The main argument we hear on the College Football Playoff Rankings Show and the sports debate shows is, what matters more? Talent/”eye test,” or resume?
This weekly column will add to that 2nd part. It answers the question of which teams have the best playoff resumes in all of FBS college football. Let me be clear, I will not be reacting to the CFP rankings or making a case for who I think the 12 playoff teams should be. But, I think it’s interesting to try to definitively rank the best teams strictly according to their resumes.
Before I unveil this week’s rankings let me explain the methodology of them:
I’ve developed a points system for each team’s resume and it goes as follows.
- 3 points for each win against a ranked opponent (WARO). The qualifier is those opponents need to be ranked in the most recent CFP rankings . For example, I don’t care that Clemson was ranked Georgia Tech beat them in week 3. They are not ranked now so that does *not* count as a win over a ranked team for the Yellow Jackets.
- 2 points for each win against bowl eligible opponents that are unranked (WABEO)
- 1 point for each win against opponents with a .500 or better record that are unranked (WAWO)
- -1 point for every loss
- -1 additional point for every loss against an opponent with a losing record (LALO) For example, Texas has 3 losses so whatever their point total is after accounting for the teams they’ve beaten we subtract 3 points from it to get their total resume points. However, one of their losses is to Florida and they have a losing record. So we will subtract an additional point from their total. Thus, in all, Texas would lose 4 points from whatever their point total is after accounting for the teams they’ve beaten. Let’s say they have 10 points before their losses are accounted for. In that instance the Longhorns would end up with 6 points because they’d lose 3 points for their 3 losses and another because one of their losses was to a losing team.
Clear as mud? Alright. Here are this week’s College Football Playoff Resume Rankings
LOCAL TEAMS OUTSIDE TOP 12
T16 Utah 4 points | #12 in CFP rankings | 8-2 record
WARO: 1 #25 Arizona State
WABEO: 1 Cincinnati
WAWO: 1 Baylor
TOP 12
12 Navy 1 point | Unranked in CFP rankings (Top G5 team) | 8-2 record, 1st in American
WABEO: 1 South Florida
WAWO: 1 Rice
T11 Virginia 6 points | #19 in CFP rankings | 9-2 record, Tied 1st in ACC
WABEO: 3 Coastal Carolina, California, Louisville
WAWO: 2 FSU, Duke
T11 Michigan 6 points | #18 in CFP rankings | 8-2 record
WABEO: 3 New Mexico, Nebraska, Washington
WAWO: 2 Central Michigan, Northwestern
T11 USC 6 points | #15 in CFP rankings | 8-2 record
WARO: 1 #18 Michigan
WABEO: 2 Nebraska, Iowa
WAWO: 1 Northwestern
T7 Notre Dame 8 points | #9 in CFP rankings | 8-2 record
WARO: 1 #15 USC
WABEO: 3 Boise State, Navy, Pittsburgh
WAWO: 1 NC State
T7 Oklahoma 8 points | #8 in CFP rankings | 8-2 record
WARO: 3 #18 Michigan, #20 Tennessee, #10 Alabama
WAWO: 1 Temple
T7 Ole Miss 8 points | #6 in CFP rankings | 10-1 record
WARO: 2 #8 Oklahoma, #24 Tulane
WABEO: 1 LSU
WAWO: 1 UK
T7 Texas A&M 8 points | #3 in CFP rankings | 10-0 record, 1st in SEC
WARO: 2 #9 Notre Dame, #22 Missouri
WABEO: 1 LSU
6 Georgia 9 points | #4 in CFP rankings | 9-1 record
WARO: 3 #20 Tennessee, #6 Ole Miss, #17 Texas
WAWO: 1 UK
T4 BYU 10 points | #11 in CFP rankings | 9-1 record, Tied 1st in Big 12
WARO: 1 #12 Utah
WABEO: 4 Arizona, East Carolina, Iowa State, TCU
T4 Texas Tech 10 points | #5 in CFP rankings | 9-1 record, Tied 1st in Big 12
WARO: 3 #12 Utah, #11 BYU, #23 Houston
WAWO: 2 Kansas, Kansas State
T1 Alabama 12 points | #10 in CFP rankings | 8-2 record
WARO: 4 #4 Georgia, #14 Vanderbilt, #20 Tennessee, #22 Missouri
WABEO: 1 LSU
T1 Indiana 12 points | #2 in CFP rankings | 11-0 record
WARO: 2 #7 Oregon, #21 Illinois
WABEO: 3 Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, Iowa
T1 Ohio State 12 points | #1 in CFP rankings | 10-0 record
WARO: 2 #17 Texas, #21 Illinois
WABEO: 3 Minnesota, Washington, Ohio
