Introduction
This website offers an alternative ranking system to the one used by the CFP Committee for College Football FBS Div 1 and is totally objective in determining a team’s ranking. The methods and formulas used to determine a team’s ranking are disclosed below. This ranking system is based on the premise that a team’s ranking should be based on current performance and not on past performance or current potential.
Performance factors
The system uses two measurable factors of performance which are score margin and current opponent ranking. The score margin factor is calculated by multiplying the score differential by 0.1 when the score margin is 35 points or less. The score margin factor is 3.5 when the score differential is greater than 35 points. As you can see, a team does not get any additional credit for winning by more than 35 points. For a win the score margin factor is positive while for a loss it is negative.
The current opponent ranking factor for a win was originally 3.5 * (((Total number of teams + 1) – Opponent Rank)/Total number of teams). Originally for a loss it was 3.5 * (Opponent Rank/Total number of teams). However, motivated by feedback about the system, the SPRS developer re-examined the directly proportional method used for the current opponent ranking factor and modified the formula because the directly proportional method did not give enough credit for higher ranked teams compared to lower ranked teams. The modified (squared) formula for a win was (3.4 * (((Total number of teams + 1 – Opponent Rank)/Total number of teams)²))+ 0.1, and the formula for a loss was (3.4 * ((Opponent Rank/Total number of teams)²)) + 0.1.
Based on consideration of additional feedback, the current opponent ranking factor has been changed to an exponential formula. The formula for win is ((3.4 * (((Total number of teams + 1 – Opponent Rank)/Total number of teams)5))+ 0.1) while the formula for a loss is (((3.3 * (((Total number of teams + 1 – 1)/Total number of teams)5))+ 0.2) – (3.3 * (((Total number of teams + 1 – Opponent Rank)/Total number of teams)5))).
The number of points that a team earns each game is calculated by multiplying the score margin factor by the current opponent ranking factor and the points accumulate throughout the season.
Comparison of points earned for the Original, Squared, and Exponential Formulas
| Score Margin / Opponent Rank | Original | Squared | Exponential |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizontal Axis position: () | |||
| (1) 7/1 | 2.4500 | 2.4500 | 2.4500 |
| (2) 7/30 | 1.9158 | 1.5253 | 0.7658 |
| (3) 7/50 | 1.5474 | 1.0194 | 0.3092 |
| (4) 7/133 | 0.0184 | 0.0701 | 0.0700 |
| (5) 14/1 | 4.9000 | 4.9000 | 4.9000 |
| (6) 14/30 | 3.8316 | 3.0505 | 1.5316 |
| (7) 14/50 | 3.0947 | 2.0387 | 0.6183 |
| (8) 14/133 | 0.0368 | 0.1403 | 0.1400 |
| (9) 21/1 | 7.3500 | 7.3500 | 7.3500 |
| (10) 21/30 | 5.7474 | 4.5758 | 2.2974 |
| (11) 21/50 | 4.6421 | 3.0581 | 0.9275 |
| (12) 21/133 | 0.0553 | 0.2104 | 0.2100 |
| (13) 40/1 | 12.2500 | 12.2500 | 12.2500 |
| (14) 40/30 | 9.5789 | 7.6263 | 3.8290 |
| (15) 40/50 | 7.7368 | 5.0968 | 1.5459 |
| (16) 40/133 | 0.0921 | 0.3507 | 0.3500 |
| (17) -7/1 | -0.0184 | -0.0701 | -0.1400 |
| (18) -7/30 | -0.5526 | -0.1911 | -1.7747 |
| (19) -7/50 | -0.9211 | -0.4064 | -2.2179 |
| (20) -7/133 | -2.4500 | -2.4500 | -2.4500 |
| (21) -14/1 | -0.0368 | -0.1403 | -0.2800 |
| (22) -14/30 | -1.1053 | -0.3822 | -3.5493 |
| (23) -14/50 | -1.8421 | -0.8127 | -4.4357 |
| (24) -14/133 | -4.9000 | -4.9000 | -4.9000 |
| (25) -21/1 | -0.0553 | -0.2104 | -0.4200 |
| (26) -21/30 | -1.6579 | -0.5733 | -5.3240 |
| (27) -21/50 | -2.7632 | -1.2191 | -6.6536 |
| (28) -21/133 | -7.3500 | -7.3500 | -7.3500 |
| (29) -40/1 | -0.0921 | -0.3507 | -0.7000 |
| (30) -40/30 | -2.7632 | -0.9555 | -8.8733 |
| (31) -40/50 | -4.6053 | -2.0318 | -11.0893 |
| (32) -40/133 | -12.2500 | -12.2500 | -12.2500 |
Initial rankings
It is believed that at the beginning of the season an opponent’s ranking cannot be determined objectively and, therefore, cannot be determined accurately. This system uses the following procedure to determine an opponent’s ranking after Week 4 of the season and thereafter the opponent’s ranking is determined by the accumulated results through the previous week:
1. Initially all teams are assigned the ranking of 65 for Weeks 0 – 4
2. Weeks 0 – 4 game scores are recorded and points are calculated and accumulated
3. Teams are then ranked based on the accumulated results of step 2
4. Weeks 0 – 4 points are recalculated using the team ranking in step 3 for each week
5. Teams are then ranked based on the accumulated results of step 4
Summary
In summary the Superior Performance Ranking System (SPRS) offers an alternative to the ranking system used by the CFP Committee and other polls. It is the SPRS developer’s belief that SPRS offers an objective and accurate measurement of a team’s current performance. It is not based on past performance nor is it based on subjective perception. Please feel free to offer suggestions that would improve SPRS by commenting on Posts.