Rhizical Ballot for 2026 Week 4
Ballot Type: Computer
Submitted: Sept. 20, 2026, 4:09 p.m.
Overall Rationale: Model summary:
This ranking runs on the optimal transport problem. Teams gather "mass" by playing games (more when they win), to which the Sinkhorn algorithm is applied to find the most optimal way to move each team's mass into each ranking slot. Only FBS vs FBS games considered. Factors of assigning mass are estimated quality of opponent (win record*strength of schedule^3) and point margin (up to 17). The model is blind to all other factors (talent, conference, etc.).
Teams Ranked:
| Rank | Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Mississippi State Bulldogs
|
2.28 |
| 2 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
1.25 |
| 3 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
0.00 |
| 4 |
Duke Blue Devils
|
3.29 |
| 5 |
UCLA Bruins
|
4.36 |
| 6 |
Michigan Wolverines
|
1.88 |
| 7 |
Oklahoma State Cowboys
|
17.83 |
| 8 |
Ole Miss Rebels
|
-0.23 |
| 9 |
Florida Gators
|
0.91 |
| 10 |
Utah Utes
|
0.37 |
| 11 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
-0.29 |
| 12 |
Northwestern Wildcats
|
9.36 |
| 13 |
BYU Cougars
|
0.00 |
| 14 |
USC Trojans
|
0.00 |
| 15 |
UMass Minutemen
|
10.19 |
| 16 |
Virginia Tech Hokies
|
1.33 |
| 17 |
Cincinnati Bearcats
|
7.69 |
| 18 |
Texas Longhorns
|
-7.12 |
| 19 |
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
|
1.13 |
| 20 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
-3.45 |
| 21 |
Kentucky Wildcats
|
1.21 |
| 22 |
Pittsburgh Panthers
|
0.00 |
| 23 |
Tennessee Volunteers
|
-1.11 |
| 24 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
0.00 |
| 25 |
Clemson Tigers
|
0.24 |
Omissions:
| Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|
Indiana Hoosiers
|
2.86 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
2.29 |
Texas Tech Red Raiders
|
2.17 |
LSU Tigers
|
1.51 |
Penn State Nittany Lions
|
1.52 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
1.29 |
Louisville Cardinals
|
0.87 |
Missouri Tigers
|
0.41 |
Oregon Ducks
|
0.21 |
West Virginia Mountaineers
|
0.10 |
Total Score: 88.74