Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Oct. 15, 2023, noon

Overall Rationale: "Once is a mistake, twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern." Like most human rankings, this is a blend of both a power ranking (reasoning whether higher ranked teams would beat lower ranked teams a majority of the time on a neutral field) and resume ranking (reasoning whether higher ranked teams have proven themselves against competition). The most recent head-to-head results are important, but lose influence the further removed they are from the present. Results against common competition are a useful gauge, but are often not reliable tools to gauge the gap between teams. I don't put much importance in the specific ranking of a team, so teams of similar strengths can be bit "liquid" and move around the poll a bit. Admittedly, I am quite busy, so I don't watch many individual games. I am a Texas Longhorns fan, which could influence my perception. I think analytics like ESPN's FPI efficiencies and strength of record can be useful aids to identify fringe teams whose records don't jump of the page, but have demonstrated success and deserve a shout in a top 25 poll. [Teams in the ranking suburbs (no particular order): Tulane, James Madison, Miami (FL), Wyoming, Liberty] (Teams in the ranking exurbs (no particular order): Washington State, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Kansas, Maryland, Texas A&M, Fresno State, Kansas State, Memphis, Toledo, Miami (OH), Ohio, Florida)

• Ballot
• Analysis

Rank	Team	Reason
1	Michigan Wolverines	(7-0)
2	Washington Huskies	(6-0)
3	Georgia Bulldogs	(7-0)
4	Oklahoma Sooners	(6-0)
5	Ohio State Buckeyes	(6-0)
6	Penn State Nittany Lions	(5-0)
7	Florida State Seminoles	(6-0)
8	Oregon Ducks	(5-1) They played an effective tie at Washington, so I think they belong squarely in the top 10.
9	Texas Longhorns	(5-1)
10	Alabama Crimson Tide	(6-1)
11	North Carolina Tar Heels	(6-0)
12	Duke Blue Devils	(5-1)
13	Ole Miss Rebels	(5-1)
14	Oregon State Beavers	(6-1)
15	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	(6-2)
16	Utah Utes	(5-1)
17	LSU Tigers	(5-2)
18	USC Trojans	(6-1)
19	Iowa Hawkeyes	(6-1)
20	Tennessee Volunteers	(5-1)
21	Clemson Tigers	(4-2)
22	Louisville Cardinals	(4-1)
23	UCLA Bruins	(4-1)
24	Air Force Falcons	(5-0)
25	Missouri Tigers	(6-1)

Teams Ranked:

Rank	Team	Unusualness
1	Michigan Wolverines	0.16
2	Washington Huskies	0.00
3	Georgia Bulldogs	0.00
4	Oklahoma Sooners	0.00
5	Ohio State Buckeyes	0.00
6	Penn State Nittany Lions	0.00
7	Florida State Seminoles	-0.23
8	Oregon Ducks	0.00
9	Texas Longhorns	0.00
10	Alabama Crimson Tide	0.00
11	North Carolina Tar Heels	-0.05
12	Duke Blue Devils	0.76
13	Ole Miss Rebels	0.00
14	Oregon State Beavers	0.00
15	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	0.00
16	Utah Utes	0.00
17	LSU Tigers	0.20
18	USC Trojans	0.00
19	Iowa Hawkeyes	0.06
20	Tennessee Volunteers	0.00
21	Clemson Tigers	3.61
22	Louisville Cardinals	0.00
23	UCLA Bruins	0.34
24	Air Force Falcons	-0.30
25	Missouri Tigers	-0.83

Omissions:

Team	Unusualness
James Madison Dukes	0.11
Tulane Green Wave	0.29

Total Score: 6.93