Rankings

A traditional, resume-driven ranking that rewards teams for beating good opponents. Win percentage and quality wins matter more than how pretty the box scores look. If you blew out cupcakes but lost to the only ranked team you played, this ranking will not love you. Built for fans who think 'just win the games' is the point.

A defense-first ranking centered on havoc — the rate at which a defense disrupts plays via sacks, tackles for loss, forced fumbles, and interceptions. This ranking will surface units that may not lead in yards allowed but bend opposing offenses to their will. For fans who believe defense actually still wins championships.

A defense-first ranking centered on havoc — the rate at which a defense disrupts plays via sacks, tackles for loss, forced fumbles, and interceptions. This ranking will surface units that may not lead in yards allowed but bend opposing offenses to their will. For fans who believe defense actually still wins championships.

SP+, wins, efficiency, and ball security — a sensible center. A well-rounded composite for users who want a single ranking that doesn't lean any direction. It mixes opponent-adjusted SP+ with traditional results (wins, point differential), offensive output, and defensive performance. Great default starting point for users who want to tweak from a sensible center rather than start from one extreme.

Havoc, takeaways, and disruption — defenses that wreck the script. A defense-first ranking centered on havoc — the rate at which a defense disrupts plays via sacks, tackles for loss, forced fumbles, and interceptions. This ranking will surface units that may not lead in yards allowed but bend opposing offenses to their will. For fans who believe defense actually still wins championships.

Run the ball, stop the run — old-school football wins. A throwback ranking that rewards line-of-scrimmage dominance. Teams climb by running the ball efficiently, controlling the clock, and getting after the quarterback. If your team plays in the snow, leads the conference in time of possession, and runs power on 3rd-and-2, this ranking is for you.

Throw it deep, throw it often — for fans of the modern passing game. Rewards teams that move the ball efficiently through the air and create explosive plays. This is not a 'best team' ranking — it's a 'most fun team' ranking biased toward Mike Leach disciples, Lincoln Riley offenses, and any program whose Saturday game looks like an Arena League shootout. Defense matters less; explosive passing matters most.

The analytics-forward ranking — efficiency over yardage, opponent-adjusted. Built on Bill Connelly's SP+ framework and per-play efficiency. This ranking ignores raw counting stats in favor of how well a team performed given the opponents they faced. Expect this to look very different from polls — it doesn't care about your record, it cares whether you were efficient on every snap.

Wins, quality opponents, road toughness — the way the playoff committee sees it. A traditional, resume-driven ranking that rewards teams for beating good opponents. Win percentage and quality wins matter more than how pretty the box scores look. If you blew out cupcakes but lost to the only ranked team you played, this ranking will not love you. Built for fans who think 'just win the games' is the point.