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. Conversely, Louisville was unranked when Virginia beat them in week 6, but the Cardinals are ranked now so that counts as a WARO for the Cavaliers
- 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 2 losses so whatever their point total is after accounting for the teams they’ve beaten we subtract 2 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 3 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 7 points because they’d lose 2 points for their 2 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
T15 Utah 2 points | #13 in CFP rankings | 7-2 record
WABEO: 2 Arizona State, Cincinnati
TOP 12
12. Memphis (top Group of 5 team) 2 points | Unranked in CFP rankings | 8-1 record, leading American
WABEO: Troy, South Florida
LALO: UAB
T10. Notre Dame 4 points | #10 in CFP rankings | 6-2 record
WARO: 1 #19 USC
WABEO: 1 Boise State
WAWO: 1 NC State
T10. Texas A&M 4 points | #3 in CFP rankings | 8-0 record, leading SEC
WARO: 1 #10 Notre Dame
WAWO: 1 LSU
T6. Virginia 5 points | #14 in CFP rankings | 8-1 record, leading ACC
WARO: 1 #15 Louisville
WAWO: Coastal Carolina, California, Florida State
T6. Oklahoma 5 points | #12 in CFP rankings | 7-2 record
WARO: 2 #21 Michigan, #25 Tennessee
WAWO: 1 Temple
T6. Texas Tech 5 points | #8 in CFP rankings | 8-1 record
WARO: #13 Utah
WABEO: Houston
WAWO: Kansas
T6 Georgia 5 points | #5 in CFP rankings | 7-1 record
WARO: 2 #25 Tennessee, #6 Ole Miss
5. BYU 6 points | #7 in CFP rankings | 8-0 record, leading Big 12
WARO: #13 Utah
WAWO: East Carolina, Arizona, Iowa State
4. Louisville 7 points | #15 in CFP rankings | 7-1 record
WARO: 2 #18 Miami, #23 Pittsburgh
WABEO: James Madison
T2. Alabama 11 points | #4 in CFP rankings | 7-1 record
WARO: 4 #5 Georgia, #16 Vanderbilt, #22 Missouri, #25 Tennessee
T2. Ohio State 11 points | #1 in CFP rankings | 8-0 record, tied 1st in B1G
WARO: 2 #11 Texas, #23 Washington
WABEO: Minnesota, Illinois
WAWO: Ohio
1. Indiana 12 points | #2 in CFP rankings | 9-0 record, tied 1st in B1G
WARO: 2 #9 Oregon, #20 Iowa
WABEO: Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, Illinois
