Indiana Moves to #1 in Blue Football Through and Through Top 25

Our rankings, unlike the AP and Coaches polls, are based on actual results and logic.  A bad loss counts much more than a big win, but other than than, we evaluate the teams based on the number and quality of good wins and the number and quality of their losses.  A bad loss is defined as losing to a team not under consideration, while a quality win is defined as a win over any other team being considered.  

We start with each team being equal, then move them up or down based on their season performance vs. that of the teams around them.  We separate them by record and then evaluate them against each other, starting with undefeated teams and moving down.  When we compare teams with the same record, the ones with any Bad Losses* are always going to be ranked lower, and those with Quality Wins* are going to be ranked ahead of those without.  A team with a worse record can be ranked ahead of another if they have less bad losses and/or more quality wins.  

Often, especially late in the year, we have situations where a trio of teams have 2-1 records against each other, so the head-to-head matchup is essentially tied between those three.  In those cases, we break the tie with the evaluation of their best wins and losses and season records.

For the third consecutive week, there was little movement among the Top 25, indicating that our rankings from three weeks ago were pretty spot on.

Indiana moved into the #1 spot thanks to an upset of Texas A&M by Texas.  #1 Indiana and #2 Ohio State will meet for the Big 10 Championship next week to decide which will be the lone unbeaten team of the 2025 regular season.

Most Important:  If a team beats another, they cannot ever be ranked below them as long as that team has the same or worse record.  In other words, we rank them logically.

Here are the Top 25*:

2-2-2-2-2-1   Indiana (12-0) ran it up on hapless Purdue 56-3,  (Quality Wins:  #5 Oregon, #26 Illinois and #33 Old Dominion)

3-3-3-3-3-2  Ohio State (12-0) ran away from #19 Michigan 27-9,  (Quality Wins:  #19 Michigan, #20 Texas, #25 Washington and #26 Illinois)

12-6-4-4-4-3 Texas Tech (11-1) whitewashed West Virginia 49-0, (Quality Wins: #7 BYU, #10 Utah and #27 Houston, Lost to #30 Arizona State)

1-1-1-1-1-4   Texas A&M (11-1) fell to #20 Texas 27-17, (Quality Wins: #10 Utah, #12 Notre Dame and #23 Missouri, Lost to #20 Texas)

7-5-6-6-5-5   Oregon (11-1) took care of #25 Washington 26-14,  (Quality Wins:  #18 USC and #25 Washington, Lost to #1 Indiana)

9-9-8-7-6-6   Georgia (11-1) got by #25 Georgia Tech 16-9,  ( Quality Wins:  #8 Mississippi, #20 Texas, #24 Tennessee and #30 Georgia Tech, Lost to #14 Alabama)

5-4-5-5-7-7   BYU (11-1) blasted UCF 41-21, (Quality Wins:  #10 Utah, #28 Arizona and #33 TCU, Lost to #3 Texas Tech)

11-10-9-8-7-8 Mississippi (11-1) mashed Mississippi State 38-19, (Quality Wins:  #9 Oklahoma and #21 Tulane, Lost to #6 Georgia)

30-24-20-10-9-9  Oklahoma (10-2) nipped LSU 17-13,  (Quality Wins: #14 Alabama, #19 Michigan, #23 Missouri and #24 Tennessee, Lost to #8 Mississippi and #20 Texas

14-8-10-9-10-10 Utah (10-2) upended Kansas 31-21,  Quality Win: #30 Arizona State, Lost to  #3 Texas Tech and #7 BYU)

17-16-15-12-11-11  Miami of Florida (10-2) made mincemeat of Pittsburgh 38-7,  (Quality Win:  #12 Notre Dame,  Lost to #35 SMU and Louisville, Bad Loss:  Louisville)

18-17-16-13-12-12  Notre Dame (9-2) Stanford,   (Quality Wins:  #16 Navy, #19 USC and #35 Pittsburgh, Lost to #4 Texas A&M and #11 Miami of Florida)

24-13-11-11-13-13  North Texas (11-1) trounced Temple 52-25, (Quality Win:  #16 Navy, Lost to #29 South Florida)

8-7-7-16-14-14   Alabama (9-2) got by Auburn 27-20, (Quality Wins:  #6 Georgia, #15 Vanderbilt, #23 Missouri and #24 Tennessee, Lost to #9 Oklahoma and Florida State), Bad Loss:  Florida State)

10-21-19-19-17-13-15-15 Vanderbilt (10-2) tumbled #24 Tennessee 45-24, (Quality Wins:  #23 Missouri and #24 Tennessee, Lost to #14 Alabama and #20 Texas)

6-14-23-18-16-15-16  Navy (9-2) navigated its way to a 28-17 win over Memphis, (Quality Wins:  None, Biggest Win:  South Florida, Lost to #12 Notre Dame and #13 North Texas)

22-19-21-21-18-17  James Madison (11-1) routed Coastal Carolina 59-10,  (Quality Win:  #33 Old Dominion, Lost to Louisville, Bad Loss:  Louisville)

23-18-17-14-19-18 USC (9-3) came from behind to beat UCLA 29-10,   (Quality Win:  #19 Michigan, Lost to #5 Oregon, #12 Notre Dame and #26 Illinois)

31-25-22-17-15-19  Michigan (9-3) lost 27-9 to #1 Ohio State, (Quality Win:  #25 Washington, Lost to #1 Ohio State, #9 Oklahoma and #18 USC)

29-20-18-23-20-20 Texas (9-3) knocked off previously unbeaten #4 Texas A&M 27-17, (Quality Wins:  #4 Texas A&M, #9 Oklahoma and #15 Vanderbilt, Lost to #1 Ohio State, #6 Georgia and Florida, Bad Loss:  Florida)

21-37-32-28-25-21  Tulane (9-2) Charlotte,  (Quality Wins:  None, Biggest Win:  Memphis Lost to #8 Mississippi and UTSA, Bad Loss:  UTSA) 

15-11-13--20-24-22 Virginia (9-2) Virginia Tech, (Quality Wins:  None, Biggest Win:  Louisville, Lost to Wake Forest and North Carolina State, Bad Losses:  Wake Forest and North Carolina State)

20-22-24-22-26-23  Missouri (8-4) defeated Arkansas 31-17, (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Wins:  Kansas, Auburn and South Carolina, Lost to #4 Texas A&M, #9 Oklahoma, #14 Alabama and #15 Vanderbilt)

19-30-27-25-21-21-24  Tennessee (8-4) lost to #15 Vanderbilt 45-24,  (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Win:  Mississippi State, Lost to #6 Georgia, #9 Oklahoma, #14 Alabama and #15 Vanderbilt)

32-26-30-27-23-25  Washington (8-3) lost to #5 Oregon 26-14,  (Quality Win:  #26 Illinois, Lost to #1 Ohio State, #5 Oregon, #19 Michigan and Wisconsin, Bad Loss:  Wisconsin)

Dropped from Top 25*:

#22 Georgia Tech

Also Considered:

33-31-31-28-27-27-26   Illinois (8-4) tripped Northwestern 20-13,  (Quality Win:  #18 USC, Lost to #1 Indiana, #2 Ohio State, #25 Washington and Wisconsin, Bad Loss:  Wisconsin)

13-29-26-24-28-27 Houston (9-3) nudged Baylor 31-24, (Quality Wins:  #28 Arizona and #30 Arizona State, Lost to #4 Texas Tech, #32 TCU and West Virginia, Bad Loss:  West Virginia)

-------------29-30-28  Arizona (9-3) downed #30 Arizona State 23-7, (Quality Win:  #30 Arizona State, Lost to #8 BYU, #27 Houston and Iowa State, Bad Loss:  Iowa State)

29 South Florida (9-3) smothered Rice 52-3, (Quality Win:  #13 North Texas, Lost to #11 Miami of Florida, #16 Navy and Memphis, Bad Loss:  Memphis

----35-29-26-29-30   Arizona State (8-4) lost to #28 Arizona 23-7, (Quality Win:  #4 Texas Tech, Lost to #10 Utah, #27 Houston, #28 Arizona and Mississippi State, Bad Loss:  Mississippi State)

4-15-12-15-22-31   Georgia Tech (9-3) fell to #6 Georgia 16-9,  (Quality Wins:  None, Biggest Win:  Wake Forest, Lost to #6 Georgia, Pittsburgh and North Carolina State, Bad Losses:  Pittsburgh and North Carolina State)

32 TCU (8-4) trounced Cincinnati 45-23 (Quality Win:  #27 Houston, Lost to #7 BYU, #30 Arizona State, Iowa State and Kansas State, Bad Losses:  Iowa State and Kansas State

---------33-32-33 Old Dominion (9-3) routed Georgia State 27-10, (Quality Wins:  None, Biggest Win:  Virginia Tech, Lost to #1 Indiana, #17 James Madison and Marshall, Bad Loss:  Marshall)

Dropped from Consideration:

#29 SMU, #31 LSU, #33 Pittsburgh and #34 Wake Forest

Oregon Registers Quality Win To Move Up To #5 in Blue Football Through and Through Top 25*

Our rankings, unlike the AP and Coaches polls, are based on actual results and logic.  A bad loss counts much more than a big win, but other than than, we evaluate the teams based on the number and quality of good wins and the number and quality of their losses.  A bad loss is defined as losing to a team not under consideration, while a quality win is defined as a win over any other team being considered.  

We start with each team being equal, then move them up or down based on their season performance vs. that of the teams around them.  We separate them by record and then evaluate them against each other, starting with undefeated teams and moving down.  When we compare teams with the same record, the ones with any Bad Losses* are always going to be ranked lower, and those with Quality Wins* are going to be ranked ahead of those without.  A team with a worse record can be ranked ahead of another if they have less bad losses and/or more quality wins.  

Often, especially late in the year, we have situations where a trio of teams have 2-1 records against each other, so the head-to-head matchup is essentially tied between those three.  In those cases, we break the tie with the evaluation of their best wins and losses and season records.

This weekend was once again characterized by little movement, as there have been enough results to correctly rank the Top 25*.  Several teams were dropped from consideration, as their Quality Wins have disappeared and their Bad Losses look worse than before.  

Oregon scored their first Quality Win* with a victory over #19 USC and moved up a spot.  As one would expect, there are no Bad Losses* to teams ranked in the Top 10*.  Miami of Florida had its Bad Loss* to SMU erased when the Mustangs entered the list at #35, but its loss to Louisville is now realized as a Bad Loss* after the Cardinals' fourth loss of the season dropped them out of consideration.

With South Florida dropping out of the rankings, North Texas now has a Bad Loss* and thus dropped a couple of spots.

Most Important:  If a team beats another, they cannot ever be ranked below them as long as that team has the same or worse record.  In other words, we rank them logically.

Here are the Top 25*:

1-1-1-1-1   Texas A&M (11-0) ran away from Samford 48-0, (Quality Wins: #10 Utah, #12 Notre Dame and #26 Missouri)

2-2-2-2-2   Indiana (11-0) did not play,  (Quality Wins:  #5 Oregon and #27 Illinois)

3-3-3-3-3  Ohio State (11-0) obliterated Rutgers 42-9,  (Quality Wins:  #21 Texas, #23 Washington and #27 Illinois)

12-6-4-4-4 Texas Tech (10-1) took the weekend off, (Quality Wins: #7 BYU, #10 Utah and #28 Houston, Lost to #29 Arizona State)

7-5-6-6-5   Oregon (10-1) overcame #19 USC 42-27,  (Quality Win:  #19 USC, Lost to #2 Indiana)

9-9-8-7-6   Georgia (10-1) clipped Charlotte 35-3,  ( Quality Wins:  #7 Mississippi, #21 Texas and #21 Tennessee, Lost to #14 Alabama)

11-10-9-8-7 Mississippi (10-1) was idle, (Quality Wins:  #9 Oklahoma and #25 Tulane, Lost to #6 Georgia)

5-4-5-5-8   BYU (10-1) bumped Cincinnati 26-14, (Quality Win:  #10 Utah, Lost to #4 Texas Tech)

30-24-20-10-9  Oklahoma (8-2) stymied #26 Missouri 17-6, Lost to #8 Mississippi 34-26,  (Quality Wins: #14 Alabama, #15 Michigan, #21 Tennessee and #26 Missouri, Lost to #8 Mississippi and #20 Texas

14-8-10-9-10 Utah (9-2) won a wild 51-47 game over Kansas State,  Quality Win: #29 Arizona State, Lost to  #4 Texas Tech and #7 BYU)

17-16-15-12-11  Miami of Florida (9-2) downed Virginia Tech 34-17,  (Quality Win:  #12 Notre Dame,  Lost to #35 SMU and Louisville, Bad Loss:  Louisville)

18-17-16-13-12  Notre Dame (9-2) ran it up on Syracuse 70-7,   (Quality Wins:  #16 Navy, #19 USC and #35 Pittsburgh, Lost to #1 Texas A&M and #11 Miami of Florida)

24-13-11-11-13  North Texas (10-1) rambled over Rice 56-24, (Quality Win:  #16 Navy, Lost to South Florida, Bad Loss:  South Florida)

8-7-7-16-14   Alabama (8-2) ran it up on Eastern Illinois 56-0, (Quality Wins:  #6 Georgia, #17 Vanderbilt, #21 Tennessee and #26 Missouri, Lost to #9 Oklahoma and Florida State), Bad Loss:  Florida State)

31-25-22-17-15  Michigan (9-2) manhandled Maryland 49-20, (Quality Win:  #23 Washington, Lost to #9 Oklahoma and #19 USC)

6-14-23-18-16  Navy (8-2) did not play, (Quality Win:  #34 South Florida, Lost to #12 Notre Dame and #13 North Texas)

10-21-19-19-17 Vanderbilt (9-2) demolished Kentucky 45-17, (Quality Win:  #26 Missouri, Lost to #14 Alabama and #20 Texas)

22-19-21-21-18  James Madison (10-1) edged Washington State 24-20,  (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Win:  Old Dominion, Lost to Louisville, Bad Loss:  Louisville)

23-18-17-14-19 USC (8-3) lost to #5 Oregon 42-27,   (Quality Win:  #15 Michigan, Lost to #5 Oregon, #12 Notre Dame and #27 Illinois)

29-20-18-23-20 Texas (8-3) turned back Arkansas 52-37, (Quality Wins:  #9 Oklahoma and #17 Vanderbilt, Lost to #3 Ohio State, #7 Georgia and Florida, Bad Loss:  Florida)

19-30-27-25-21  Tennessee (8-3) scored a 31-11 victory over Florida,  (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Win:  Mississippi State, Lost to #6 Georgia, #9 Oklahoma and #14 Alabama)

4-15-12-15-22   Georgia Tech (9-2) lost to #32 Pittsburgh 42-28,  (Quality Win: #34 Wake Forest, Lost to #32 Pittsburgh and North Carolina State, Bad Loss:  North Carolina State)

32-26-30-27-23  Washington (8-3) whipped UCLA 48-14,  (Quality Win:  #27 Illinois, Lost to #3 Ohio State, #17 Michigan and Wisconsin, Bad Loss:  Wisconsin)

15-11-13--20-24 Virginia (9-2) was idle this week, (Quality Wins:  None, Biggest Win:  Louisville, Lost to #37 Wake Forest and North Carolina State, Bad Loss:  North Carolina State)

21-37-32-28-25  Tulane (9-2) tumbled Temple 37-13,  (Quality Win:  #33 Memphis, Lost to #7 Mississippi and UTSA, Bad Loss:  UTSA)

Dropped from Top 25*:

#22 Missouri, #24 Houston

Also Considered:

20-22-24-22-26  Missouri (7-4) fell to #9 Oklahoma 17-6, (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Wins:  Kansas, Auburn and South Carolina, Lost to #1 Texas A&M, #9 Oklahoma, #14 Alabama and #17 Vanderbilt)

33-31-31-28-27   Illinois (7-4) Lost to Wisconsin 27-10,  (Quality Win:  #19 USC, Lost to #2 Indiana, #3 Ohio State and #23 Washington and Wisconsin, Bad Loss:  Wisconsin)

13-29-26-24-28 Houston (8-3) lost to TCU 17-14, (Quality Wins:  #29 Arizona State and #30 Arizona, Lost to #4 Texas Tech, TCU and West Virginia, Bad Losses:  TCU and West Virginia)

----35-29-26-29   Arizona State (8-3) annihilated Colorado 42-17, (Quality Win:  #4 Texas Tech, Lost to #10 Utah, #28 Houston and Mississippi State, Bad Loss:  Mississippi State)

-------------29-30  Arizona (8-3) blitzed Baylor 41-17, (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Win:  Cincinnati, Lost to #7 BYU, #28 Houston and Iowa State, Bad Loss:  Iowa State)

27-23----32-31 LSU (7-4) nudged Western Kentucky 17-14, (Quality Wins:  None, Biggest Win:  Clemson and Florida, Lost to #1 Texas A&M, #7 Mississippi, #14 Alabama and #17 Vanderbilt)

---------33-32  Old Dominion (7-3) routed Georgia Southern 45-10, (Quality Wins:  None, Biggest Win:  Virginia Tech, Lost to #2 Indiana, #18 James Madison and Marshall, Bad Loss:  Marshall)

----36-28-37-33  Pittsburgh (8-3) gummed up #22 Georgia Tech's hopes in a 42-28 win, (Quality Win:  #22 Georgia Tech, Lost to #12 Notre Dame, Louisville and West Virginia, Bad Losses:  Louisville and West Virginia)

---------38-34  Wake Forest (8-3) demolished Delaware 52-14, Quality Win:  #20 Virginia, Lost to #15 Georgia Tech, North Carolina State and Florida State, Bad Losses:  North Carolina State and Florida State)

--------------35 SMU (8-3) smothered Louisville 38-6 (Quality Win:  #11 Miami of Florida, Lost to #34 Wake Forest, TCU and Baylor, Bad Losses:  TCU and Baylor)

Dropped from Consideration:

#30 East Carolina, #31 Cincinnati, #34 Memphis, #36 Louisville and #37 South Florida

Georgia, Oklahoma Win Big Games to Advance, A&M Rallies From 27 Points Down To Hold On To #1

Our rankings, unlike the AP and Coaches polls, are based on actual results and logic.  A bad loss counts much more than a big win, but other than than, we evaluate the teams based on the number and quality of good wins and the number and quality of their losses.  A bad loss is defined as losing to a team not under consideration, while a quality win is defined as a win over any other team being considered.  

We start with each team being equal, then move them up or down based on their season performance vs. that of the teams around them.  We separate them by record and then evaluate them against each other, starting with undefeated teams and moving down.  When we compare teams with the same record, the ones with any bad losses are always going to be ranked lower, and those with quality wins are going to be ranked ahead of those without.  A team with a worse record can be ranked ahead of another if they have less bad losses and/or more quality wins.  

Often, especially late in the year, we have situations where a trio of teams have 2-1 records against each other, so the head-to-head matchup is essentially tied between those three.  In those cases, we break the tie with the evaluation of their best wins and losses and season records.

Texas A&M held on to #1 despite their close win against a losing team at home.  The Aggies have no losses and three Top 25* wins, including two wins over Top 15* teams.  Ohio State still hasn't played a team in the Top 20, but does have three nice wins.

Oklahoma scored a huge win over Alabama, and Texas's loss cleared the way for the Sooners to make a nice move.  They have been held back because the two teams had the same record and Texas defeated Oklahoma.  Texas cannot be ranked too high because of its really Bad Loss to Florida, by far the Worst Loss of any team ranked in the Top 20 last week.

Meanwhile, Alabama took a big tumble as their Bad Loss to Florida State has hampered their position all year.  Alabama has to be ranked behind Oklahoma with the on-the-field loss at home, and Georgia (which lost to Alabama) which has been held back by that on-the-field loss is now free to move up.

Miami of Florida has been held down all season by a loss to Louisville and their Bad Loss to SMU.  But with the Cardinals' third loss of the season and SMU's improved lot, that allowed both Miami (and by extension Notre Dame, which lost to Miami), to move up a bit.  A loss to North Carolina State (which is the case for Georgia Tech and Virginia) now looks worse than Miami's loss to SMU.  Why did both Miami and Notre Dame pass Georgia Tech?  That Bad Loss now looks better than Tech's loss to NC State and both Miami and Notre Dame have two Quality Wins while Tech has zero.

Note that Notre Dame cannot be ranked ahead of Miami as they lost on the field to the Hurricanes and the two teams have the same record.  So Notre Dame will continue to be held down by Miami until the Hurricanes lose.

The coaches and media mistakenly had Alabama #4, apparently forgetting that the Crimson Tide lost to a 4-5 team, Florida State.  Even Boise State has not lost to a losing team.

All year, the coaches and media have insisted that South Florida was better than Navy, and they've never ranked Navy, preferring to put teams like South Florida, Tulane and North Texas ahead of the Midshipmen.  They are shocked that Navy beat South Florida, but they shouldn't be.  Had they checked the Blue Football Through and Through Top 25*, they would have seen that Navy was ranked #23, even after last week's loss, and South Florida was ranked #34.  As the game was at Navy, that's an easy call...for us.  #23 Navy 41, #34 South Florida 38.

Most Important:  If a team beats another, they cannot ever be ranked below them as long as that team has the same or worse record.  In other words, we rank them logically.

Here are the Top 25*:

1-1-1-1   Texas A&M (10-0) came back from a 30-3 halftime deficit to survive South Carolina 31-30, (Quality Wins: #9 Utah, #13 Notre Dame and #22 Missouri)

2-2-2-2   Indiana (11-0) whipped Wisconsin 31-7,  (Quality Wins:  #6 Oregon and #28 Illinois)

3-3-3-3  Ohio State (10-0) cruised to a 48-10 win over UCLA,  (Quality Wins:  #23 Texas, #27 Washington and #28 Illinois)

12-6-4-4 Texas Tech (10-1) upended UCF 48-9, (Quality Wins: #5 BYU, #9 Utah and #24 Houston, Lost to #26 Arizona State)

5-4-5-5   BYU (9-1) bumped TCU 44-13, (Quality Wins:  #9 Utah, Lost to #4 Texas Tech)

7-5-6-6   Oregon (9-1) blasted Minnesota 42-13,  (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Win:  Iowa, Lost to #2 Indiana)

9-9-8-7   Georgia (9-1) took care of #23 Texas 35-10,  ( Quality Wins:  #8 Mississippi, #23 Texas and #25 Tennessee, Lost to #16 Alabama)

11-10-9-8 Mississippi (10-1) came from behind to beat Florida 34-24, (Quality Wins:  #10 Oklahoma and #28 Tulane, Lost to #7 Georgia)

14-8-10-9 Utah (8-2) blitzed Baylor 55-28,  Quality Wins: #26 Arizona State, Lost to  #4 Texas Tech and #5 BYU)

30-24-20-10  Oklahoma (8-2) humbled #16 Alabama 23-21, Lost to #8 Mississippi 34-26,  (Quality Wins: #16 Alabama, #17 Michigan and #25 Tennessee, Lost to #8 Mississippi and #23 Texas

24-13-11-11  North Texas (9-1) defeated UAB 53-24, (Quality Wins:  #18 Navy, Lost to #35 South Florida,)

17-16-15-12  Miami of Florida (8-2) mashed North Carolina State 41-7,  (Quality Wins:  #13 Notre Dame,  Lost to #36 Louisville and SMU, Bad Loss:  SMU)

18-17-16-13  Notre Dame (8-2) pounded #37 Pittsburgh 37-15,   (Quality Wins:  #14 USC, #18 Navy and #37 Pittsburgh, Lost to #1 Texas A&M and #12 Miami of Florida)

23-18-17-14 USC (8-2) scored a 26-21 win over Iowa,   (Quality Win:  #19 Michigan, Lost to #15 Notre Dame and #28 Illinois)

4-15-12-15   Georgia Tech (9-1) survived a scare from 1-10  Boston College, 36-34,  (Quality Win:  none; Biggest Win:  Wake Forest, Lost to North Carolina State, Bad Loss:  North Carolina State)

8-7-7-16   Alabama (7-2) lost at home to #10 Oklahoma 23-21,  (Quality Wins:  #7 Georgia, #19 Vanderbilt, #22 Missouri and #25 Tennessee, Lost to #10 Oklahoma and Florida State), Bad Loss:  Florida State)

31-25-22-17  Michigan (8-2) nudged Northwestern 24-22, (Quality Win:  #27 Washington, Lost to #10 Oklahoma and #13 USC)

6-14-23-18  Navy (8-2) nipped #35 South Florida 41-38, (Quality Win:  #35 South Florida; Best Wins:  Air Force and UAB, Lost to #11 North Texas and #13 Notre Dame)

10-21-19-19 Vanderbilt (8-2) did not play, (Quality Wins:  #22 Missouri, Lost to #16 Alabama and #23 Texas)

15-11-13--20 Virginia (9-2) dumped Duke 34-17, (Quality Win:  #36 Louisville, Lost to #38 Wake Forest and North Carolina State, Bad Loss:  North Carolina State)

22-19-21-21  James Madison (9-1) jumped all over Appalachian State 58-10,  (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Win:  Old Dominion, Lost to #36 Louisville)

20-22-24-22  Missouri (7-3) downed Mississippi State 49-27, (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Wins:  Kansas, Auburn and South Carolina, Lost to #1 Texas A&M, #16 Alabama and #19 Vanderbilt)

29-20-18-23 Texas (7-3) lost to #8 Georgia 35-10, (Quality Wins:  #10 Oklahoma and #19 Vanderbilt, Lost to #3 Ohio State, #7 Georgia and Florida, Bad Loss:  Florida)

13-29-26-24 Houston (8-2) was idle this week, (Quality Win:  #26 Arizona State, Lost to #4 Texas Tech and West Virginia, Bad Loss:  West Virginia)

19-30-27-25  Tennessee (7-3) trounced New Mexico State 42-9,  (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Win:  Mississippi State, Lost to #7 Georgia, #10 Oklahoma and #16 Alabama)

Dropped from Top 25*: #14 Louisville and #25 Cincinnati

Also Considered:

----35-29-26   Arizona State 7-3 held off West Virginia 25-23, (Quality Win:  #4 Texas Tech, Lost to #9 Utah, #24 Houston and Mississippi State, Bad Loss:  Mississippi State)

32-26-30-27  Washington (7-3) whipped Purdue 49-13,  (Quality Win:  #28 Illinois, Lost to #3 Ohio State, #17 Michigan and Wisconsin, Bad Loss:  Wisconsin)

33-31-31-28   Illinois (7-3) turned back Maryland 24-6,  (Quality Win:  #18 USC, Lost to #2 Indiana, #3 Ohio State and #27 Washington)

21-37-32-28  Tulane (8-2) toppled Florida Atlantic 35-24,  (Quality Wins:  #34 Memphis; Biggest Wins:  Duke and East Carolina, Lost to #8 Mississippi and UTSA, Bad Loss:  UTSA)

-------------29  Arizona (7-3) closed out a 30-24 win over #31 Cincinnati, (Quality Win:  #31 Cincinnati, Lost to #5 BYU, #24 Houston and Iowa State, Bad Loss:  Iowa State)

26-27-25-31  Cincinnati (7-3) lost to #29 Arizona 30-24, (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Win:  Iowa State, Lost to #9 Utah, #29 Arizona and Nebraska, Bad Loss:  Nebraska)

---------30  East Carolina (7-3) tripped up #34 Memphis 31-27, (Quality Win: #34 Memphis, lost to #5 BYU, #28 Tulane and North Carolina State, Bad Loss:  North Carolina State)

27-23----32 LSU (6-4) edged Arkansas 23-22, (Quality Wins:  None, Biggest Win:  Clemson and Florida, Lost to #1 Texas A&M, #8 Mississippi, #16 Alabama and #17 Vanderbilt)

---------33  Old Dominion (7-3) blanked Troy 33-0, Quality Wins:  None, Biggest Win:  Virginia Tech, Lost to #2 Indiana, #21 James Madison and Marshall, Bad Loss:  Marshall

35-33-33-34   Memphis (8-3) lost again, this time to #30 East Carolina, 31-27, (Quality Win:  #35 South Florida, Lost to #30 East Carolina and UAB, Bad Loss:  UAB)

36-34-35  South Florida (7-3) lost to #18 Navy 41-38,  (Quality Win: #11 North Texas, Lost to #12 Miami of Florida, #17 Navy and #34 Memphis)

16-12-14-36  Louisville (7-3) lost again, this time to Clemson 20-19, (Quality Wins:  #12 Miami of Florida, #21 James Madison and #37 Pittsburgh, Lost to #20 Virginia, California and Clemson, Bad Losses:  California and Clemson)

----36-28-37  Pittsburgh (7-3) was outclassed by #13 Notre Dame 37-15, (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Win:  North Carolina State, Lost to #13 Notre Dame, #36 Louisville and West Virginia, Bad Loss:  West Virginia

---------38  Wake Forest (7-3) walloped North Carolina 28-12, Quality Win:  #20 Virginia, Lost to #15 Georgia Tech, North Carolina State and Florida State, Bad Losses:  North Carolina State and Florida State)

A & M Holds Down #1 in The Top 25* With Little Movement in the Field

 Our rankings, unlike the AP and Coaches polls, are based on actual results and logic.  A bad loss counts much more than a big win, but other than than, we evaluate the teams based on the number and quality of good wins and the number and quality of their losses.  A bad loss is defined as losing to a team not under consideration, while a quality win is defined as a win over any other team being considered.  

We start with each team being equal, then move them up or down based on their season performance vs. that of the teams around them.  We separate them by record and then evaluate them against each other, starting with undefeated teams and moving down.  When we compare teams with the same record, the ones with any bad losses are always going to be ranked lower, and those with quality wins are going to be ranked ahead of those without.  A team with a worse record can be ranked ahead of another if they have less bad losses and/or more quality wins.  

Often, especially late in the year, we have situations where a trio of teams have 2-1 records against each other, so the head-to-head matchup is essentially tied between those three.  In those cases, we break the tie with the evaluation of their best wins and losses and season records.

This week was characterized by very little movement, which tells us the teams we have ranked and under consideration are generally the teams that belong here.

Texas Tech is by far the best one-loss team with three Top 25* wins and no Bad Losses.

At this point in the season, two bad losses disqualifies a team from consideration.  They could get back in later in the year.

Most Important:  If a team beats another, they cannot ever be ranked below them as long as that team has the same or worse record.  In other words, we rank them logically.

On-the-field results matter, and this fact really hurts Georgia and Mississippi, having lost to Alabama, which has the really Bad Loss to Florida State.  Those two have no Bad Losses and would otherwise be ranked higher.

Here are the Top 25*:

1-1-1   Texas A&M (9-0) trounced #24 Missouri 38-17, (Quality Wins: #9 Utah, #16 Notre Dame and #24 Missouri)

2-2-2   Indiana (10-0) had its prayer answered in the final minutes against Penn State to win 27-24,  (Quality Wins:  #6 Oregon and #31 Illinois)

3-3-3   Ohio State (9-0) pummeled Purdue 34-10,  (Quality Wins:  #18 Texas, #30 Washington and #31 Illinois)

12-6-4 Texas Tech (9-1) trounced #5 BYU 29-7, (Quality Wins: #5 BYU, #10 Utah and #26 Houston, Lost to #30 Arizona State)

5-4-5   BYU (8-1) saw its unbeaten streak end 29-7 at the hands of #4 Texas Tech, (Quality Wins:  #10 Utah, Lost to #4 Texas Tech)

7-5-6   Oregon (8-1) outlasted Iowa 18-16,  (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Win:  Iowa, Lost to #2 Indiana)

8-7-7   Alabama (7-1) scored a 20-9 win over #28 LSU,  (Quality Wins:  #8 Georgia, #19 Vanderbilt, #24 Missouri and #27 Tennessee, Lost to Florida State), Bad Loss:  Florida State)

9-9-8   Georgia (8-1) mashed Mississippi State 41-21,  ( Quality Wins:  #9 Mississippi and #27 Tennessee, Lost to #7 Alabama)

11-10-9 Mississippi (9-1) blanked the Citadel 49-0, (Quality Wins:  #20 Oklahoma and #32 Tulane, Lost to #8 Georgia)

14-8-10 Utah (7-2) was off this week,  Quality Wins: #25 Cincinnati and #29 Arizona State, Lost to  #4 Texas Tech and #5 BYU)

24-13-11  North Texas (8-1) did not play, (Quality Wins:  #23 Navy, Lost to #36 South Florida)

4-15-12   Georgia Tech (8-1) was idle this week,  (Quality Win:  none; Biggest Win:  Wake Forest, Lost to North Carolina State, Bad Loss:  North Carolina State)

15-11-13 Virginia (8-2) lost to Wake Forest 16-9, (Quality Win:  #14 Louisville, Lost to North Carolina State, Bad Loss:  North Carolina State)

16-12-14  Louisville (7-2) lost to California  29-26,  (Quality Wins:  #15 Miami of Florida, #21 James Madison and #28 Pittsburgh, Lost to #11 Virginia and California, Bad Loss:  California)

17-16-15  Miami of Florida (7-2) destroyed Syracuse 38-16,  (Quality Wins:  #16 Notre Dame and #34 South Florida, Lost to #14 Louisville and SMU, Bad Loss: SMU)

18-17-16  Notre Dame (7-2) blitzed #23 Navy 49-10,   (Quality Wins:  #18 USC and #23 Navy, Lost to #1 Texas A&M and #15 Miami of Florida)

23-18-17 USC (7-2) pulled away from Northwestern 38-17,   (Quality Win:  #22 Michigan, Lost to #16 Notre Dame and #27 Illinois)

29-20-18 Texas (7-2) did not play, (Quality Wins:  #19 Vanderbilt and #20 Oklahoma, Lost to #3 Ohio State and Florida, Bad Loss:  Florida)

10-21-19 Vanderbilt (8-2) held on against hapless Auburn 45-38 in overtime, (Quality Wins:  #24 Missouri and #23 LSU, Lost to #7 Alabama and #18 Texas)

30-24-20  Oklahoma (7-2) did not play, Lost to #10 Mississippi 34-26,  (Quality Wins: #22 Michigan and #27 Tennessee, Lost to #10 Mississippi and #18 Texas

22-19-21  James Madison (8-1) danced over  Marshall 35-23,  (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Win:  Old Dominion, Lost to #12 Louisville)

31-25-22  Michigan (7-2) was idle, (Quality Win:  #30 Washington, Lost to #17 USC and #20 Oklahoma)

6-14-23    Navy (7-2) was outclassed by #16 Notre Dame 49-10, (Quality Wins:  None; Best Wins:  Air Force and UAB, Lost to #12 North Texas and #16 Notre Dame)

20-22-24  Missouri (6-3) lost to #1 Texas A&M 38-17, (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Wins:  Kansas, Auburn and South Carolina, Lost to #1 Texas A&M, #7 Alabama and #19 Vanderbilt)

26-27-25  Cincinnati (7-2) did not play, (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Win:  Iowa State, Lost to #9 Utah and #37 Nebraska, Bad Loss:  Nebraska)

Dropped out of the Top 25*:  #25 LSU

Also Considered:

13-29-26 Houston (8-2) upended UCF 30-27, (Quality Win:  #29 Arizona State, Lost to #4 Texas Tech and West Virginia, Bad Loss:  West Virginia)

19-30-27  Tennessee (6-3) did not play,  (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Win:  Mississippi State, Lost to #7 Alabama, #9 Georgia and #20 Oklahoma)

-----36-28  Pittsburgh (7-2) was idle, (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Win:  North Carolina State, Lost to #14 Louisville and West Virginia, Bad Loss:  West Virginia

----35-29   Arizona State 6-3 did not play, (Quality Win:  #4 Texas Tech, Lost to #8 Utah, #26 Houston and Mississippi State, Bad Loss:  Mississippi State)

32-26-30  Washington (6-3) lost to Wisconsin 13-10,  (Quality Win:  #31 Illinois, Lost to #3 Ohio State, #22 Michigan and Wisconsin, Bad Loss:  Wisconsin)

33-31-31   Illinois (5-3) was idle this week,  (Quality Win:  #18 USC, Lost to #2 Indiana, #3 Ohio State and #30 Washington)

21-37-32  Tulane (7-2) held off #33 Memphis 38-32,  (Quality Wins:  #33 Memphis; Biggest Wins:  Duke and East Carolina, Lost to #10 Mississippi and UTSA, Bad Loss:  UTSA)

35-33-33   Memphis (8-2) lost to #32 Tulane 38-32, (Quality Win:  #34 South Florida, Lost to UAB, Bad Loss:  UAB)

36-34-34  South Florida (7-2) sailed past UTSA 55-23,  (Quality Win: #11 North Texas, Lost to #15 Miami of Florida and #34 Memphis)

Dropped from Consideration:  #25 LSU, #27 San Diego State, #28 Iowa

The New Blue Football Through and Through Top 25!

Our rankings, unlike the AP and Coaches polls, are based on actual results and logic.  A bad loss counts much more than a big win, but other than than, we evaluate the teams based on the number and quality of good wins and the number and quality of their losses.  A bad loss is defined as losing to a team not under consideration, while a quality win is defined as a win over any other team being considered.  

We start with each team being equal, then move them up or down based on their season performance vs. that of the teams around them.  We separate them by record and then evaluate them against each other, starting with undefeated teams and moving down.  When we compare teams with the same record, the ones with any bad losses are always going to be ranked lower, and those with quality wins are going to be ranked ahead of those without.  A team with a worse record can be ranked ahead of another if they have less bad losses and/or more quality wins.  

Often, especially late in the year, we have situations where a trio of teams have 2-1 records against each other, so the head-to-head matchup is essentially tied between those three.  In those cases, we break the tie with the evaluation of their best wins and losses and season records.

The coaches and media were shocked when Utah manhandled Cincinnati.  They shouldn't have been--had they used logic and/or seen the Blue Football Through and Through Top 25* last week, they would have known that Utah was by far the superior team.  By taking a quick check of our Top 25*, they would have seen that Utah was logically the #14 team in the nation and Cincinnati #26.  The 45-14 beating Utah administered was a lot more what one would expect looking at these ratings and not what the coaches or media produced.

Although idle this week, Texas A&M continues to hold on to the #1 spot with the most impressive resume--0 losses and wins over now #8 Utah, #17 Notre Dame and #23 LSU.  Ohio State's biggest win  is over #20 Texas.

"Giant-killer" North Carolina State struck again, making mincemeat of previously unbeaten Georgia Tech.  This had two consequences, calling Tech to fall precipitously and making Louisville's Bad Loss to the Wolfpack just a little more plausible.  With four losses, NC State cannot be ranked or even considered, but it's obvious they have talent and are a pretty good 5-4 team.

Miami of Florida's loss to SMU also affected Notre Dame--since Miami beat Notre Dame and the two have the same losses, there is no logical way Notre Dame can be ahead of Miami.

Miami didn't fall because several teams ahead of them lost, 

Remember from last week, the proper ranking of these teams is (from using head-to-head results):  Virginia (which beat Louisville), Louisville (which beat Miami of Florida), Miami of Florida (which beat Notre Dame), Notre Dame (which beat USC), and USC.  Again, the coaches and media were surprised when Miami lost to SMU--although it was an upset, we're not that surprised as we had Miami far lower than the illogical polls.

Notre Dame and South Florida both lost strength as their wins over Boise State are no longer regarded as Quality Wins.

Vanderbilt had to take a big tumble after losing to Texas.  The two now have the same number of losses and Texas cannot be ranked higher because of their Bad Loss to Florida.  Vandy's loss meant a fall for Missouri, as the Commodores beat the Tigers earlier this year.

UNLV fell out of consideration not only because of its Bad Loss to New Mexico, but the loss to Boise State gives the Rebels two Bad Losses.

At this point in the season, two bad losses disqualifies a team from consideration.  They could get back in later in the year.

Most Important:  If a team beats another, they cannot ever be ranked below them as long as that team has the same or worse record.  In other words, we rank them logically.

Here are the Top 25*:

1-1   Texas A&M (8-0) did not play, (Quality Wins: #7 Utah, #18 Notre Dame and #23 LSU)

2-2   Indiana (9-0) mashed Maryland 55-10,  (Quality Wins:  #5 Oregon, #28 Iowa and #31 Illinois)

3-3   Ohio State (8-0) routed Penn State 38-14,  (Quality Wins:  #22 Texas and #27 Washington)

5-4   BYU (8-0) did not play, (Quality Win:  #8 Utah)

7-5   Oregon (7-1) was idle this week,  (Quality Wins:  None; Best Win:  Northwestern, Lost to #2 Indiana)

12-6 Texas Tech (8-1) trounced Kansas State 43-20, (Quality Wins: #8 Utah and #29 Houston, Lost to #35 Arizona State)

8-7   Alabama (7-1) did not play,  (Quality Wins:  #9 Georgia, #21 Vanderbilt, #22 Missouri and #30 Tennessee, Lost to Florida State), Bad Loss:  Florida State)

14-8 Utah (7-2) creamed #27 Cincinnati 45-14,  Quality Wins: #27 Cincinnati and #35 Arizona State, Lost to  #4 BYU and #6 Texas Tech)

9-9   Georgia (7-1) managed a 24-20 win over Florida,  ( Quality Wins:  #10 Mississippi and #30 Tennessee, Lost to #7 Alabama)

11-10 Mississippi (8-1) sailed past South Carolina 30-14, (Quality Wins:  #23 LSU and #24 Oklahoma, Lost to #9 Georgia)

15-11 Virginia (8-1) took care of California 31-21, (Quality Win:  #12 Louisville, Lost to North Carolina State, Bad Loss:  North Carolina State)

16-12  Louisville (7-1) was victorious at Virginia Tech, 28-16,  (Quality Wins:  #16 Miami of Florida and #19 James Madison, Lost to #11 Virginia)

24-13  North Texas (7-1) upended #14 Navy 31-17, (Quality Wins:  #14 Navy, Lost to #34 South Florida)

6-14    Navy (7-1) was outclassed by #13 North Texas 31-17, (Quality Wins:  None; Best Wins:  Air Force and UAB, Lost to #13 North Texas)

4-15   Georgia Tech (8-1) fell from the unbeaten ranks with a 48-36 loss at North Carolina State,  (Quality Win:  none; Biggest Win:  Wake Forest, Lost to North Carolina State, Bad Loss:  North Carolina State)

17-16  Miami of Florida (6-2) was upset by SMU 23-20 in overtime,  (Quality Wins:  #17 Notre Dame and #34 South Florida, Lost to #12 Louisville and SMU, Bad Loss: SMU)

18-17  Notre Dame (6-2) bounced Boston College 25-10,   (Quality Win:  #18 USC, Lost to #1 Texas A&M and #16 Miami of Florida)

23-18 USC (6-2) nudged Nebraska 21-17,   (Quality Win:  #26 Michigan, Lost to #17 Notre Dame and #31 Illinois)

22-19  James Madison (7-1) downed Texas State 52-20,  (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Win:  Old Dominion, Lost to #12 Louisville)

29-20 Texas (7-2) held Off #21 Vanderbilt 41-31, (Quality Wins:  #21 Vanderbilt and #24 Oklahoma, Lost to #3 Ohio State and Florida, Bad Loss:  Florida)

10-21 Vanderbilt (7-2) fell to #22 Texas 34-31, (Quality Wins:  #22 Missouri and #23 LSU, Lost to #7 Alabama and #20 Texas)

20-22  Missouri (6-2) was idle, (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Wins:  Kansas, Auburn and South Carolina, Lost to #7 Alabama and #21 Vanderbilt)

27-23  LSU (5-3) did not play,  (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Wins, Florida and South Carolina, Lost to #1 Texas A&M, #10 Mississippi and #21 Vanderbilt )

30-24  Oklahoma (7-2) overtook #30 Tennessee 33-27, Lost to #10 Mississippi 34-26,  (Quality Wins: #25 Michigan and #30 Tennessee, Lost to #10 Mississippi and #20 Texas

31-25  Michigan (7-2) prevailed over Purdue 21-16, (Quality Win:  #26 Washington, Lost to #18 USC and #24 Oklahoma)

Dropped out of the Top 25*:  #13 Houston, #19 Tennessee, #21 Tulane and #25 UNLV

Also Considered:

32-26  Washington (6-2) did not play,  (Quality Win:  #31 Illinois, Lost to #3 Ohio State and #25 Michigan)

26-27  Cincinnati (7-2) was annihilated by #8 Utah 45-14, (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Win:  Iowa State, Lost to #8 Utah and Nebraska, Bad Loss:  Nebraska)

28-28   Iowa (6-2)  was idle this week, (Quality Wins:  None, Biggest Win: Minnesota, Lost to #2 Indiana and Iowa State; Bad Loss:  Iowa State)

13-29 Houston (7-2) lost to West Virginia 45-35, (Quality Win:  #35 Arizona State, Lost to #6 Texas Tech and West Virginia, Bad Loss:  West Virginia)

19-30  Tennessee (6-3) lost to #24 Oklahoma 33-27,  (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Win:  Mississippi State, Lost to #7 Alabama, #9 Georgia and #24 Oklahoma)

33-31   Illinois (5-3) beat Rutgers 35-13,  (Quality Win:  #18 USC, Lost to #2 Indiana, #3 Ohio State and #26 Washington)

34-32   San Diego State (6-1) smothered Wyoming 30-7,  (Quality Wins:  None; Best Win:  California, Lost to Washington State, Bad Loss:  Washington State)

35-33   Memphis (8-1) blasted Rice 38-14, (Quality Win:  #34 South Florida, Lost to UAB, Bad Loss:  UAB)

36-34   South Florida (6-2) did not play,  (Quality Win: #13 North Texas, Lost to #16 Miami of Florida and #33 Memphis)

----35   Arizona State 6-3  beat Iowa State 24-19 (Quality Win:  Texas Tech, Lost to #8 Utah, #29 Houston and Mississippi State, Bad Loss:  Mississippi State)

-----36  Pittsburgh (7-2) rolled over Stanford 35-20, Lost to #12 Louisville and West Virginia, Bad Loss:  West Virginia

21-37  Tulane (6-2) lost to UTSA 48-26,  (Quality Wins:  None; Biggest Wins:  Duke and East Carolina, Lost to #11 Mississippi and UTSA, Bad Loss:  UTSA)

Dropped Out of Consideration:  

#25 UNLV, #37 Boise State, #38 Wake Forest and #39 Nebraska