Miss (Conf USA)
and Hawaii (WAC). Good luck Coach Shula, you are going
to need it more ways than one.
|
HOW
THE SYSTEM WORKS
The
formula used to obtain these results is based on a simple
sliding-scale that translates into a ranking point system.
Bonus points for playing games at home, as well as on
the road, are also utilized based on stadium winning percentages.
After months of tinkering with the formula, one of the
philosophies being emphasized in the system includes higher
rewards for playing a Top 5 team as opposed to playing
two teams ranked 25th in consecutive weeks. Accordingly,
a sliding scale is implemented.
At
the same time, differentiating between many of the lower
ranked teams is like splitting hairs, with way too much
inaccuracy. There is no way to predict such scenarios,
so the margin(s) between each of those schools is minimum.
Rankings here become categorized as a group, instead
of incrementally breaking each down as an exact science.
Teams
are penalized heavily for playing I-AA competition.
However, the ground can be made up with more consistency
from remaining opponents on the list. In other words,
playing a single I-AA opponent should not destroy the
entire ranking when other competition exists on the
list, such is the case for the Gators vs. Florida A&M.
The simplest test rests in the human eye itself - as
we went over our sequential calculations, many of the
first SOS results just did not add up, so adjustments
were made to the formula. Yes, opinions matter. But
the numbers are still based on an equation.
|
COLLEGE
FOOTBALL PARITY CONTINUES TO GROW
We are beginning to see more and more parity between teams
and conferences as the years move on. Out of the Top 14
teams on our SOS list, the conference breakdowns are as
follows:
Pac
Ten - 4 teams
SEC - 3 teams
ACC - 2 teams
Big XII - 2 teams
Big Ten - 2 teams
Independents - 1 team
|
MOST
DIFFICULT NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Florida State brings to the table the toughest non-conference
list by a landslide with games against Colorado, Miami,
Notre Dame and Florida. Not exactly the type of schedule
the Noles are looking for if they desire to locate those
by-gone dynasty days.
|
PAC
TEN RULES
The Pac Ten takes a major step up with a complete turnaround
from what was being said just four seasons ago regarding
the level of play in the conference. Reasons for such
high SOS rankings exist due to the nature of parity from
top to bottom, and the void of any extremely low ranking
teams.
Not
only that, but many of these schools continue to maintain
a high level of competitive non-conference games. Accordingly,
all three California schools (USC, Cal, UCLA) crack
the Top 10. A non-conference list with heavyweights
such as Auburn, Notre Dame, Kansas State, Colorado and
Oklahoma keep many of these teams at the front.
|
SEC
WEST RESURGANCE
Power in the SEC has appeared to shift somewhat from
the East to the West. Not so much with a scenario where
the powerhouses in the East have diminished, but the
overall improvement with most West teams has forced
more of a competitive balance. The grindstone of parity
is evident with the resurgence of Auburn, LSU, Arkansas
and Alabama. The difficulty of playing Eli Manning Univ.
or a trip to Starkville doesn't appear to dim the upset
possibilities from top to bottom.
|
BETTY
CROCKER CUPCAKE AWARDS
These teams win the award for weakest schedule
a
steady diet of cupcakes.
1. (TIE) - Kansas State & Maryland
2. Virginia Tech
3. Louisville
There
is an apparent pattern with this group, which has been
noted over the last decade (or so) with these teams
and their desire(s) to maintain such cupcake schedules.
Call the man in charge either a genius or a coward,
possibly both. Won/loss records generally translate
into high rankings, and the first three of this group
ride such easily-attained records for all they're worth.
Smart man's money says Kansas State, Maryland and Virginia
Tech will reap the benefits of such a structure. Count
them
four I-AA teams get divided up as folly. Louisville
doesn't appear to necessarily fit under this umbrella,
but given the dominance and track record as of late,
most feel Louisville (104th toughest schedule) could
have landed a date with at least one Top 25 opponent.
Well, you can't blame the front office for trying, with
teams such as Syracuse and Kentucky on the schedule
while at the same time avoiding lower division targets.
|
|
|