Ballot Type: Computer
Submitted: Sept. 30, 2024, 12:14 a.m.
Overall Rationale: Same old, same old. Computer determined ranking of teams using a swap and SCF approximation algorithm that is absolutely screwed up by Vegas. Still, it does something roughly right. Side note: I try to submit before the AP/Coaches but the Battle for the Victory Bell was more important. Football comes first!
Rank | Team | Reason |
---|---|---|
1 | BYU Cougars | The number one team again! Just has looked unexpectedly solid against their opposition and despite some near choking, handled Baylor as expected. Up next Arizona (#48), coming hot off another team in Utah's upset. |
2 | UNLV Rebels | Again the AP poll agrees! UNLV has had solid performances all around and is well received by the model. Up next a test against P4 to see if I have gone insane or not with (#35) Syracuse coming to Allegiant stadium for a match-up for a playoff spot. Solid competition! |
3 | Duke Blue Devils | Blah blah, see my past polls. What matters is we won the Victory Bell from the University of No Competence. The wounds of refball bailing the Tar Holes out during the last two amazing rivalry games can now fade as scars after my first storming of Brooks Field at Wallace Wade. I will be taking no further comments on this now objectively correct ranking (/s). Up next (#55) Georgia Tech looking to spoil my nascent happiness and hope. |
4 | Texas Longhorns | Defeated MSST in a convincing enough fashion with minimal effort. So they retain the top normal spot, barring the weird Vegas shennanigans that gets other teams higher. Up next, the Red River Shootout! Too bad Oklahoma doesn't have an offense to speak of. |
5 | Alabama Crimson Tide | What did you expect after a dominant win over Georgia? A rise? Nah, I don't believe Georgia is legit yet. Crazy as it sounds, by performance alone, nothing exceptional unless you consider Clemson to be good. Which I still have my reservations about. See #25 for more. Up next Vandy! |
6 | Ohio State Buckeyes | Still haven't been tested. Oh well. Up next, a solid Iowa team, also just outside the ranking (like MSU). |
7 | Penn State Nittany Lions | Extremely solid showing against a tough Illini team. Gets them a little bump before probably going to town on a lame duck UCLA. |
8 | James Madison Dukes | I'm actually quite comfortable with this position for the Dukes. They have solid showings all around, great offense and defense when necessary and been a great undefeated team. Prove me wrong Dukes (please don't). Up next, apparently (#25) ULM for more glory. |
9 | Illinois Fighting Illini | Looked solid in a loss, enough to let them keep top 10. Was successfully challenged by JMU, but not by Pitt in simulation. Up next (#129) Purdue for what should be a solid thrashing. |
10 | Pittsburgh Panthers | The Panthers are definitely not Top 10, but remain undefeated in idleness. Their reward is this. Up next (#72) UNC. |
11 | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Still undefeated in a less than convincing show, but enough for the model. Up next, a solid (#31) Nebraska team that may just convince AP. |
12 | Indiana Hoosiers | Ranked in AP poll. Keeps being solid all around. Up next (#70) Northwestern. |
13 | Iowa State Cyclones | Really bad score for the game against Houston, but decent in the end keeps them up here. Up next Baylor (#99). |
14 | Tennessee Volunteers | Overrated in the AP poll as always. Enjoyed a bye week and gets the typical slight point decay associated with it. None of their wins impress me, especially since I still see nothing worthwhile in Oklahoma this season. Up next an equally unimpressive potential win in Arkansas. |
15 | Army West Point | Service academies are undefeated in a solid manner and find glory in the poll. Up next a weak (#87) Tulsa. |
16 | Miami Hurricanes | Undefeated, but poor showing against Virginia Tech gets them low within the tier. Up next gameday at Berkeley. Never thought I would write that. |
17 | Navy Midshipmen | See Army. Up next the poor service academy (#117) Air Force. |
18 | Missouri Tigers | Bye week decay, plus Boston College's poor showing and Vandy's decay explains the drop. Up next the always overrated TAMU. |
19 | Ole Miss Rebels | How does one lose to Kentucky? Still inertia keeps them at the second highest 1-loss. No resume to speak of though. If I ran SCF more (too expensive for the early polls imo) they would probably be out. Up next a chance to not look like garbage against SCar (#46). |
20 | Oregon Ducks | Still hasn't done anything remotely impressive, but also stands undefeated with real competition (looking at you Liberty). So #20 is where the Ducks first reappear in the poll. Up next Michigan State (tentatively #26 by this poll). |
21 | Boise State Broncos | Boise State is looking as dominant as ever and is the third one-loss team ranked. Up next Utah State. Held up by Oregon who I have yet to be confident in. |
22 | Boston College Eagles | Looked terrible again an admittedly probably decent WKU team and eeked out a win. |
23 | Washington State Cougars | Hangs on despite the extent of the beating received. Like Ole Miss, would likely be removed in full SCF. Up next a frustrated (#77 Fresno State). |
24 | San José State Spartans | Rides on the coattails of Wazzu into the rankings, on a bye week no less. Up next (#81) Nevada. |
25 | Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks | Honestly was a bit surprised they were the last one-loss team in. Mostly has to do with the low penalty of a loss to Texas, even if it was a bloodbath. They still successfully challenged MSU for the spot in multiple simulations and by points alone outdo competition. Since the AP poll is out, I can talk about omissions too! First, Georgia (#38). Nice, cool rivalry game but honestly eh. They were doing terrible at the beginning and still have the Kentucky showing to answer for. So my model can't find a reason to rank them. Next, Michigan. Have they looked convincing at all? No. But we rank them because everyone else is worse so far. Not the model. It sees nothing to differentiate them in their tier and they remain just outside at (#29). Same with USC. No reason to believe they are solid just yet (#30). I have not a single qualm with not ranking the overrated (#45) LSU either. Notre Dame however seems unfairly punished to me sitting at #53, but the model is king. Again Clemson has yet to show anything solid (like many others) and sits at #51. Utah (#49) is explained due to a bad loss. Oklahoma (#50) because they barely beat Auburn or anyone tbh. Kansas State (#47) needs to do more after that mutilation by BYU to convince. Louisville (#54), like Notre Dame is punished too much imo. |
Teams Ranked:
Rank | Team | Unusualness |
---|---|---|
1 | BYU Cougars | 1.46 |
2 | UNLV Rebels | 3.76 |
3 | Duke Blue Devils | 4.75 |
4 | Texas Longhorns | -1.35 |
5 | Alabama Crimson Tide | -1.94 |
6 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 0.00 |
7 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 0.00 |
8 | James Madison Dukes | 4.58 |
9 | Illinois Fighting Illini | 3.69 |
10 | Pittsburgh Panthers | 3.33 |
11 | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | 2.18 |
12 | Indiana Hoosiers | 0.19 |
13 | Iowa State Cyclones | 0.00 |
14 | Tennessee Volunteers | -2.82 |
15 | Army West Point | 6.15 |
16 | Miami Hurricanes | -1.42 |
17 | Navy Midshipmen | 3.01 |
18 | Missouri Tigers | -1.73 |
19 | Ole Miss Rebels | 0.00 |
20 | Oregon Ducks | -4.68 |
21 | Boise State Broncos | 0.00 |
22 | Boston College Eagles | 2.69 |
23 | Washington State Cougars | 1.19 |
24 | San José State Spartans | 1.22 |
25 | Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks | 0.23 |
Omissions:
Team | Unusualness |
---|---|
Georgia Bulldogs | 2.90 |
Michigan Wolverines | 1.91 |
USC Trojans | 1.57 |
Clemson Tigers | 1.20 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 1.18 |
LSU Tigers | 0.98 |
Kansas State Wildcats | 0.80 |
Oklahoma Sooners | 0.62 |
Utah Utes | 0.50 |
Louisville Cardinals | 0.16 |
Total Score: 64.21