Ballot Type: Hybrid
Submitted: Nov. 12, 2018, 10:12 p.m.
Overall Rationale: I use two SOS models, one score-based and one result-based, to rank teams, weighting all FBS teams evenly to start the season. I then average these two models and give a ten-position human tolerance. Teams must be in the top 55 of both models and top 35 of the average to qualify. (Computer rank in parentheses.) First N Out - Utah State (35), Fresno State (26), Stanford (25) Notable Absences - Syracuse (38), Boston College (45), Mississippi State (37), UAB (44)
Rank | Team | Reason |
---|---|---|
1 | Alabama Crimson Tide | That's back-to-back shutouts for the Crimson Tide, who've barely missed a beat all year. (1) |
2 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | Notre Dame continues to look good and is inching closer to a perfect season. (4) |
3 | Michigan Wolverines | Michigan dismantled Rutgers and has a clear path to the playoff. (2) |
4 | Clemson Tigers | Undefeated Clemson still sits behind one-loss Michigan, but defeating Boston College helps. (6) |
5 | Georgia Bulldogs | Georgia's already locked up a spot in Atlanta, but they have their eyes on a bigger prize. (5) |
6 | LSU Tigers | Effectively out of the playoff race, LSU still looks like a good team. (10) |
7 | Ohio State Buckeyes | Ohio State took care of Michigan State and is hoping everyone will eventually forget their loss to Purdue. (5) |
8 | Oklahoma Sooners | Winning a high-scoring toss-up game against a not-great opponent isn't the best image, but it is Bedlam. (7) |
9 | West Virginia Mountaineers | The Mountaineers are finally getting some respect in my model, so they see a nice boost here. (18) |
10 | Michigan State Spartans | Michigan State may have lost to Ohio State, but they've still had a solid season to date. (12) |
11 | Washington State Cougars | Similar to West Virginia, my computer models have warmed on Washington State enough for them to (almost) crack the top 10. (21) |
12 | Penn State Nittany Lions | Penn State has three losses, but they're all to top 10 teams. (8) |
13 | Northwestern Wildcats | Locking up the B1G West is no small feat, even if they did go winless out of conference. (11) |
14 | Texas Longhorns | Texas was in another close game, though they liked the result of this one better than the last. (15) |
15 | Washington Huskies | Washington was off this week, but they remain in my top 15. (17) |
16 | Kentucky Wildcats | A loss to the Volunteers was not what Kentucky was hoping for, but this is still a respectable team. (14) |
17 | Utah Utes | A one-score win over Oregon may not be the grandest of victories, but it's certainly something. (19) |
18 | Florida Gators | A shout-out with South Carolina may not have been what the doctor ordered for this Florida team, but they did manage to pull off a win. (16) |
19 | Iowa Hawkeyes | My models remain very high on Iowa, so they find themselves here. (9) |
20 | Texas A&M Aggies | Texas A&M has had their ups and downs, but that's still good enough for a top 20 ranking. (22) |
21 | Cincinnati Bearcats | The Bearcats took care of business and are still in the AAC hunt. (23) |
22 | UCF Knights | UCF cracked the top 55 in both of my models, so they find themselves here. (32) |
23 | Purdue Boilermakers | My models, specifically the score-based one, are still very high on Purdue, hence their ranking here. (13) |
24 | Iowa State Cyclones | Iowa State remains in my top 25 after another win. (30) |
25 | Boise State Broncos | With a win over Fresno State, Boise State improves their standing enough to enter the top 25. (24) |
Teams Ranked:
Rank | Team | Unusualness |
---|---|---|
1 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 0.00 |
2 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 0.31 |
3 | Michigan Wolverines | 0.48 |
4 | Clemson Tigers | -1.07 |
5 | Georgia Bulldogs | 0.00 |
6 | LSU Tigers | 1.18 |
7 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 0.57 |
8 | Oklahoma Sooners | -0.22 |
9 | West Virginia Mountaineers | 0.00 |
10 | Michigan State Spartans | 14.72 |
11 | Washington State Cougars | -0.38 |
12 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 0.54 |
13 | Northwestern Wildcats | 3.46 |
14 | Texas Longhorns | 0.00 |
15 | Washington Huskies | 0.18 |
16 | Kentucky Wildcats | 0.87 |
17 | Utah Utes | 0.29 |
18 | Florida Gators | 0.00 |
19 | Iowa Hawkeyes | 5.98 |
20 | Texas A&M Aggies | 4.84 |
21 | Cincinnati Bearcats | 0.00 |
22 | UCF Knights | -3.12 |
23 | Purdue Boilermakers | 2.23 |
24 | Iowa State Cyclones | -0.53 |
25 | Boise State Broncos | -0.03 |
Omissions:
Team | Unusualness |
---|---|
Syracuse Orange | 2.66 |
Utah State Aggies | 2.20 |
Boston College Eagles | 0.35 |
UAB Blazers | 0.03 |
Army West Point | 0.08 |
Total Score: 46.32