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TheJeemTeam Ballot for 2019 Week 11

Ballot Type: Hybrid

Submitted: Nov. 4, 2019, 8:36 p.m.

Overall Rationale: My poll is a hybrid. I take the results of a computer poll of my own creation and split the teams into tiers based on where it makes sense to break the values. I then look at just the teams within the tiers and re-rank within them based on my observations and feelings of the teams.Computer poll has a preseason component and a performance-based component. I phase the preseason component out as the season goes along. For this week, the preseason component is down to 5% of the overall calculation.

Rank Team Reason
1 Ohio State Buckeyes 1/1 in Tier A: Best team according to my computer by a very large margin and they were even when everyone was ranking LSU #1.
2 Clemson Tigers 1/4 in Tier B: Very difficult tier to rank with 4 undefeated Power 5 teams that have all been dominant against their opposition. Clemson gets the top nod in this tier for the following reasons:They do get a bit of a bump as they've played 9 games while every other team in the tier has played 8.Despite the relatively weak SOS compared to the others, they have generally blown out all their opponents (UNC being the notable exception).They are the only team in this tier with a truly dominant Offense AND Defense. Bama and LSU have dominant Offenses, but only PSU has a Defense of Clemson's caliber.
3 Penn State Nittany Lions 2/4 in Tier B: Gave them the edge over Bama and LSU for playing a more difficult schedule to date and they may have the best Defense in the country.
4 Alabama Crimson Tide 3/4 in Tier B: Ahead of LSU for now due to having a better Defense.
5 LSU Tigers 4/4 in Tier B: Behind Bama for now, but luckily this game will be decided on the field this weekend.
6 Oregon Ducks 1/3 in Tier C: The Ducks get a bump for having played more games than either of the other teams in this tier, but hey have also played the more difficult schedule and have a loss to a higher quality opponent (Auburn).
7 Oklahoma Sooners 2/3 in Tier C: They get the edge over UGA for having a loss to a better quality team (Kansas State compared with South Carolina) and having a slightly better average Margin of Victory (26.3 vs. 23.1).
8 Georgia Bulldogs 3/3 in Tier C: Loss to South Carolina really hurts them, but they're still a Top 10 caliber team.
9 Utah Utes 1/2 in Tier D: Was pretty easy to put them ahead of the Badgers as they have only 1 loss in 9 games compared with 2 losses in 8 games. Helps that their 1 loss is decent (USC)
10 Wisconsin Badgers 2/2 in Tier  D: Despite one loss being to Ohio State, the other to Illinois really hurts them and puts them behind the Utes.
11 Baylor Bears 1/2 in Tier E: Undefeated Power 5 team against a decent schedule. Couldn't put a 2 loss team ahead of them no matter who the losses were to.
12 Auburn Tigers 2/2 in Tier E: Losses are high quality, but can't put them ahead of undefeated Baylor.
13 Michigan Wolverines 1/4 in Tier F: 2 losses, but they have played a much more difficult schedule than the rest of this tier. Both losses are also to teams ranked in the Top 10.
14 UCF Knights 2/4 in Tier F: They are in this tier in the first place due to having a Top 10 quality Pts/Game edge and Yards/Play edge, despite the two losses. Give them the nod over Memphis due to both losses coming to higher caliber teams (Pitt and Cincinnati) than Memphis (Temple) and having a significantly higher average Margin of Victory.
15 Memphis Tigers 3/4 in Tier F: Loss to Temple is a killer. Still ahead of Minnesota.
16 Minnesota Golden Gophers 4/4 in Tier F: By far the worst undefeated Power 5 team. Can't put them ahead of any team in this tier due to extremely weak relative Strength of Schedule.
17 Florida Gators 1/4 in Tier G: Outscoring opponents by about a TD more than Cincinnati while having a similar Strength of Schedule. This puts them ahead of the Bearcats despite having 2 losses to Cincinnati's 1.
18 Cincinnati Bearcats 2/4 in Tier G: Only loss is to Ohio St., but behind Florida for above mentioned reasons. 
19 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 3/4 in Tier G: 1 more loss than Navy, but both are to better quality teams (Georgia/Michigan) than Navy's loss (Memphis). Have also played an overall more difficult schedule.
20 Navy Midshipmen 4/4 in Tier G: Have a chance to prove that they belong ahead of Notre Dame on 11/16.
21 Iowa Hawkeyes 1/2 in Tier H: Both losses (Michigan/PSU) than SMU (Memphis) and they are outscoring teams by a higher margin (14.3 compared with 12.9) and have played a more difficult schedule.
22 SMU Mustangs 2/2 in Tier H: See Iowa above.
23 Wake Forest Demon Deacons 1/7 in Tier I: Only 1 loss and it's to the highest quality team of the other 1-loss teams in this tier (Louisville)
24 Boise State Broncos 2/7 in Tier I: Only 1 loss and it's to a decent team (BYU)
25 Appalachian State Mountaineers 3/7 in Tier I: Despite loss to Georgia Southern, most other teams in tier have 3 losses (Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M). Couldn't put them ahead of App. St. Only other team in tier I considered for this spot was Indiana who have 2 losses in Big 10 play.

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