Back to poll results >>

MADBuc49 Ballot for 2024 Week 15

Ballot Type: Hybrid

Submitted: Dec. 1, 2024, 12:03 p.m.

Overall Rationale: Week 15 notes: not as much chaos as week 13, but still enough! Deservedness keeping highly-rated 3- loss teams such as Alabama and Ole Miss behind 1- loss Army; 3-loss teams such as Clemson and Illinois can be ranked over Army due to loss allowance. General notes: FIRST layer (computer portion): SP+, opponents’ SP+, opponents’ opponents’ SP+, opponents’ win %, opponents’ opponents’ win %. SECOND layer (human portion): home/field/away, key injuries, P5/G5 status, watched game factors (ex: offensive/defensive line domination, rush yards after contact, average point of first contact, defensive penetration on non-inside screens, missed tackles, quarterback throwing release speed, overall turnovers, average starting field position, etc). THIRD layer (human portion): wins/losses vs higher-/lower-/non-ranked teams, recency of those results. FOURTH layer (computer portion): Deservedness = Team A cannot be ranked over Team B that has 2+ fewer losses (ex: 9-3 LSU can be ranked over 10-2 Missouri, but 9-3 LSU cannot be ranked over 11-1 Tulane even if LSU beat Tulane heads up, rankings have LSU over Tulane, and/or I think LSU is better than Tulane) unless Team B is giving a X loss allowance to Team A due to significantly fewer P4 games played. Loss allowances come into play when: P5 teams play 2 fewer P5 games than another P5 team (ex: 9-3 Arizona plays 10 P5 games, 11-1 Syracuse plays 8 P5 games, 10-8=2, 9-3 Arizona can be ranked over 11-1 Syracuse); P5 teams play 6 fewer P5 games than a G5 team (11-1 Syracuse plays 8 P5 teams, 9-3 Charlotte plays 2 P5 teams, 8-2=6, 9-3 Charlotte can be ranked over 11-1 Syracuse); G5 teams play 10 fewer P5 teams than a P5 team (ex: 9-3 Arizona plays 10 P5 games, 11-1 Liberty plays 0 P5 games, 10-0=0, 9-3 Arizona can be ranked over 11-1 Liberty); or G5 teams play 2 fewer P5 games than another G5 team (ex: 9-3 Charlotte plays 2 P5 games, 11-1 Liberty plays 0 P5 games, 2-0=2, 9-3 Charlotte can be ranked over 11-1 Liberty). If the game differential exceeds more than 2/6/10/2 in those scenarios, add another loss allowance for each additional P5 game played difference in that scenario.

Rank Team Reason
1 Oregon Ducks +0. Would be the #1 playoff seed in this scenario, playing the winner of #8 Texas/#9 Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl
2 Ohio State Buckeyes +0. Not overreacting to loss - close loss to #1 on the road and a close loss to the biggest rival is more than other teams such as Georgia can say. Would be the #5 playoff seed in this scenario, hosting #12 Boise State in the first round
3 Penn State Nittany Lions +0. Would be the #6 playoff seed in this scenario, hosting #11 Iowa State State in the first round
4 Georgia Bulldogs +0. Would be the #2 playoff seed in this scenario, playing the winner of #7 Indiana/#10 Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl
5 Indiana Hoosiers +0. Would be the #7 playoff seed in this scenario, hosting #10 Tennessee in the first round
6 Texas Longhorns +0. Would be the #8 playoff seed in this scenario, hosting #9 Notre Dame in the first round
7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish +0. Would be the #9 playoff seed in this scenario, playing at #8 Texas in the first round
8 SMU Mustangs +0. Would be the #3 playoff seed in this scenario, playing the winner of #6 Penn State/#11 Iowa State in the Peach Bowl
9 Tennessee Volunteers +1. Would be the #10 playoff seed in this scenario, playing at #7 Indiana in the first round
10 Arizona State Sun Devils +2. Would be the #4 playoff seed in this scenario, playing the winner of #5 Ohio State/#12 Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl
11 Iowa State Cyclones +3. Would be the #11 playoff seed in this scenario, playing at #6 Penn State in the first round
12 Miami Hurricanes -3
13 BYU Cougars +0
14 Boise State Broncos +1. Deservedness blocking highly-rated 3+ loss teams with no loss allowances over Boise State such as Alabama from being ranked ahead of Boise State. Would be the #12 playoff seed in this scenario, playing at #5 Ohio State in the first round
15 Clemson Tigers -4. Loss allowance over Army
16 Illinois Fighting Illini +0. Loss allowance over Army
17 Colorado Buffaloes +1. Loss allowance over Army
18 UNLV Rebels +1. Deservedness blocking highly-rated 3+ loss teams with no loss allowances over UNLV such as Alabama from being ranked ahead of Army. Loss allowance over Army
19 TCU Horned Frogs +1. Teams rated above TCU such as Alabama blocked by 1-loss teams such as Army. Loss allowances over Army, Memphis, Louisiana, and Liberty
20 Army West Point +2. Deservedness blocking highly-rated 3+ loss teams with no loss allowances over Army such as Alabama from being ranked ahead of Army
21 Alabama Crimson Tide +2. Deservedness blocking highly-rated 3+ loss teams with no loss allowances over Army such as Alabama from being ranked ahead of Army
22 Florida Gators NEW. Loss allowances over Memphis, Louisiana, Liberty, Missouri, Syracuse, Duke, Tulane, Washington State, JMU, Navy, Marshall, Ohio, and Sam Houston. Similar to TCU, teams rated above Florida such as Texas A&M blocked by 2-loss teams such as Memphis. Deservedness blocking highly-rated 3+ loss teams with no loss allowances over Army such as Florida from being ranked ahead of Army
23 Ole Miss Rebels +3. Deservedness blocking highly-rated 3+ loss teams with no loss allowances over Army such as Ole Miss from being ranked ahead of Army
24 South Carolina Gamecocks NEW. Deservedness blocking highly-rated 3+ loss teams with no loss allowances over Army such as South Carolina from being ranked ahead of Army
25 Louisville Cardinals NEW. Loss allowances over Louisiana, Memphis, and Liberty. Deservedness blocking highly-rated 4+ loss teams with no loss allowances over Army such as Louisville from being ranked ahead of Army. Deservedness blocking highly-rated 4+ loss teams with no loss allowances over Army such as Kansas State from being ranked ahead of Army. Next 11: Kansas State, LSU, Iowa, Missouri, Baylor, Texas Tech, Syracuse, Duke, Memphis, Tulane, Louisiana, Texas A&M

Back to poll results >>