Wisconsin (8-0) takes over the number one ranked spot within my weekly college football rankings. The reason why Wisconsin (8-0) is ranked number one and not Georgia or Alabama ranked number one is due to the fact that Wisconsin and the BIG 10 have made SIGNIFICANT strides to eliminating scheduling the FCS games and scheduling more road games at FBS site venues. Fact; The BIG 10 only scheduled three (3) FCS games this year but, the Southeastern Conference scheduled every SEC program with an FCS game. The most interesing fact is that Alabama is scheduled to play FCS Mercer the week before Alabama plays Auburn on Thanksgiving Weekend. This fact, not theory, decreases the SEC credibility within their non conference schedule as a whole. Published research states that FBS programs who schedule FCS programs, win 90% of the time, and by at least 4+ possessions. That 4+ possessions means by at least 28 points. This inidcate that easy wins versus lower level classification outside of the FBS level earns no credibility even if you are a 0-loss program. The other factor that gives Wisconsin the number one ranked position within my poll is they played or will play a non-conference game on the road at an FBS opponents stadium site. Thus playing games on the road within your non-conference schedule means you are taking a RISK playing in an un-comfortable setting. Alabama is playing no FBS programs on the road at THEIR stadium site.To tie all of this together, Wisconsin scheduled 12 FBS programs and the SEC only schedules 11 FBS programs. FACTS are FACTS to the reality of the situation, you cannot change the evidence of the findings and data.
What a great college football season this has been turning out to be. Upsets, surprises and more as we continue through “Amen’s Corner” of the college football season. Hats off to Iowa State for pulling the third consecutive win over a marquee named opponent and increasing the record of Iowa State to (6-2) overall and (4-1) within the Big 12 Conference. Iowa State is tied atop the conference with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and TCU. Iowa State is bowl eligible with this win and success can only continue for this Cyclone program. With four (4) weeks remaining, there are still more upsets and surprises in store.
Ohio State (7-1) pulls off the comback victory over Penn State (7-1), to redeem last years loss and to decrease the number of 0-loss programs remaining within the FBS level of play. Heading into this week’s college football schedule there now stands only five (5) 0-loss programs; Wisconsin, Georgia, Alabama, Miami (Fla.) and Central Florida. I wonder who will be the next 0-loss program to fall? With four (4) week’s remaining of the college football season, my intuition tells me that there will be only two (2) 0-loss programs left standing at the end of the regular season. Not sure which two (2). I am not like the sports media “experts” from ESPN or FOX Sports that use a crystal ball to predict outcomes of the college football season, predicts final season records and predicts who will win each week. I let the games play out and analyze the data to determine how to rank.
This weeks college football schedule has MANY interesting marquee games that will effect the rankings. First game of importance is (7-1) Oklahoma and (7-1) Oklahoma State. This will cause seperation within the Big 12 and move a 1-loss team to the 2-loss team group. Other Games of interest are: (8-0) Georgia playing (6-2) South Carolina, (8-0) Alabama playing (6-2) LSU, (7-0) Miami (Fla.) playing (7-1) Virginia Tech, (7-1) Notre Dame playing (5-3) Wake Forest, (7-1) Penn State playing (6-2) Michigan State, (7-1) Toledo playing (6-2) Northern Illinois and on a short week on Thursday Night, (7-1) Clemson playing (6-2) North Carolina State, (7-2) USC playing (6-2) Arizona, (7-2) Washington State playing (6-2) Stanford, (6-2, and Marshall playing (5-3) Florida Atlanitc. Wonder which game ESPN College Game Day will attend. This one is obvious, ESPN CGD will set set up shop for the Alabama/LSU match up.
Below are my rankings for college football at the FBS level for the 2017 season:
| A | B | C | D | E | F |
| 1 | WISCONSIN (8-0) | (.423) 105 | (.480) 103 | (.333) 128 | (.458) 19 |
| 2 | GEORGIA (8-0) | (.696) 14 | (.605) 18 | (.415) 116 | (.476) 13 |
| 3 | ALABAMA (8-0) | (.542) 66 | (.545) 62 | (.385) 122 | (.598) 2 |
| 4 | MIAMI FLA. (7-0) | (.826) 1 | (.568) 49 | (.441) 106 | (.404) 46 |
| 5 | CENTRAL FLORIDA (7-0) | (.591) 46 | (.565) 52 | (.472) 90 | (.629) 1 |
| 6 | NOTRE DAME (7-1) | (.543) 65 | (.639) 7 | (.839) 1 | (.447) 24 |
| 7 | OKLAHOMA STATE (7-1) | (.360) 118 | (.485) 99 | (.467) 98 | (.517) 7 |
| 8 | OKLAHOMA (7-1) | (.400) 110 | (.495) 96 | (.467) 97 | (.553) 3 |
| 9 | OHIO STATE (7-1) | (.667) 18 | (.583) 34 | (.444) 104 | (.552) 4 |
| 10 | PENN STATE (7-1) | (.520) 72 | (.583) 36 | (.533) 42 | (.463) 16 |
| 11 | TOLEDO (7-1) | (.435) 100 | (.466) 107 | (.515) 53 | (.523) 6 |
| 12 | CLEMSON (7-1) | (.583) 51 | (.591) 29 | (.525) 52 | (.364) 60 |
| 13 | TCU (7-1) | (.563) 56 | (.534) 71 | (.467) 96 | (.414) 41 |
| 14 | WASHINGTON (7-1) | (.500) 77 | (.522) 80 | (.400) 118 | (.490) 9 |
| 15 | MEMPHIS (7-1) | (.478) 89 | (.512) 85 | (.500) 70 | (.461) 17 |
| 16 | VIRGINIA TECH (7-1) | (.375) 115 | (.511) 87 | (.488) 78 | (.421) 34 |
| 17 | SOUTH FLORIDA (7-1) | (.200) 129 | (.360) 130 | (.371) 124 | (.430) 31 |
| 18 | USC (7-2) | (.667) 19 | (.570) 42 | (.449) 102 | (.403) 48 |
| 19 | SAN DIEGO STATE (7-2) | (.667) 20 | (.472) 105 | (.432) 111 | (.360) 64 |
| 20 | WASHINGTON STATE (7-2) | (.438) 99 | (.565) 51 | (.480) 87 | (.405) 45 |
| 21 | BOISE STATE (7-2) | (.588) 48 | (.545) 63 | (.553) 32 | (.381) 54 |
| 22 | MARSHALL (7-2) | (.406) 109 | (.463) 109 | (.514) 56 | (.356) 68 |
| 23 | STANDFORD (7-2) | (.652) 24 | (.574) 44 | (.449) 103 | (.463) 15 |
| 24 | MICHIGAN STATE (7-2) | (.583) 52 | (.604) 19 | (.489) 72 | (.314) 93 |
| 25 | MICHIGAN (7-2) | (.391) 113 | (.568) 48 | (.533) 43 | (.339) 73 |
Honorable Mentioned: All are (6-2): Army, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Troy, SMU, North Carolina State, Iowa State, Arizona, Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and LSU.
Key: A-Rank Order; B- Team and Current Overall Record; C- Percentage Rate of ranked teams Opponents Cumulative Record from their Non-Conference Schedule and Rank within that Categorical Variable; D- Percentage Rate of ranked teams Opponents Cumulative Record from their Overall Regular Season Schedule and Rank within that Categorical Variable; E- Percentage Rate of the ranked teams Opponents Cumulative Record from their Conference Schedule and Rank; and F- Percentage Rate of ranked teams Offensive Efficiency and Rank within that Categorical Variable.
As of this time of the current college football season there are 39 bowl eligible FBS programs wth six (6) wins or more, and 25 more waiting in the wings with five (5) wins. There are four (4) weeks remaining in the season; there are plenty of opportunities for the 19 four (4) win FBS programs to earn bowl eligibility.
If you plan in using any of my ideas, thoughts or ranking to disucss publically in print, web based media postings or on air debates either in television or radio; please adhere to the APA/MLA polocies and procedures when citing sources.
My book “College Football In The BCS Era The Untold Truth Facts Evidence and Solutions” (Siggelow, 2016); is the published research, The book is available at lulu.com