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 or AP rankings. For example, I don’t care that Iowa was ranked when Ohio State beat them in week 5, they are *not* ranked now so that does *not* count as a WARO
- 2 points for each win against Power 4 (P4) bowl eligible opponents that are unranked, 1 point if the opponent is from a Group of 6 conference (G6). The only exception to this is if the team we are examining is also G6 – (WABEO)
- 1 point for each win against P4 opponents with a .500 or better record that are unranked, 0.5 points if opponent is from G6 – (WAWO)
- -1 point for every loss
- -1 additional point for every loss against an opponent with a losing record – (LALO)
Clear as mud? Alright. Here are this week’s College Football Playoff Resume Rankings
LOCAL TEAMS OUTSIDE TOP 12
T20 Utah 1 point | #10 in AP Poll (T1 in Big 12) | 6-0 record (In playoff now)
WAWO: 1 Iowa State
OTHERS IN PLAYOFF BUT OUTSIDE TOP 12
T20 Notre Dame 1 point | #4 in AP Poll (Auto bid if in top 12 of CFP rankings) | 6-1 record
WAWO: 2 Wisconsin, UNC
T15 Boise State 2 points | #21 in AP Poll (Top G6 team) | 5-1 record
WAWO: Memphis, Western Michigan, Fresno State
T15 UCLA 2 points | #9 in AP Poll (#1 in B1G) | 6-0 record
WAWO: 2 Wisconsin, Oregon
TOP 12
T10 Tennessee 3 points | #11 in AP Poll | 6-1 record
WARO: 1 #13 Alabama
WAWO: 1 Auburn
T10 Indiana 3 points | #6 in AP Poll | 6-1 record
WARO: 1 #24 Northwestern
WAWO: 1 Nebraska
T10 Georgia 3 points | #5 in AP Poll| 6-1 record
WARO: 1 #13 Alabama
WAWO: 1 Oklahoma
9 Alabama 3.5 points | #13 in AP Poll | 5-2 record
WARO: 1 #12 Kentucky
WABEO: 3 East Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi State
8 Miami 4 points | #1 in AP Poll | 6-0
WARO: #17 Wake Forest
WAWO: 1 Clemson
7 Texas Tech 4.5 points | #8 in AP Poll | 6-0 record
WARO: 1 #14 Houston
WAWO: 2 Oregon State, ASU
6 Texas 5 points | #19 in AP Poll | 4-2 record
WARO: 2 #3 Ohio State, #11 Tennessee
WAWO: 2 Texas State, Texas-San Antonio
T4 Florida 5.5 points | #20 in AP Poll | 5-2 record
WARO: 2 #7 Ole Miss, #19 Texas
WABEO: 2 Florida Atlantic, Auburn
T4 Kentucky 5.5 points | #12 in AP Poll | 6-1 record
WARO: 1 #18 LSU
WAWO: 4 Texas A&M, South Alabama, South Carolina, Oklahoma
T2 Ole Miss 6 points | #7 in AP Poll | 5-1 record
WARO: 2 #18 LSU, #22 Missouri
WAWO: 1 Louisville
T2 Ohio State 6 points | #3 in AP Poll | 6-1 record
WARO: 2 #6 Indiana, #15 Iowa
WAWO: 1 Illinois
1 BYU 8 points | #2 in AP Poll | 6-0 record
WARO: 2 #4 Notre Dame, #25 Arizona
WAWO: 2 TCU, Iowa State
