1. The pregame procession – I absolutely love watching the cadets and midshipmen marching into the stadium.  At no other game will you see such pageantry when the fans enter the stadium.
2. The national anthem – Every single year, the game is begun by some ensemble of musicians who know how to play or sing the national anthem.  A quick hint for some of you youngsters out there…  It’s not a death march (it can be played or sung at faster than 60 beats/minute) and it’s not a pop melody (cut the ridiculous flourishes).  This year was no different with the Navy Choir beautifully singing the Star Spangled Banner.
3. The sportsmanship – I know both some Navy and Army personnel and I can tell you that this game means the season to these guys.  They want nothing more than to win this one game and that desire is shown on the field when the ball is in play.  A lot of hard hitting and all-out effort.  And yet, between the whistles, these guys always remember that they’re truly all on the same team.  If there is any game out there that I want my son watching to learn this lesson, it’s the Army-Navy game.
4. The knowledge that some of these guys may die serving the country – I know that most (all?) of these players will serve as officers.  But, they will almost certainly all see some combat conditions.  And, with that comes the very real possibility of death.  These guys chose to put themselves in position pay the ultimate price, something that few other college football players ever do.  I (and the rest of the country) owe them some attention and gratitude at least one Saturday out of the year.

And so, with that, I choose to not leave out the minor updates to the rankings that result from this game in early December each year.  As such, I give you my final computer rankings for the 2011 season (for a link to the general design, you can go here):

1. LSU (13-0)
2. Houston (12-1)
3. Oklahoma State (11-1)
4. Stanford (11-1)
5. Boise State (11-1)
6. Alabama (11-1)
7. Oregon (11-2)
8. Wisconsin (11-2)
9. Southern Mississippi (11-2)
10. Virginia Tech (11-2)
11. Michigan (10-2)
12. Southern California (10-2)
13. Michigan State (10-3)
14. Arkansas (10-2)
15. Georgia (10-3)
16. TCU (10-2)
17. Arkansas State (10-2)
18. South Carolina (10-2)
19. Oklahoma (9-3)
20. Clemson (10-3)
21. Kansas State (10-2)
22. Tulsa (8-4)
23. BYU (9-3)
24. Nebraska (9-3)
25. Penn State (9-3)
26. Northern Illinois (10-3)
27. Baylor (9-3)
28. Ohio (9-4)
29. Cincinnati (9-3)
30. West Virginia (9-3)
31. Notre Dame (8-4)
32. Florida International (8-4)
33. Florida State (8-4)
34. Temple (8-4)
35. Rutgers (8-4)
36. Toledo (8-4)
37. Georgia Tech (8-4)
38. Virginia (8-4)
39. Texas (7-5)
40. Missouri (7-5)
41. Louisiana Tech (8-4)
42. Western Michigan (7-5)
43. Louisiana – Lafayette (8-4)
44. SMU (7-5)
45. North Carolina (7-5)
46. Nevada (7-5)
47. Iowa (7-5)
48. San Diego State (8-4)
49. Texas A&M (6-6)
50. California (7-5)
51. Western Kentucky (7-5)
52. Auburn (7-5)
53. Marshall (6-6)
54. Louisville (7-5)
55. Utah (7-5)
56. UCLA (6-7)
57. Purdue (6-6)
58. Ohio State (6-6)
59. Washington (7-5)
60. Mississippi State (6-6)
61. Wyoming (8-4)
62. Illinois (6-6)
63. Wake Forest (6-6)
64. North Carolina State (7-5)
65. Ball State (6-6)
66. Utah State (7-5)
67. East Carolina (5-7)
68. Vanderbilt (6-6)
69. Miami – FL (6-6)
70. North Texas (5-7)
71. Arizona State (6-6)
72. Northwestern (6-6)
73. Florida (6-6)
74. UCF (5-7)
75. Eastern Michigan (6-6)
76. San Jose State (5-7)
77. Texas Tech (5-7)
78. Air Force (7-5)
79. Navy (5-7)
80. Tennessee (5-7)
81. South Florida (5-7)
82. Bowling Green (5-7)
83. Pittsburgh (6-6)
84. Kentucky (5-7)
85. Iowa State (6-6)
86. Louisiana – Monroe (4-8)
87. Connecticut (5-7)
88. Rice (4-8)
89. Hawaii (6-7)
90. UTEP (5-7)
91. New Mexico State (4-9)
92. Miami – OH (4-8)
93. Arizona (4-8)
94. Kent State (5-7)
95. Colorado (3-10)
96. Boston College (4-8)
97. Syracuse (5-7)
98. UAB (3-9)
99. Washington State (4-8)
100. Minnesota (3-9)
101. Fresno State (4-9)
102. Duke (3-9)
103. Army (3-9)
104. Troy (3-9)
105. Oregon State (3-9)
106. Buffalo (3-9)
107. Central Michigan (3-9)
108. Tulane (2-11)
109. Maryland (2-10)
110. Memphis (2-10)
111. Middle Tennessee State (2-10)
112. Colorado State (2-10)
113. Mississippi (2-10)
114. Idaho (2-10)
115. Kansas (2-10)
116. UNLV (2-10)
117. Florida Atlantic (1-11)
118. New Mexico (1-11)
119. Akron (1-11)
120. Indiana (1-11)

Why does this matter?  Because this is the first time that I have had a 12-0 mid-major ranked #2 just before playing a conference championship game.  I began to worry about this scenario a few weeks ago, hoping that somebody would overtake Houston so that I could avoid the egg-on-my-face situation.  It didn’t happen and, as a result, Houston earned enough points to stay #2 relative to everybody else despite losing convincingly (granted, to a good team) yesterday.

That was part of a conscious design decision years ago to evaluate the season as an accumulation of games rather than an AVERAGE per game.  I made that decision because I didn’t want the loser of a conference championship game to be punished relative to a team from the same conference that didn’t even get into the game.  And that works most of the time.  Consider that Georgia lost yesterday (badly) to LSU.  They still earned the right to play in that game over South Carolina by playing better over the entire course of the season.  So, on the merits of losing that game, should they have dropped below South Carolina?  I don’t think so and these rankings properly reflect that intent.

Clearly, though, it doesn’t properly address ALL situations.  I’m bummed over Houston’s ranking, but as has been said many times…  no system is perfect.  And I never claimed that mine was before this.  Just please be aware that I’m conceding this issue and not hiding it (after all, I am a scientist and I don’t hide results).

As such, the new rankings are:

1. LSU (13-0)
2. Houston (12-1)
3. Oklahoma State (11-1)
4. Stanford (11-1)
5. Boise State (11-1)
6. Alabama (11-1)
7. Oregon (11-2)
8. Wisconsin (11-2)
9. Southern Mississippi (11-2)
10. Virginia Tech (11-2)
11. Michigan (10-2)
12. Southern California (10-2)
13. Michigan State (10-3)
14. Arkansas (10-2)
15. Georgia (10-3)
16. TCU (10-2)
17. Arkansas State (10-2)
18. South Carolina (10-2)
19. Oklahoma (9-3)
20. Clemson (10-3)
21. Tulsa (8-4)
22. Kansas State (10-2)
23. BYU (9-3)
24. Nebraska (9-3)
25. Penn State (9-3)
26. Northern Illinois (10-3)
27. Ohio (9-4)
28. Baylor (9-3)
29. West Virginia (9-3)
30. Cincinnati (9-3)
31. Notre Dame (8-4)
32. Florida International (8-4)
33. Florida State (8-4)
34. Temple (8-4)
35. Rutgers (8-4)
36. Toledo (8-4)
37. Georgia Tech (8-4)
38. Virginia (8-4)
39. Texas (7-5)
40. Missouri (7-5)
41. Louisiana Tech (8-4)
42. Western Michigan (7-5)
43. Louisiana – Lafayette (8-4)
44. SMU (7-5)
45. North Carolina (7-5)
46. Nevada (7-5)
47. Iowa (7-5)
48. San Diego State (8-4)
49. California (7-5)
50. Western Kentucky (7-5)
51. Texas A&M (6-6)
52. Auburn (7-5)
53. Marshall (6-6)
54. Louisville (7-5)
55. Utah (7-5)
56. UCLA (6-7)
57. Purdue (6-6)
58. Ohio State (6-6)
59. Washington (7-5)
60. Mississippi State (6-6)
61. Wyoming (8-4)
62. Wake Forest (6-6)
63. Illinois (6-6)
64. North Carolina State (7-5)
65. Ball State (6-6)
66. Utah State (7-5)
67. East Carolina (5-7)
68. Vanderbilt (6-6)
69. Miami – FL (6-6)
70. North Texas (5-7)
71. Northwestern (6-6)
72. Florida (6-6)
73. Arizona State (6-6)
74. UCF (5-7)
75. Eastern Michigan (6-6)
76. San Jose State (5-7)
77. Air Force (7-5)
78. Texas Tech (5-7)
79. Tennessee (5-7)
80. South Florida (5-7)
81. Bowling Green (5-7)
82. Pittsburgh (6-6)
83. Kentucky (5-7)
84. Iowa State (6-6)
85. Connecticut (5-7)
86. Rice (4-8)
87. Louisiana – Monroe (4-8)
88. Hawaii (6-7)
89. UTEP (5-7)
90. New Mexico State (4-9)
91. Miami – OH (4-8)
92. Navy (4-7)
93. Arizona (4-8)
94. Kent State (5-7)
95. Colorado (3-10)
96. Boston College (4-8)
97. Syracuse (5-7)
98. UAB (3-9)
99. Washington State (4-8)
100. Minnesota (3-9)
101. Fresno State (4-9)
102. Duke (3-9)
103. Troy (3-9)
104. Oregon State (3-9)
105. Army (3-8)
106. Buffalo (3-9)
107. Central Michigan (3-9)
108. Tulane (2-11)
109. Maryland (2-10)
110. Memphis (2-10)
111. Middle Tennessee State (2-10)
112. Colorado State (3-9)
113. Mississippi (2-10)
114. Idaho (2-10
115. Kansas (2-10)
116. UNLV (2-10)
117. Florida Atlantic (1-11)
118. New Mexico (1-11)
119. Akron (1-11)
120. Indiana (1-11)

My analytical mind starting going to work to consider what team is better:  the 0-12 team that was outscored by twelve points on the season (for you non-statisticians and logisticians, that means that they lost every game by exactly one point) or the 11-1 team that beat eleven teams by a total of eleven points and then was outscored by 40 in their lone loss (meaning that for the season, they were outscored by 29 points)?  For sure, the 11-1 team looks a lot better, and the good teams are the ones that figure out how to win the close games.  But, is it really as simple as looking at the record?  Schedule hasn’t been mentioned yet, so it’s entirely reasonable that the 0-12 team had a far more difficult schedule.  But, even assuming the two schedules were comparable, doesn’t it seem just as reasonable to conclude that the differences between these two teams’ performances isn’t nearly as stark as the records suggest?

Before I go any further, I should point out that I don’t mean to suggest that FSU should be ranked as high as or higher than the aforementioned teams.  In the end, wins count more than anything (I’m a fairly strict adherent to this, as my computer rankings strongly support).  Wins are always better than losses, so FSU should not get any special consideration above three-loss and (especially) two-loss teams.  But, the added context of how they lost those games is a nuance that shouldn’t be ignored (though, it seems that it almost always is).

Over the last few days, I have heard and read from many FSU fans who are almost universally pissed off about the last two weeks (the loss to Virginia and the win at Florida), ranging from wanting E.J. Manuel demoted to Jimbo Fisher fired.  I don’t often resort to profanity, but to both of those suggestions and almost all in between, I just have to ask, “ARE YOU ALL FUCKING CRAZY???“

So, this write-up is my humble attempt to put some things in perspective.  In all cases, I am attempting to provide hard, irrefutable, verifiable evidence and data to back up my conclusions.  For sure, your conclusions may differ (and be completely legitimate), but if I do this correctly, my supporting data will be unquestionable.  In the end, though, the prevailing message that I am attempting to communicate is that the hardliners among you (and you know who you are) need to step back, take a deep breath, and relax just a little bit.  Yes, this season did not go as most of us expected, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as many of you seem to believe.  Remember — fourteen points (six against Clemson, six against Wake Forest, and two against Virginia) were the difference between our record and 11-1 (and going to the ACC Championship Game).  Eleven more points on top of that and we’re 12-0, looking at possibly facing LSU in the national championship game.  That’s a pretty short distance between nationally elite and sucking, as I have heard some FSU fans claim the Seminoles now do.  So short a distance, in fact, that I believe you have to be insanely myopic to not be able to see the elite category from where we currently stand.

So, how did we get here?  Well, let’s take a look at several key points in that journey and maybe then things will make more sense:

• Started the season ranked #5 – Based on the success of last season, the incoming recruiting class (which has played a lot and performed reasonably well), the polls both believed that FSU was ready to return to elite status.  Manuel had starting experience at quarterback and had been pretty successful in that role as both a freshman and sophomore.  We had a deep stable of talented running backs.  We had experience at wide receiver.  Defense looked like a true strength coming into a season for the first time in at least three years.  The only real question mark was the offensive line.  But, Rick Trickett is renowned for his work as Offensive Line Coach, so few of us were extraordinarily worried about this (more on the offensive line farther down).  Ultimately, it turns out, expectations can be what undo a team.  The expectations were extraordinarily high and anything less than 11-1 to many fans would be not just disheartening, but downright unacceptable.
• Lost to Oklahoma – This loss was largely forgivable.  Oklahoma was legitimately one of the top teams in the country at the time (and had they not lost their top running back and top receiver, I believe they might STILL be unbeaten).  And, we played them close, which was really the most resonating hope among Seminole fans at the time.  But, considering the officials blew a call early in the second quarter that would have given us first and goal at the 1-foot line, we lost one of our most explosive receivers (on the same play, incidentally), and we lost our starting QB midway through the third, the ten-point loss was actually encouraging.  The team didn’t give up.  They played hard the entire game and gave us ample reason to believe they were at least ready to compete with the nationally elite on a week-by-week basis.  All we needed was to regroup and not lose to Clemson on the road…
• Then to Clemson – Unfortunately, Manuel would not be ready to play the following week against Clemson and, while playing admirably, Clint Trickett made enough key mistakes (particularly at the end) and the defense was depleted to such a degree from the previous week’s effort that we could not overcome an early double-digit deficit (officiating played a role, as well — more on that later).  However, the rest of the schedule was navigable enough that many of us felt confident we would go into Gainesville with a 9-2 record.  We just needed to get back on track in two weeks in Winston-Salem…
• Then to Wake Forest – This is where the wheels seemed to fall off.  Up was down.  Left was right.  Good was evil.  Whatever it was, the world just wasn’t making sense.  After a dominant defensive effort in the first half (somewhat derailed by three turnovers by Clint Trickett), the defense seemed to collapse in the second half (aided in part by two Manuel interceptions).  Despite that, the effort remained and we lost on the road by only five points.  Since that time, FSU has gone 6-1, which is a perfectly fine record over such a span (in fact, over the last seven weeks, only twelve other teams in the country have gone 6-1 or better).  But, what are some of the reasons why we started 2-3 before that 6-1 stretch (and perhaps more importantly, why are some people upset at how we went 6-1)?
• Offensive line – Going into the season, the offensive line was already expected to be a relative weakness.  That’s not to say that it was expected to be weak.  It’s more accurate to say that the rest of the team was expected to be so good that the inexperienced offensive line would pale in comparison.  It turned out that the line was the weakness of the team, by light years.  Early on, we struggled to establish the run against Louisiana-Monroe and Charleston Southern.  We hardly moved the ball on the ground at all against Oklahoma, though that seemed more reasonable.  Things got worse, though, as we were plagued throughout the entire season with injuries to the line.  It’s my understanding that four opening weekend starters and eight off of the two deep missed significant playing time during key stretches of the season.  Heck — at the end of the season, we were playing a 17-year old true freshman.  Honestly, is it any wonder that we couldn’t move the ball effectively towards the end of the season?  In my mind, it’s amazing that Manuel was able to avoid major injury over the final month of the season, with all the running he had to do and the shots that he ended up taking anyways.  I’ve watched (and participated in) a LOT of football in my life and I’ve come to only one absolutely undeniable truth about the game, regardless of players, system, or philosophy.  The skill players on both sides of the ball are only as good as the interior of the lines.  A dominant defensive line can make average linebackers and defensive backs look like All-Americas because those players can then focus solely on their jobs.  They’ll stay in proper position more often.  They’ll intercept more passes.  They’ll stop more runs at the line of scrimmage.  On offense, it works the same way.  A dominant offensive line will open up holes for runners.  They’ll give the quarterback time to read the defense, locate open receivers, and throw the ball smoothly and accurately.  They’ll allow receivers enough time to get open and stretch the field.  Conversely, a bad line will make the most elite of skill players look average, at best, but more likely just plain bad.  That’s what we had — an injured offensive line that often made the other players around them look bad.
• Play calling – I’ve heard over the last few weeks about how bad Jimbo Fisher’s play calling has been over the last month.  Here’s something that I find interesting, though.  He’s much like his former employers in that he’s fairly steady with his play calling from game to game, month to month.  He likes to establish the run to set up the pass.  He likes balance, not just in run/pass ratio, but also in field and player distribution.  He likes to try to take the defense by surprise from time to time, though he’s not a huge disciple of the trick play.  I don’t notice much variation.  And when the team is scoring and moving the ball, he is highly praised.  When the team stumbles a bit, the play calling is criticized.  Given that he doesn’t change much, I think this is a complaint of the arm-chair-variety fan.  You’re either one of them or you know at least one of them — the kind of fan who is certain that he could call a better game than a particular coach, but has never lifted a finger to coach at any level at any point in his life.  I do make a small exception to this observation for the Florida game — for more on that, see below.
• Injury to E.J. Manuel – For the season, we lost E.J. Manuel for parts of three games (and there are lingering questions regarding his health even since his return).  I’m going to list some teams that have better records than FSU (along with their starting quarterbacks):  LSU (Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson), Alabama (A.J. McCarron), Oklahoma State (Brandon Weeden), Stanford (Andrew Luck), Virginia Tech (Logan Thomas), Houston (Case Keenum), Boise State (Kellen Moore), Arkansas (Tyler Wilson), Oklahoma (Landry Jones), Georgia (Aaron Murray), Wisconsin (Russell Wilson), and Baylor (Robert Griffin, III).  Of all of those, I believe that only one team could withstand losing their starting quarterback for as long as we lost Manuel and escape without losing fewer than three more games than they already have (that one team being LSU).  FSU lost all three of the games in which we lost Manuel.  But, more telling to me is that FSU went 8-1 in the games in which we had Manuel for the entire game, by an average margin of 23.4 points.  This is not making excuses — I’m not trying to indicate that FSU deserves any special treatment because they were a more dominant team with their starting QB (who isn’t?).  This is simply putting wins and losses into greater context.
• Officiating – Normally, I can’t stand the fans who blame losses on officials.  I’ve met plenty of college football fans who are genuinely convinced that their team has not lost a game in the last 20 years on their own merit, but because the officials gave the game to the opponent.  But, at the same time, I have never witnessed such consistent and egregious officiating gaffes by officials as I did almost all season long against FSU.  With the exception of the Clemson game, I don’t know that this collection of ghastly calls would have changed the win-or-loss result.  But, I do believe that the perception of this team would be different right now.  Consider:  (1) Against Oklahoma, Manuel completes a pass to Kenny Shaw, who is knocked unconscious just before crossing the goal line by a pair of helmet-to-helmet hits.  He drops the ball and it is recovered in the end zone.  Officials correctly rule that the hits constitute a personal foul penalty, but incorrectly rule that the ball was not caught.  No review takes place and FSU retains possession at the Oklahoma 12 yard line instead of the 1-foot line.  FSU fails to score on the drive.  (2) Against Clemson, officials’ errors cost FSU 21 points according to a leaked report by the ACC in a game that FSU lost by five points.  (3) Against Wake Forest, a video goes viral showing an official actively moving the ball in Wake Forest’s favor DURING a first-down measurement.  Over the course of the 10-second measurement, the ball is adjusted approximately four inches.  It’s unlikely that this action changed the outcome of the game, but it cast significant doubt (nationally) on the credibility of the ACC officiating crews.  (4) Against Miami, officiating miscalls create a 21-point swing in Miami’s favor.  On the first play from scrimmage, Miami clearly fumbled a completed pass, with FSU scooping up the loose ball and running in for a touchdown.  Despite obvious video evidence (showing that Miami’s Allen Hurns took approximately 3-1/2 steps with possession of the football before fumbling), officials eventually ruled the play an incomplete pass.  Later, on the opening kickoff of the second half, Karlos Williams returned the kick untouched for a touchdown.  The score was overturned by an illegal block call against Greg Reid, though replays showed that Reid stayed out of the play and did not make contact with any Miami player.  Lastly, on Miami’s final drive, a game-clinching interception by FSU was nullified by a HIGHLY questionable late-hit call against Timmy Jernigan (and the drive was subsequently extended when Nigel Bradham was flagged (and ejected) for a completely legal hit).  FSU won 23-19, but I’m wondering if any FSU fans would have been complaining  about play calling if the game had properly ended 37-12.  (5) Against Virginia, a phantom holding call against Bobby Hart erased a 50-yard gain on FSU’s first drive that would have put them deep in Virginia territory.  Instead they were backed up and the drive fizzled.  On the second drive, at the end of a 53-yard gain on an end-around, Rashad Greene was tackled two yards out of bounds AND by the collar.  The official that was literally five feet away from the tackle made no call.  The properly-called penalty would have put FSU just outside of the Virginia 5-yard line.  Lastly, all game long, both Bjorn Werner and Brandon Jenkins were tackled on their way to the quarterback, with the umpire calling holding exactly one time.  And (6), against Florida, a 43-yard touchdown run by Manuel was brought back because of a phantom holding call against Zebrie Sanders.  Would a 28-7 win that was otherwise unchanged quiet the complaints a little bit?  I think it would have.
• Florida game – Yes, the Florida game was ugly offensively.  A big part of that, I concede, was the play calling in this instance.  This is the one time that I have seen Fisher significantly deviate from his normal game plan.  And I believe it was because they were on the road against FSU’s biggest (and most annoying) rival.  I believe that Fisher knew that the defense and special teams could dominate, so the plan was to just play conservative, limit potential mistakes that might energize the nearly 91,000 fans, and get points when the opportunities presented themselves.  We had a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter and Fisher probably knew that was already enough to win.  Was it pretty?  On the surface, no.  But, in a way, I actually think it was quite beautiful.  When was the last time FSU won a game when the offense didn’t do much?  Over the last ten years, we’ve had plenty of games in which the defense did enough to win the game right up until the final five minutes or so.  Then, things would fall apart (see Virginia game).  Great teams find a way to win when the offense is stinking up the joint.  We did that this past weekend and I LOVED it!!

At this point, the question becomes, where does the team go from here?

One thing that I think many FSU fans need to get out of their heads is that a good (or even great) head coach wins a national championship in three seasons or less.  Yes, Bob Stoops, Jim Tressel, Pete Carroll, Urban Meyer, Les Miles, Nick Saban, and Gene Chizik all won national championships in three seasons or less in their last (or current) stops.  But, there are a few points that should be noted:

1. Not winning a national championship that quickly does not preclude a coach from greatness.  How many years did it take Bobby Bowden, Tom Osbourne, and Joe Paterno to win their first national championships?  What about Mack Brown?  Frank Beamer?  Mark Richt (who has averaged 9.6 wins over eleven seasons at a program that averaged only 8 wins per year under legendary coach Vince Dooley)?  I’m not saying that we should be happy indefinitely for not contending for national championships (we shouldn’t).  But, Jimbo Fisher will likely finish his second season averaging 9.5 wins for a team that averaged only 7.8 wins over the previous six seasons (pre-vacating of wins).  Maybe he deserves just a little bit of slack?
2. Every single one of those coaches except for Stoops had head coaching experience elsewhere.  Tressel and Saban had already won national championships elsewhere.  Meyer already had an unbeaten season that included a BCS-bowl win.  Miles had already resuscitated a moribund Oklahoma State program before going to Baton Rouge.  Jimbo Fisher is going to make a mistake from time to time.  Is it frustrating?  Sure.  But, he’s also learned from those mistakes and will continue to do so.  If you’re not willing to allow him some room to grow, then you’re either younger than thirteen years old or you stupidly believe that you’ve never made a mistake on the job.
3. Even Stoops’ success has been largely beholden to his assistants.  When he first went to Oklahoma, luck would bless him with the opportunity to build the dream coaching team that included both of his brothers, Mike Leach, and Mark Mangino among others.  Most especially, though, since former defensive coordinator Mike Stoops left to coach at Arizona, the defense has hiccuped at least once a year, preventing them from winning the national championship.

Personally, I have every bit of confidence that as early as next season (Fisher’s third, by the way), FSU will be capable of contending for the national championship, assuming ridiculously poor luck doesn’t hinder them again (the offensive line can’t possibly be that decimated by injuries two years in a row, can it?).  Make no mistake, the offensive line will be better next year.  My guess — something akin to the 2009 offensive line.  Manuel will return more seasoned and more comfortable with his returning group of receivers (which, by the way, will also be bolstered by the return of 2010′s second-leading receiver Willie Haulstead).  Jermaine Thomas will be gone and we don’t yet know the fate of Chris Thompson, but we will have a bevy of talented running backs, likely led by Devonta Freeman and James Wilder, Jr.  Nick O’Leary is likely going to be a FAR more utilized weapon than he was this year, after he showed tremendous promise.  And the defense will likely be at least as good as it was this year.

Coach Fisher is building this team the right way — with excellent recruiting of character guys, focusing strongly on the lines and then working his way to the skill players.  We are well on our way to a third straight consensus top-three recruiting class and the 2013 class has already got a few oral commits.  We have incoming depth on that offensive line, enough so that before too long, we will no longer be rebuilding lines, but restocking them a la 1990′s.

Have faith, fans!!  For sure, this season had its forgettable moments that proved unbelievably frustrating for all of us.  But, learning typically only comes from mistakes.  And a few stumbles here and there builds character and resilience.  The team is not that far off from where we want them to be.  Just 25 points!!

1.) SEC (46.50)
2.) Big Ten (48.17)
3.) Big 12 (49.70)
4.) ACC (56.00)
5.) Pac-12 (57.08)
6.) Independents (61.75)
7.) Big East (62.13)
8.) Conference USA (62.17)
9.) MAC (68.77)
10.) Sun Belt (72.56)
11.) Mountain West (73.25)
12.) WAC (79.50)

As a computer scientist, it is always exciting when something works correctly.  My intent was to have a computer ranking system that would provide an unbiased an realistic evaluation of the 120 teams.  And unintended (and undesigned-for) consequence that has been fabulous is how well those conference rankings are represented.  It has pleased me immensely!

And now…  The week 13 team rankings (as always, you can go here to see the general design of the rankings):

1.) LSU (12-0)
2.) Houston (12-0)
3.) Stanford (11-1)
4.) Alabama (11-1)
5.) Virginia Tech (11-1)
6.) Michigan (10-2)
7.) Oklahoma State (10-1)
8.) Oregon (10-2)
9.) Southern California (10-2)
10.) Boise State (10-1)
11.) Wisconsin (10-2)
12.) Southern Mississippi (10-2)
13.) Arkansas (10-2)
14.) Georgia (10-2)
15.) Michigan State (10-2)
16.) South Carolina (10-2)
17.) Oklahoma (9-2)
18.) Tulsa (8-4)
19.) TCU (9-2)
20.) Nebraska (9-3)
21.) Penn State (9-3)
22.) Arkansas State (9-2)
23.) Ohio (9-3)
24.) Notre Dame (8-4)
25.) Florida International (8-4)
26.) Florida State (8-4)
27.) Clemson (9-3)
28.) BYU (8-3)
29.) West Virginia (8-3)
30.) Temple (8-4)
31.) Kansas State (9-2)
32.) Rutgers (8-4)
33.) Northern Illinois (9-3)
34.) Toledo (8-4)
35.) Georgia Tech (8-4)
36.) Cincinnati (8-3)
37.) Baylor (8-3)
38.) Virginia (8-4)
39.) Texas (7-4)
40.) Missouri (7-5)
41.) Louisiana Tech (8-4)
42.) North Carolina (7-5)
43.) SMU (7-5)
44.) Western Michigan (7-5)
45.) Louisiana – Lafayette (8-4)
46.) Iowa (7-5)
47.) California (7-5)
48.) Western Kentucky (7-5)
49.) Texas A&M (6-6)
50.) Auburn (7-5)
51.) Marshall (6-6)
52.) Utah (7-5)
53.) Louisville (7-5)
54.) UCLA (6-6)
55.) Ohio State (6-6)
56.) Purdue (6-6)
57.) Washington (7-5)
58.) Mississippi State (6-6)
59.) Wake Forest (6-6)
60.) Nevada (6-5)
61.) Illinois (6-6)
62.) Ball State (6-6)
63.) North Carolina State (7-5)
64.) San Diego State (7-4)
65.) Vanderbilt (6-6)
66.) East Carolina (5-7)
67.) Florida (6-6)
68.) Northwestern (6-6)
69.) Arizona State (6-6)
70.) Miami – FL (6-6)
71.) UCF (5-7)
72.) Wyoming (7-4)
73.) San Jose State (5-7)
74.) Eastern Michigan (6-6)
75.) Air Force (7-5)
76.) Texas Tech (5-7)
77.) Tennessee (5-7)
78.) Utah State (6-5)
79.) Bowling Green (5-7)
80.) Kentucky (5-7)
81.) South Florida (5-6)
82.) Rice (4-8)
83.) Connecticut (5-6)
84.) Hawaii (6-6)
85.) North Texas (4-7)
86.) Iowa State (6-5)
87.) UTEP (5-7)
88.) New Mexico State (4-8)
89.) Miami – OH (4-8)
90.) Pittsburgh (5-6)
91.) Arizona (4-8)
92.) Navy (4-7)
93.) Syracuse (5-6)
94.) Kent State (5-7)
95.) Colorado (3-10)
96.) Boston College (4-8)
97.) UAB (3-9)
98.) Washington State (4-8)
99.) Louisiana – Monroe (3-8)
100.) Minnesota (3-9)
101.) Fresno State (4-8)
102.) Duke (3-9)
103.) Oregon State (3-9)
104.) Army (3-8)
105.) Troy (3-8)
106.) Buffalo (3-9)
107.) Tulane (2-11)
108.) Central Michigan (3-9)
109.) Maryland (2-10)
110.) Memphis (2-10)
111.) Middle Tennessee State (2-9)
112.) Colorado State (3-8)
113.) Mississippi (2-10)
114.) Idaho (2-9)
115.) Kansas (2-10)
116.) Florida Atlantic (1-10)
117.) UNLV (2-9)
118.) New Mexico (1-10)
119.) Akron (1-11)
120.) Indiana (1-11)

So, without further delay…  here are the rankings for week 12.  For a review of the overall design, you can go here.  This week, Houston’s position was actually strengthened relative to others because of the failures of teams like Oregon, Oklahoma State, and Oklahoma, as well as the relative (and surprising) struggle of Alabama to convincingly overcome Georgia Southern.

1.) LSU (11-0)
2.) Houston (11-0)
3.) Oklahoma State (10-1)
4.) Alabama (10-1)
5.) Stanford (10-1)
6.) Arkansas (10-1)
7.) Virginia Tech (10-1)
8.) Michigan (9-2)
9.) Wisconsin (9-2)
10.) Oregon (9-2)
11.) Boise State (9-1)
12.) Michigan State (9-2)
13.) Southern Mississippi (9-2)
14.) Southern California (9-2)
15.) Georgia (9-2)
16.) Oklahoma (8-2)
17.) South Carolina (9-2)
18.) TCU (9-2)
19.) Penn State (9-2)
20.) Tulsa (8-3)
21.) Arkansas State (9-2)
22.) Notre Dame (8-3)
23.) Clemson (9-2)
24.) BYU (8-3)
25.) Kansas State (9-2)
26.) Rutgers (8-3)
27.) Nebraska (8-3)
28.) Georgia Tech (8-3)
29.) Ohio (8-3)
30.) Virginia (8-3)
31.) Louisiana – Lafayette (8-3)
32.) Florida International (7-4)
33.) Florida State (7-4)
34.) West Virginia (7-3)
35.) Temple (7-4)
36.) Auburn (7-4)
37.) Texas A&M (6-5)
38.) Iowa (7-4)
39.) Northern Illinois (8-3)
40.) Toledo (7-4)
41.) Utah (7-4)
42.) Baylor (7-3)
43.) Cincinnati (7-3)
44.) Texas (6-4)
45.) UCLA (6-5)
46.) Missouri (6-5)
47.) Louisiana Tech (7-4)
48.) Western Michigan (6-5)
49.) North Carolina (6-5)
50.) SMU (6-5)
51.) Illinois (6-5)
52.) Wake Forest (6-5)
53.) Ohio State (6-5)
54.) Nevada (6-4)
55.) Ball State (6-5)
56.) Florida (6-5)
57.) California (6-5)
58.) Western Kentucky (6-5)
59.) Marshall (5-6)
60.) Arizona State (6-5)
61.) Miami – FL (6-5)
62.) Northwestern (6-5)
63.) East Carolina (5-6)
64.) Louisville (6-5)
65.) Purdue (5-6)
66.) Wyoming (7-3)
67.) Washington (6-5)
68.) Eastern Michigan (6-5)
69.) Texas Tech (5-6)
70.) San Diego State (6-4)
71.) Mississippi State (5-6)
72.) Iowa State (6-4)
73.) Tennessee (5-6)
74.) South Florida (5-5)
75.) North Carolina State (6-5)
76.) Vanderbilt (5-6)
77.) Rice (4-7)
78.) North Texas (4-7)
79.) UTEP (5-6)
80.) UCF (4-7)
81.) Air Force (6-5)
82.) Miami – OH (4-7)
83.) New Mexico State (4-7)
84.) Pittsburgh (5-5)
85.) San Jose State (4-7)
86.) Syracuse (5-5)
87.) Navy (4-7)
88.) Connecticut (4-6)
89.) Utah State (5-5)
90.) Kent State (5-6)
91.) Bowling Green (4-7)
92.) Kentucky (4-7)
93.) Hawaii (5-6)
94.) Washington State (4-7)
95.) UAB (3-8)
96.) Louisiana – Monroe (3-8)
97.) Arizona (3-8)
98.) Oregon State (3-8)
99.) Army (3-8)
100.) Fresno State (4-7)
101.) Buffalo (3-8)
102.) Duke (3-8)
103.) Troy (3-7)
104.) Colorado (2-10)
105.) Tulane (2-10)
106.) Boston College (3-8)
107.) Central Michigan (3-9)
108.) Memphis (2-9)
109.) Maryland (2-9)
110.) Minnesota (2-9)
111.) Middle Tennessee State (2-8)
112.) Colorado State (3-7)
113.) Mississippi (2-9)
114.) Idaho (2-9)
115.) Kansas (2-9)
116.) UNLV (2-8)
117.) New Mexico (1-10)
118.) Akron (1-10)
119.) Indiana (1-10)
120.) Florida Atlantic (0-10)

1. This is supposed to be an evaluator of the entire season — not just one game.  They have played similar schedules (not surprising), both sport 9-1 records.  The main difference in their overall performance is that Stanford has a stronger margin of victory.  That’s where the SLIGHT edge goes to Stanford (I don’t post their points on here, but Stanford’s edge is less than 0.3 points).
2. Even I don’t always agree with the results.  But, I didn’t design these rankings to match my view of the college football landscape, but to provide an unbiased one.  If I were to make changes every single time I see a pair of teams that are one spot off (by my estimation), I would never be done with the design AND it would constantly defeat the original purpose.

The Week 11 rankings are as follows:

1.) LSU (10-0)
2.) Oklahoma State (10-0)
3.) Houston (10-0)
4.) Alabama (9-1)
5.) Stanford (9-1)
6.) Oregon (9-1)
7.) Arkansas (9-1)
8.) Virginia Tech (9-1)
9.) Southern Mississippi (9-1)
10.) Oklahoma (8-1)
11.) Michigan (8-2)
12.) South Carolina (8-2)
13.) Boise State (8-1)
14.) Wisconsin (8-2)
15.) Clemson (9-1)
16.) Southern California (8-2)
17.) Michigan State (8-2)
18.) Georgia (8-2)
19.) Penn State (8-2)
20.) TCU (8-2)
21.) Tulsa (7-3)
22.) Nebraska (8-2)
23.) Arkansas State (8-2)
24.) Notre Dame (7-3)
25.) Florida State (7-3)
26.) Louisiana – Lafayette (8-3)
27.) West Virginia (7-3)
28.) Kansas State (8-2)
29.) Rutgers (7-3)
30.) BYU (7-3)
31.) Ohio (7-3)
32.) Georgia Tech (7-3)
33.) Virginia (7-3)
34.) Cincinnati (7-2)
35.) North Carolina (6-4)
36.) Nevada (6-3)
37.) Auburn (6-4)
38.) Texas (6-3)
39.) Florida International (6-4)
40.) SMU (6-4)
41.) Ball State (6-4)
42.) Temple (6-4)
43.) Ohio State (6-4)
44.) Illinois (6-4)
45.) Iowa (6-4)
46.) California (6-4)
47.) Northern Illinois (7-3)
48.) Texas A&M (5-5)
49.) Florida (5-5)
50.) Arizona State (6-4)
51.) Utah (6-4)
52.) Toledo (6-4)
53.) Baylor (6-3)
54.) Louisiana Tech (6-4)
55.) Western Michigan (5-5)
56.) UCLA (5-5)
57.) Missouri (5-5)
58.) Eastern Michigan (6-4)
59.) Purdue (5-5)
60.) San Diego State (6-3)
61.) Mississippi State (5-5)
62.) Washington (6-4)
63.) Texas Tech (5-5)
64.) Wake Forest (5-5)
65.) South Florida (5-4)
66.) Marshall (4-6)
67.) Miami – FL (5-5)
68.) Vanderbilt (5-5)
69.) East Carolina (4-6)
70.) Northwestern (5-5)
71.) Western Kentucky (5-5)
72.) Louisville (5-5)
73.) UTEP (5-5)
74.) North Texas (4-6)
75.) UCF (4-6)
76.) New Mexico State (4-6)
77.) Wyoming (6-3)
78.) Syracuse (5-5)
79.) Pittsburgh (5-5)
80.) Miami – OH (4-6)
81.) Navy (4-6)
82.) Connecticut (4-5)
83.) North Carolina State (5-5)
84.) Iowa State (5-4)
85.) Tennessee (4-6)
86.) Bowling Green (4-6)
87.) Kentucky (4-6)
88.) Hawaii (5-5)
89.) Rice (3-7)
90.) Washington State (4-6)
91.) Air Force (5-5)
92.) Louisiana – Monroe (3-7)
93.) San Jose State (3-7)
94.) Army (3-7)
95.) Kent State (4-6)
96.) Utah State (4-5)
97.) Duke (3-7)
98.) Boston College (3-7)
99.) Tulane (2-9)
100.) Colorado (2-9)
101.) Central Michigan (3-8)
102.) UAB (2-8)
103.) Memphis (2-8)
104.) Arizona (2-8)
105.) Maryland (2-8)
106.) Colorado State (3-6)
107.) Fresno State (3-7)
108.) Minnesota (2-8)
109.) Oregon State (2-8)
110.) Troy (2-7)
111.) Buffalo (2-8)
112.) Middle Tennessee State (2-7)
113.) Mississippi (2-8)
114.) Idaho (2-8)
115.) Kansas (2-8)
116.) New Mexico (1-9)
117.) UNLV (2-7)
118.) Indiana (1-9)
119.) Akron (1-9)
120.) Florida Atlantic (0-9)

I think I should start by saying that, based on what has been presented as fact (which, truthfully, isn’t a whole heck of a lot) as of the moment I am typing this, I do not have any reason to believe that Joe Paterno is a bad person.  I think he made an egregious error in judgment that might have produced more victims out of innocent children, but I do take him at his word that he regrets not taking additional action when presented with information about former coach Jerry Sandusky’s conduct.  If nothing else, I think he should have vigorously followed up on the state of any potential investigation of Sandusky’s behavior.  But, he didn’t and the damage is now done.

Lastly, before I move onto how I believe Penn State needs to move forward, I find it unbelievable that the graduate assistant, current Wide Receivers Coach Mike McQueary, who reported Sandusky’s actions to Joe Paterno has largely escaped criticism.  I have seen some pockets here and there, but for the most part McQueary has received little attention.  If I had been that graduate assistant, my actions would have been (in order, which is HIGHLY important):

1. IMMEDIATELY intervene!  According to at least some reports, McQueary witnessed Sandusky assaulting a ten-year old boy in the shower, walked away, called his father on the telephone to ask for advice, and then went to Coach Paterno.  Clearly, McQueary was a eunuch, still needing to grow a pair of testicles.  How the hell he has managed to look himself in the face in the mirror each morning since then is beyond me.
2. Call the police.  Sandusky was clearly committing a heinous crime and the police needed to be notified right away.  I don’t see how there is any gray area here.
3. Notify Coach Paterno.  Once I knew the boy was in safe custody, and the police were in the process of apprehending Sandusky, I would then go to notify my boss of what I had witnessed and what actions I had taken as a result.  I suppose there would always be the chance that there would be disciplinary action for calling the police on the head coach’s friend (though, I think that’s unlikely), but would you really care?  I wouldn’t.  At least I could move on with my life with a clean conscience.

So, in seasons in which the top two teams in the final poll actually played each other, I can think of no other in which the difference between the two was literally just one point.  Why does this matter?  Because I could easily see this past weekend’s game being close (the final was 9-6).  I can also see both teams running the table the rest of the way.  That would obviously mean a national championship for LSU.  Could it mean a second-place finish for the Tide?  It doesn’t seem so unreasonable to me.  And, thus, we could see one of those rare situations — in this case, where the difference between the top two teams is literally just a field goal.

Not too shabby.

Anyways…  Here are the week 10 computer rankings:

1.) LSU (9-0)
2.) Stanford (9-0)
3.) Oklahoma State (9-0)
4.) Houston (9-0)
5.) Oklahoma (8-1)
6.) Alabama (8-1)
7.) Boise State (8-0)
8.) Virginia Tech (8-1)
9.) Oregon (8-1)
10.) Arkansas (8-1)
11.) Southern Mississippi (8-1)
12.) Penn State (8-1)
13.) Clemson (8-1)
14.) Michigan (7-2)
15.) South Carolina (7-2)
16.) Wisconsin (7-2)
17.) TCU (7-2)
18.) Southern California (7-2)
19.) Georgia Tech (7-2)
20.) Louisiana – Lafayette (8-2)
21.) Michigan State (7-2)
22.) Georgia (7-2)
23.) Cincinnati (7-1)
24.) Arkansas State (7-2)
25.) Nebraska (7-2)
26.) Tulsa (6-3)
27.) Auburn (6-3)
28.) Florida State (6-3)
29.) Notre Dame (6-3)
30.) Texas (6-2)
31.) North Carolina (6-4)
32.) SMU (6-3)
33.) Illinois (6-3)
34.) West Virginia (6-3)
35.) BYU (6-3)
36.) Ball State (6-4)
37.) Ohio State (6-3)
38.) Kansas State (7-2)
39.) Rutgers (6-3)
40.) Iowa (6-3)
41.) Arizona State (6-3)
42.) Ohio (6-3)
43.) Texas A&M (5-4)
44.) Florida (5-4)
45.) Virginia (6-3)
46.) Western Michigan (5-4)
47.) Mississippi State (5-4)
48.) Nevada (5-3)
49.) Florida International (5-4)
50.) UCLA (5-4)
51.) Temple (5-4)
52.) California (5-4)
53.) Washington (6-3)
54.) Marshall (4-5)
55.) Texas Tech (5-4)
56.) Northern Illinois (6-3)
57.) Toledo (5-4)
58.) Miami – FL (5-4)
59.) Utah (5-4)
60.) Wake Forest (5-4)
61.) Baylor (5-3)
62.) Western Kentucky (5-4)
63.) Louisville (5-4)
64.) East Carolina (4-5)
65.) San Diego State (5-3)
66.) Missouri (4-5)
67.) Louisiana Tech (5-4)
68.) Purdue (4-5)
69.) Eastern Michigan (5-4)
70.) UCF (4-5)
71.) South Florida (4-4)
72.) Syracuse (5-4)
73.) Miami – OH (4-5)
74.) Bowling Green (4-5)
75.) North Carolina State (5-4)
76.) Tennessee (4-5)
77.) Iowa State (5-4)
78.) Kentucky (4-5)
79.) Connecticut (4-5)
80.) Vanderbilt (4-5)
81.) Hawaii (5-4)
82.) North Texas (3-6)
83.) Northwestern (4-5)
84.) UTEP (4-5)
85.) Air Force (5-4)
86.) Rice (3-6)
87.) San Jose State (3-6)
88.) Pittsburgh (4-5)
89.) Wyoming (5-3)
90.) New Mexico State (3-6)
91.) Army (3-6)
92.) Navy (3-6)
93.) Duke (3-6)
94.) Memphis (2-7)
95.) Utah State (3-5)
96.) Washington State (3-6)
97.) Central Michigan (3-7)
98.) Tulane (2-8)
99.) Arizona (2-7)
100.) Louisiana – Monroe (2-7)
101.) Maryland (2-7)
102.) Colorado State (3-5)
103.) Kent State (3-6)
104.) Fresno State (3-6)
105.) Minnesota (2-7)
106.) Buffalo (2-7)
107.) Boston College (2-7)
108.) Troy (2-6)
109.) Oregon State (2-7)
110.) Middle Tennessee State (2-6)
111.) Colorado (1-9)
112.) Mississippi (2-7)
113.) Idaho (2-7)
114.) Kansas (2-7)
115.) UAB (1-8)
116.) UNLV (2-6)
117.) Indiana (1-9)
118.) Akron (1-8)
119.) Florida Atlantic (0-8)
120.) New Mexico (0-9)

As such, the new rankings look like this:

1.) Alabama (8-0)
2.) LSU (8-0)
3.) Stanford (8-0)
4.) Oklahoma State (8-0)
5.) Virginia Tech (8-1)
6.) Houston (8-0)
7.) Penn State (8-1)
8.) Boise State (7-0)
9.) Oklahoma (7-1)
10.) Clemson (8-1)
11.) South Carolina (7-1)
12.) Michigan (7-1)
13.) Oregon (7-1)
14.) Arkansas (7-1)
15.) Southern Mississippi (7-1)
16.) Georgia Tech (7-2)
17.) Nebraska (7-1)
18.) North Carolina (6-3)
19.) Auburn (6-3)
20.) West Virginia (6-2)
21.) Wisconsin (6-2)
22.) Louisiana – Lafayette (7-2)
23.) TCU (6-2)
24.) Michigan State (6-2)
25.) Cincinnati (6-1)
26.) Illinois (6-3)
27.) Southern California (6-2)
28.) Georgia (6-2)
29.) BYU (6-3)
30.) Arizona State (6-2)
31.) Arkansas State (6-2)
32.) Kansas State (7-1)
33.) Texas A&M (5-3)
34.) Texas (5-2)
35.) Tulsa (5-3)
36.) Temple (5-3)
37.) Florida State (5-3)
38.) Western Michigan (5-4)
39.) Notre Dame (5-3)
40.) Nevada (5-3)
41.) SMU (5-3)
42.) Florida International (5-3)
43.) Toledo (5-3)
44.) Ohio (5-3)
45.) Ohio State (5-3)
46.) Ball State (5-4)
47.) Washington (6-2)
48.) Rutgers (5-3)
49.) Texas Tech (5-3)
50.) Iowa (5-3)
51.) Wake Forest (5-3)
52.) Marshall (4-5)
53.) Florida (4-4)
54.) Virginia (5-3)
55.) Mississippi State (4-4)
56.) Eastern Michigan (5-3)
57.) East Carolina (4-4)
58.) UCF (4-4)
59.) Missouri (4-4)
60.) UCLA (4-4)
61.) Northern Illinois (5-3)
62.) South Florida (4-3)
63.) Purdue (4-4)
64.) Baylor (4-3)
65.) Syracuse (5-3)
66.) California (4-4)
67.) Bowling Green (4-5)
68.) Utah (4-4)
69.) Miami – FL (4-4)
70.) Western Kentucky (4-4)
71.) Hawaii (5-3)
72.) Vanderbilt (4-4)
73.) San Diego State (4-3)
74.) Wyoming (5-2)
75.) Louisville (4-4)
76.) North Texas (3-6)
77.) UTEP (4-4)
78.) Army (3-5)
79.) Louisiana Tech (4-4)
80.) San Jose State (3-5)
81.) Miami – OH (3-5)
82.) Pittsburgh (4-4)
83.) New Mexico State (3-5)
84.) North Carolina State (4-4)
85.) Connecticut (3-5)
86.) Tennessee (3-5)
87.) Iowa State (4-4)
88.) Duke (3-5)
89.) Northwestern (3-5)
90.) Kentucky (3-5)
91.) Air Force (4-4)
92.) Washington State (3-5)
93.) Central Michigan (3-6)
94.) Memphis (2-7)
95.) Tulane (2-7)
96.) Fresno State (3-5)
97.) Arizona (2-6)
98.) Louisiana – Monroe (2-5)
99.) Colorado State (3-5)
100.) Maryland (2-6)
101.) Rice (2-6)
102.) Troy (2-5)
103.) Minnesota (2-6)
104.) Navy (2-6)
105.) Middle Tennessee State (2-5)
106.) Buffalo (2-7)
107.) Oregon State (2-6)
108.) Boston College (2-6)
109.) Utah State (2-5)
110.) Colorado (1-8)
111.) UNLV (2-5)
112.) Mississippi (2-6)
113.) Kansas (2-6)
114.) UAB (1-7)
115.) Kent State (2-6)
116.) Idaho (1-7)
117.) Akron (1-7)
118.) Indiana (1-8)
119.) Florida Atlantic (0-7)
120.) New Mexico (0-8)

Anyways, as a recap of the ranking’s design, you can go here.

And now, the week 8 computer rankings:

1.) Alabama (8-0)
2.) LSU (8-0)
3.) Clemson (8-0)
4.) Boise State (7-0)
5.) Stanford (7-0)
6.) Virginia Tech (7-1)
7.) Oklahoma State (7-0)
8.) Houston (7-0)
9.) Penn State (7-1)
10.) Michigan (6-1)
11.) South Carolina (6-1)
12.) Oregon (6-1)
13.) Oklahoma (6-1)
14.) Wisconsin (6-1)
15.) Arkansas (6-1)
16.) Michigan State (6-1)
17.) Cincinnati (6-1)
18.) Southern California (6-1)
19.) Nebraska (6-1)
20.) Illinois (6-2)
21.) Southern Mississippi (6-1)
22.) Kansas State (7-0)
23.) Georgia Tech (6-2)
24.) BYU (6-2)
25.) Texas A&M (5-2)
26.) Temple (5-3)
27.) Auburn (5-3)
28.) West Virginia (5-2)
29.) North Carolina (5-3)
30.) TCU (5-2)
31.) Georgia (5-2)
32.) SMU (5-2)
33.) Louisiana – Lafayette (6-2)
34.) Toledo (5-3)
35.) Ohio (5-3)
36.) Ball State (5-3)
37.) Arizona State (5-2)
38.) Florida (4-3)
39.) Iowa (5-2)
40.) Rutgers (5-2)
41.) Wake Forest (5-2)
42.) Arkansas State (5-2)
43.) Texas Tech (5-2)
44.) Tulsa (4-3)
45.) Western Michigan (4-4)
46.) Florida State (4-3)
47.) Eastern Michigan (5-3)
48.) Ohio State (4-3)
49.) Nevada (4-3)
50.) Texas (4-2)
51.) Notre Dame (4-3)
52.) Florida International (4-3)
53.) South Florida (4-3)
54.) Northern Illinois (5-3)
55.) Baylor (4-2)
56.) Purdue (4-3)
57.) Bowling Green (4-4)
58.) Syracuse (5-2)
59.) California (4-3)
60.) Washington (5-2)
61.) Mississippi State (3-4)
62.) Miami – FL (4-3)
63.) Vanderbilt (4-3)
64.) San Diego State (4-2)
65.) Virginia (4-3)
66.) Marshall (3-5)
67.) East Carolina (3-4)
68.) UTEP (4-3)
69.) North Texas (3-5)
70.) San Jose State (3-4)
71.) UCLA (3-4)
72.) Missouri (3-4)
73.) Connecticut (3-4)
74.) UCF (3-4)
75.) New Mexico State (3-4)
76.) Kentucky (3-4)
77.) North Carolina State (4-3)
78.) Tennessee (3-4)
79.) Western Kentucky (3-4)
80.) Duke (3-4)
81.) Utah (3-4)
82.) Wyoming (4-2)
83.) Hawaii (4-3)
84.) Washington State (3-4)
85.) Louisville (3-4)
86.) Pittsburgh (3-4)
87.) Tulane (2-6)
88.) Fresno State (3-5)
89.) Arizona (2-5)
90.) Memphis (2-6)
91.) Louisiana Tech (3-4)
92.) Middle Tennessee State (2-4)
93.) Louisiana – Monroe (2-5)
94.) Maryland (2-5)
95.) Colorado State (3-4)
96.) Army (2-5)
97.) Rice (2-5)
98.) Troy (2-4)
99.) Miami – OH (2-5)
100.) Oregon State (2-5)
101.) Buffalo (2-6)
102.) Navy (2-5)
103.) Utah State (2-5)
104.) Central Michigan (2-6)
105.) Iowa State (3-4)
106.) Northwestern (2-5)
107.) Air Force (3-4)
108.) Colorado (1-7)
109.) Mississippi (2-5)
110.) Kansas (2-5)
111.) Minnesota (1-6)
112.) UAB (1-6)
113.) Idaho (1-6)
114.) UNLV (1-5)
115.) Akron (1-6)
116.) Boston College (1-6)
117.) Indiana (1-7)
118.) Kent State (1-6)
119.) Florida Atlantic (0-7)
120.) New Mexico (0-7)