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What are these rankings? These rankings are computer rankings, plain and simple. They measure how well a team has played UP TO THIS POINT. They are not a predictor of future games, nor are they a measure of whether one team IS better than another, they are simply measuring what teams have PLAYED better up 'til now. The rankings use a formula similar to those computer rankings used by the BCS to measure NCAA Division I teams (like Arizona, USC, Texas, etc.). If you are interested in knowing more, check this link which explains the methodology in greater detail. What info do you use to create the rankings? Wins and losses. Pretty simple. Conference strength is an implicit part of the formula, but is not directly called upon. Does strength of schedule factor in somehow? It used to be that strength of schedule was a major component of the formula, but the use of the Sonas (replacement for Elo) formula has changed that - strength of schedule is now inherent in a team's ranking. However, in 2009, a small SOS factor was added to the formula due to the overwhelming evidence caused by multiple teams in 2008 being separated by only .01 or less in their total points. It was easy to see that if a direct SOS factor was added, the rankings would have been clearer. What happens when a team doesn't have a game one week? Idle teams ALWAYS get a minimum amount of points. This number is a constant which is a calculated average based on all games played in the previous week across all divisions. Let's say that team B was highly ranked when team A beat them. Do the points team A received change during the course of the season? The points do not change as the season progresses because it's not fair to the teams: Let's say Team B is ranked #1 after week 5 because it's undefeated and has a schedule strength of 10 (out of 34 teams in the division). [Note: The SOS is only used as a reference point to show that Team B was not playing a weak schedule.] In other words, Team B deserves a #1 ranking. In week 6, Team A beats Team B. Team A gets the points for beating a highly ranked team. However, Team B goes on a 3-game losing streak afterwards. Is it fair to Team A to drop their points because Team B now is a mediocre team? No, of course not. They beat a highly ranked and good team at the time, therefore they deserve the points for beating such a team. One could suggest that Team A exposed Team B's weaknesses in beating Team B - not to mention Team A was the first team to beat Team B that season! One of the BCS computer ranking authors, Richard Billingsley, has a pretty relevant quote on this topic: "How can the mind set and intensity of a game be overlooked 4 weeks later? ... Credit is given to the original 'mind set and intensity' of the game." Lastly, changing point values as the season progresses ends up penalizing teams that might have a big non-conference win or two early on in their season but play in a weak conference. How come my team dropped in the rankings even though they won? That shouldn't happen, should it? Yes, teams can drop even if they win - I have not seen a poll yet (AP, Coaches, computer, etc.) where this does not happen. One of the reasons why this happens is because another team has RISEN in the rankings to replace a team, and thus teams are bumped down. Another reason is that a team's SOS has changed and thus the amount of points gained that week are smaller, thus causing a small drop in the rankings. Why are some teams highlighted in red or blue? The teams highlighted have been involved in a forfeited game after-the-fact, meaning that the game was played, but the result was forfeited by the winning team for any number of reasons - usually the use of an ineligible player. Red = loss, blue = win. For example, Boulder Creek forfeited three games in 2007, so you may see these colors appear in certain rankings. How come there is an SOS column? What is that? SOS is the abbreviation for Strength of Schedule, and it is caculated because enough people wanted to know how tough their team's schedule is. The SOS calculation is used as part of the ranking methodology but is provided as a separate calculation starting in week 2 each season. |