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 4 playoff teams should be. But, I think it’s interesting to try to definitively rank the best teams strictly according to their resumes. That’s what I’ll do for the rest of the season every Tuesday morning here.
Before I unveil this week’s rankings let me explain the methodology of them:
I’ve developed a points system for each school and it goes as follows.
- 3 points for each win over teams who are ranked in the most recent CFP rankings. For example, I don’t care that Clemson was ranked 9th when Duke beat them in week 1. They are not ranked now so that does *not* count as a win over a ranked team for Duke (Who themselves are no longer ranked, but you get the point right?). Conversely, if a team that was not ranked at the time one of these potential CFP teams beat them, but they are ranked now, that *does* count as a win over a ranked team for the potential CFP team
- 2 points for each win over a bowl eligible team
- 1 point for each win over a non-bowl eligible team with a winning record
- -1 point for every loss
- -1 an additional point for every loss to a team with a losing record. For example, Louisville has one loss so whatever their point total is we would subtract one point. But that loss is also to Pitt who has a losing record, so we would take away an additional point to their total. Thus, in all, Louisville would lose 2 points from whatever their point total is. Let’s say they have 10 points before we account for their losses. They would end up with 8 points because they’d lose 1 for their one loss, and another because that loss was to a losing team.
Clear as mud? Alright. Here are this week’s top 10 College Football Resume Rankings
1. Texas 17 points
Wins over ranked teams: 3 (@8 Alabama, 21 Kansas, 23 Kansas State)
Win over bowl eligible teams: 4 (Wyoming, @8 Alabama, 21 Kansas, 23 Kansas State)
Wins over other winning teams: 1 (BYU)
Losses: 1 (Oklahoma on neutral field)
T2. Ohio State & Alabama 15 points
Ohio State:
Wins over ranked teams: 2 (@15 Notre Dame, 11 Penn State)
Win over bowl eligible teams: 3 (@15 Notre Dame, 11 Penn State, @Rutgers)
Wins over other winning teams: 3 (Western Kentucky, Maryland, @Wisconsin)
Losses: 0
Alabama
Wins over ranked teams: 3 (10 Ole Miss, 17 Tennessee, 14 LSU)
Win over bowl eligible teams: 3 (10 Ole Miss, 17 Tennessee, 14 LSU)
Wins over other winning teams: 1 (@Texas A&M)
Losses: 1 (7 Texas)
4. Washington 12 points
Wins over ranked teams: 2 (6 Oregon, @20 USC)
Win over bowl eligible teams: 3 (@Arizona, 6 Oregon, @20 USC)
Wins over other winning teams: 0
Losses: 0
5. Ole Miss 11 points
Wins over ranked teams: 2 (@24 Tulane, 14 LSU)
Win over bowl eligible teams: 2 (@24 Tulane, 14 LSU)
Wins over other winning teams: 2 (@Auburn, Texas A&M)
Losses: 1 (@8 Alabama)
T6. Florida State & Louisville 10 points
Florida State:
Wins over ranked teams: 1 (14 LSU on neutral field)
Win over bowl eligible teams: 3 (14 LSU neutral field, @Boston College, Duke)
Wins over other winning teams: 1 (@Clemson)
Losses: 0
Louisville:
Wins over ranked teams: 1 (15 Notre Dame)
Win over bowl eligible teams: 4 (@NC State, 15 Notre Dame, Boston College, Duke)
Wins over other winning teams: 1 (Georgia Tech)
Losses: 1 (@Pittsburgh, a losing team)
T8. Georgia, Utah, & Oklahoma State 9 points
Georgia:
Wins over ranked teams: 1 (12 Missouri)
Win over bowl eligible teams: 2 (12 Missouri, Kentucky)
Wins over other winning teams: 2 ( Florida on neutral field, Auburn)
Losses: 0
Utah:
Wins over ranked teams: 2 (19 UCLA, @20 USC)
Win over bowl eligible teams: 2 (19 UCLA, @20 USC)
Wins over other winning teams: 1 (Florida)
Losses: 2 (@16 Oregon State, 6 Oregon)
Oklahoma State:
Wins over ranked teams: 2 (23 Kansas State, 9 Oklahoma)
Win over bowl eligible teams: 3 (23 Kansas State, @West Virginia, 9 Oklahoma)
Wins over other winning teams: 0
Losses: 2 (Iowa State, South Alabama; a losing team)
Other Notable Teams:
T11. Michigan 7 points
Wins over ranked teams: 0
Win over bowl eligible teams: 2 (Rutgers, UNLV)
Wins over other winning teams: 3 (Minnesota, Nebraska, Bowling Green)
Losses: 0
T17. Oregon & Penn State 4 points
Oregon:
Wins over ranked teams: 1 (@18 Utah)
Win over bowl eligible teams: 1 (@18 Utah)
Wins over other winning teams: 0
Losses: 1 (@5 Washington)
Penn State:
Wins over ranked teams: 0
Win over bowl eligible teams: 2 (Iowa, West Virginia)
Wins over other winning teams: 1 (@Maryland)
Losses: 1 (@1 Ohio State)
