Earlier today, I explained my methodology for coming up with college football ratings after three weeks. Here are the current ratings. These ratings are not capped for margin of victory (but do include a home field adjustment). That’s why Oregon tops Alabama (for now). These ratings exclude all FCS games except games where FBS teams lost to FCS teams, which are included (and all FCS teams are given a rating of -20). Here’s how to read the Alabama line. The Crimson Tide are ranked #2, and had a preseason rank (based on the Vegas point spreads) of #1. Alabam was considered 20.1 points better than average before the season; now they’re considered 21.4 points better than average, making them the top team in the SEC. Oregon jumped Alabama because the Ducks beat Virginia 59-10 and Tennessee 59-14.
| Rk | Tm | Pre Rk | Pre SRS | SRS | Conf | Conf Rk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | 2 | 16.3 | 28.2 | P12 | 1 |
| 2 | Alabama | 1 | 20.1 | 21.4 | SEC | 1 |
| 3 | Florida St | 9 | 8.1 | 17.1 | ACC | 1 |
| 4 | Baylor | 35 | -1.1 | 15.2 | B12 | 1 |
| 5 | Georgia | 3 | 11.2 | 11.9 | SEC | 2 |
| 6 | Mississippi | 18 | 4.3 | 10.2 | SEC | 3 |
| 7 | Texas A&M | 4 | 11.2 | 10 | SEC | 4 |
| 8 | LSU | 6 | 8.8 | 9.3 | SEC | 5 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 13 | 7.2 | 9.2 | B12 | 2 |
| 10 | Clemson | 14 | 5.9 | 8.9 | ACC | 2 |
| 11 | UCLA | 30 | 0 | 8.7 | P12 | 2 |
| 12 | South Carolina | 7 | 8.6 | 8.2 | SEC | 6 |
| 13 | Oklahoma St | 12 | 7.2 | 8.1 | B12 | 3 |
| 14 | Ohio State | 5 | 11 | 7.7 | B10 | 1 |
| 15 | Washington | 34 | -0.6 | 6.9 | P12 | 3 |
| 16 | Georgia Tech | 37 | -1.4 | 6.6 | ACC | 3 |
| 17 | Louisville | 27 | 1.5 | 6.4 | AAC | 1 |
| 18 | Arizona | 31 | -0.1 | 6.4 | P12 | 4 |
| 19 | Florida | 10 | 8.1 | 5.1 | SEC | 7 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 20 | 3.9 | 4.7 | B10 | 2 |
| 21 | Michigan | 17 | 5 | 3.9 | B10 | 3 |
| 22 | Miami FL | 26 | 1.6 | 3.4 | ACC | 4 |
| 23 | Stanford | 11 | 7.7 | 3.3 | P12 | 5 |
| 24 | Southern Cal | 15 | 5.5 | 3.2 | P12 | 6 |
| 25 | Arizona St | 22 | 2.7 | 3.2 | P12 | 7 |
| 26 | Northwestern | 29 | 0.7 | 1.9 | B10 | 4 |
| 27 | Texas Tech | 45 | -4.2 | 1 | B12 | 4 |
| 28 | Texas | 8 | 8.4 | 0.9 | B12 | 5 |
| 29 | Notre Dame | 16 | 5.5 | 0.8 | IND | 1 |
| 30 | Brigham Young | 41 | -2 | 0.5 | IND | 2 |
| 31 | Virginia Tech | 23 | 2.4 | 0.2 | ACC | 5 |
| 32 | Vanderbilt | 39 | -1.8 | 0.2 | SEC | 8 |
| 33 | Central Florida | 51 | -7.5 | 0.2 | AAC | 2 |
| 34 | TCU | 21 | 3.4 | 0 | B12 | 6 |
| 35 | Penn State | 33 | -0.6 | -0.1 | B10 | 5 |
| 36 | Nebraska | 19 | 4 | -0.5 | B10 | 6 |
| 37 | West Virginia | 46 | -5 | -0.9 | B12 | 7 |
| 38 | Missouri | 40 | -2 | -1.1 | SEC | 9 |
| 39 | North Carolina | 32 | -0.3 | -1.8 | ACC | 6 |
| 40 | Utah St | 55 | -7.9 | -2.7 | MWC | 1 |
| 41 | Auburn | 48 | -5.8 | -2.8 | SEC | 10 |
| 42 | Tennessee | 42 | -3.6 | -3.2 | SEC | 11 |
| 43 | Illinois | 89 | -14.9 | -3.3 | B10 | 7 |
| 44 | Oregon St | 25 | 1.7 | -3.4 | P12 | 8 |
| 45 | Navy | 75 | -12.5 | -3.5 | IND | 3 |
| 46 | Indiana | 67 | -11 | -3.6 | B10 | 8 |
| 47 | North Carolina St | 52 | -7.6 | -4 | ACC | 7 |
| 48 | Arkansas | 47 | -5.3 | -4.6 | SEC | 12 |
| 49 | Kansas St | 28 | 1.3 | -4.7 | B12 | 8 |
| 50 | Michigan St | 24 | 1.9 | -5 | B10 | 9 |
| 51 | Cincinnati | 43 | -4.1 | -5.3 | AAC | 3 |
| 52 | Mississippi St | 44 | -4.1 | -5.5 | SEC | 13 |
| 53 | Fresno St | 38 | -1.7 | -5.6 | MWC | 2 |
| 54 | Maryland | 49 | -7 | -5.8 | ACC | 8 |
| 55 | Washington St | 84 | -13.9 | -6.3 | P12 | 9 |
| 56 | Utah | 56 | -7.9 | -6.7 | P12 | 10 |
| 57 | Boise St | 36 | -1.3 | -7 | MWC | 3 |
| 58 | Minnesota | 62 | -9.2 | -7.5 | B10 | 10 |
| 59 | Rutgers | 59 | -8.2 | -7.5 | AAC | 4 |
| 60 | Pittsburgh | 53 | -7.6 | -8.1 | ACC | 9 |
| 61 | East Carolina | 64 | -9.4 | -8.3 | CUSA | 1 |
| 62 | Bowling Green | 63 | -9.3 | -8.8 | MAC | 1 |
| 63 | Syracuse | 50 | -7.1 | -9.1 | ACC | 10 |
| 64 | Houston | 80 | -13 | -10.4 | AAC | 5 |
| 65 | Virginia | 65 | -9.7 | -10.6 | ACC | 11 |
| 66 | Iowa | 57 | -8 | -10.8 | B10 | 11 |
| 67 | Ball St | 68 | -11 | -10.9 | MAC | 2 |
| 68 | Rice | 78 | -12.8 | -11.6 | CUSA | 2 |
| 69 | Toledo | 79 | -12.9 | -12.2 | MAC | 3 |
| 70 | Duke | 74 | -12.5 | -12.4 | ACC | 12 |
| 71 | Colorado | 102 | -20.1 | -12.9 | P12 | 11 |
| 72 | Boston College | 70 | -12 | -13 | ACC | 13 |
| 73 | Northern Illinois | 60 | -8.5 | -13.1 | MAC | 4 |
| 74 | California | 81 | -13.1 | -13.6 | P12 | 12 |
| 75 | Marshall | 92 | -16.4 | -14.2 | CUSA | 3 |
| 76 | San José St | 86 | -14.3 | -14.5 | MWC | 4 |
| 77 | Louisiana-Monroe | 72 | -12.3 | -14.7 | SUN | 1 |
| 78 | Wyoming | 111 | -22.5 | -15 | MWC | 5 |
| 79 | Kentucky | 85 | -13.9 | -15.3 | SEC | 14 |
| 80 | SMU | 69 | -11.2 | -15.6 | AAC | 6 |
| 81 | Tulsa | 54 | -7.8 | -15.8 | CUSA | 4 |
| 82 | Purdue | 66 | -10.2 | -16.7 | B10 | 12 |
| 83 | Hawai`i | 90 | -15.5 | -16.8 | MWC | 6 |
| 84 | Iowa St | 61 | -9.2 | -16.9 | B12 | 9 |
| 85 | Wake Forest | 73 | -12.5 | -17.2 | ACC | 14 |
| 86 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 77 | -12.8 | -17.5 | SUN | 2 |
| 87 | Middle Tennessee St | 87 | -14.8 | -17.6 | CUSA | 5 |
| 88 | North Texas | 110 | -22.5 | -18 | CUSA | 6 |
| 89 | Ohio U. | 91 | -15.5 | -18.1 | MAC | 5 |
| 90 | Arkansas St | 82 | -13.3 | -18.4 | SUN | 3 |
| 91 | Texas-San Antonio | 114 | -22.8 | -18.5 | CUSA | 7 |
| 92 | Kansas | 101 | -19.9 | -18.7 | B12 | 10 |
| 93 | Akron | 117 | -25.5 | -18.9 | MAC | 6 |
| 94 | Colorado St | 94 | -18 | -19.7 | MWC | 7 |
| 95 | Temple | 95 | -18.2 | -19.8 | AAC | 7 |
| 96 | Texas St-San Marcos | 115 | -24.3 | -19.9 | SUN | 5 |
| 97 | San Diego St | 58 | -8.1 | -20.6 | MWC | 8 |
| 98 | UTEP | 96 | -18.8 | -20.6 | CUSA | 9 |
| 99 | Connecticut | 83 | -13.5 | -20.8 | AAC | 8 |
| 100 | Western Kentucky | 104 | -20.9 | -20.8 | SUN | 6 |
| 101 | Western Michigan | 112 | -22.6 | -20.9 | MAC | 7 |
| 102 | Memphis | 99 | -19.5 | -21.3 | AAC | 9 |
| 103 | Florida Atlantic | 118 | -26.9 | -21.6 | CUSA | 10 |
| 104 | Troy | 106 | -21.2 | -22.1 | SUN | 7 |
| 105 | Air Force | 76 | -12.5 | -22.2 | MWC | 9 |
| 106 | Kent St | 97 | -19.3 | -22.3 | MAC | 8 |
| 107 | New Mexico | 109 | -22.3 | -22.4 | MWC | 10 |
| 108 | Buffalo | 105 | -21 | -22.5 | MAC | 9 |
| 109 | Army | 107 | -21.5 | -22.7 | IND | 4 |
| 110 | Nevada | 88 | -14.8 | -22.7 | MWC | 11 |
| 111 | Louisiana Tech | 93 | -17.6 | -23.3 | CUSA | 11 |
| 112 | Alabama-Birmingham | 113 | -22.7 | -23.5 | CUSA | 12 |
| 113 | South Florida | 71 | -12.2 | -24.7 | AAC | 10 |
| 114 | Eastern Michigan | 108 | -21.6 | -25.2 | MAC | 10 |
| 115 | Southern Miss | 100 | -19.8 | -25.4 | CUSA | 13 |
| 116 | UNLV | 98 | -19.4 | -25.8 | MWC | 12 |
| 117 | Central Michigan | 103 | -20.4 | -29.2 | MAC | 11 |
| 118 | Florida Int'l | 116 | -25 | -32.4 | CUSA | 14 |
| 119 | Massachusetts | 121 | -36.6 | -35.3 | MAC | 12 |
| 120 | New Mexico St | 119 | -32.1 | -36.6 | IND | 5 |
| 121 | Miami OH | 120 | -33.9 | -40.8 | MAC | 13 |
| 122 | Idaho | 122 | -47.5 | -43.6 | IND | 6 |
To come up with the rankings, I placed a 50% weight on the preseason ratings and a 50% weight on the actual results. In a week or two, I’ll completely ignore the preseason ratings and calculate things the way I normally do. At that point, teams like Texas will really drop.