College Football Power Rankings: A Funky Mid-Season Landscape
As we reach the midpoint of the 2024 college football season, one thing is clear: there’s no invincible team this year. Texas, once considered the closest to unbeatable, was roughed up by Georgia on Saturday. Meanwhile, Ohio State has reclaimed the top spot in the SP+ rankings, but not without controversy.
The SP+ Rankings: A Tempo- and Opponent-Adjusted Measure
For the uninitiated, SP+ is a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. It’s a predictive system that rewards teams for their performance, rather than their wins or schedule strength. This week’s top four teams have combined for five losses, making for a strange and unpredictable landscape.
Biggest Movers: Up and Down
Some teams saw significant changes in their overall ratings this week. The biggest movers up include:
- Navy: +3.2 adjusted points per game (from 73rd to 64th)
- Indiana: +2.6 points (from 15th to 12th)
- Army: +2.5 points (from 53rd to 36th)
On the other hand, some teams took a hit:
- Nebraska: -3.8 adjusted points per game (from 22nd to 32nd)
- Arizona: -3.7 points (from 60th to 70th)
- Purdue: -3.6 points (from 82nd to 89th)
Conference Rankings: A Familiar Hierarchy
When it comes to conference rankings, the usual suspects are still at the top:
- SEC: 15.5 average rating
- Big Ten: 9.8 average rating
- ACC: 7.2 average rating
The Sun Belt and AAC bring up the rear, with average ratings of -7.7 and -8.1, respectively.
A Funky Bracket: Projecting the College Football Playoff
With the College Football Playoff rankings just around the corner, we’re including Résumé SP+ rankings in this piece. This system attempts to evaluate teams based on their résumé, rather than their power rating. The current top 15 includes:
- Indiana (7-0): -1.2
- Texas (6-1): -2.1
- Ohio State (5-1): -3.2
The projected bracket is full of surprises, with some unlikely teams making an appearance. Stay tuned for more updates as the season unfolds!
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