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