The College Football Blog: Power Rankings (Final Rankings)

2008 College Football Final Power Rankings

For my final, end of the year power rankings I’ve decided to do things a little differently. For starters, instead of ranking just the top 12 teams (or 15 if you count the next 3 in) I’ve decided to rank the 68 bowl teams (yeah, 68 teams make a bowl game). As you know, during the year I base my power rankings on which team I would favor in a head to head matchup on a neutral field at that moment. For the final rankings I’ve decided to look at things based on how I would favor teams in a playoff with all games played on neutral fields. Suspensions, NFL defections, transfers, and coaching changes are disregarded. Non-season ending injuries are assumed healed but I’m going to be considering teams as they were this year (in other words, I’m not going to consider Jeff Owens healthy for Georgia or Cornelius Ingram healthy for Florida, but I am going to think about Oregon State as if both of the Rogers brothers are healthy). There is no motivation factor because every team is pumped about being in the tournament and there are no location or travel issues factored in. It’s a purely neutral field (unlike USC playing Penn State at the Rose Bowl). I’m going to assume that every team got a couple weeks off but not a month or something like before the bowls. Enough time off to get rested and prepare for the first game but not enough time to get rusty. Yes, this is complete fantasy, but I’ll tell you this: it’s as good a way of deciding who the “best” team is or ranking the “best” teams as any of the approaches being used across the country, including the BCS. I’ll explain and/or defend my rankings below the list of teams. Teams ranked in my top 12 (or top 15 if you count the next 3 in) in the final power rankings before the bowls will have their last ranking listed in parenthesis.

1. Florida 13-1 (1st)
2. Texas 12-1 (2nd)
3. Oklahoma 12-2 (3rd)
4. USC 12-1 (5th)
5. Alabama 12-2 (4th)
6. Utah 13-0 (9th)
7. Penn State 11-2 (7th)
8. Ohio State 10-3 (8th)
9. TCU 11-2 (11th)
10. Boise State 12-1 (12th)
11. Mississippi 9-4 (13th)
12. Texas Tech 11-2 (6th)
13. Oregon 10-3 (NR)
14. Georgia 10-3 (NR)
15. Oklahoma State 9-4 (10th)
16. Virginia Tech 10-4 (NR)
17. Oregon State 9-4 (NR)
18. Cincinnati 11-3 (14th)
19. LSU 8-5 (NR)
20. Iowa 9-4 (NR)
21. Cal 9-4 (NR)
22. Georgia Tech 9-4 (15th)
23. Florida State 9-4 (NR)
24. West Virginia 9-4 (NR)
25. Pittsburgh 9-4 (NR)
26. Missouri 10-4 (NR)
27. Rutgers 8-5 (NR)
28. NC State 6-7 (NR)
29. UNC 8-5 (NR)
30. Michigan State 9-4 (NR)
31. Boston College 9-5 (NR)
32. Arizona 8-5 (NR)
33. Nebraska 9-4 (NR)
34. BYU 10-3 (NR)
35. Kansas 8-5 (NR)
36. Northwestern 9-4 (NR)
37. Clemson 7-6 (NR)
38. Connecticut 8-5 (NR)
39. South Florida 8-5 (NR)
40. Maryland 8-5 (NR)
41. Miami 7-6 (NR)
42. Wake Forrest 8-5 (NR)
43. Kentucky 7-6 (NR)
44. Vanderbilt 7-6 (NR)
45. South Carolina 7-6 (NR)
46. Tulsa 11-3 (NR)
47. East Carolina 9-5 (NR)
48. Houston 8-5 (NR)
49. Air Force 8-5 (NR)
50. Rice 10-3 (NR)
51. Colorado State 7-6 (NR)
52. Navy 8-5 (NR)
53. Wisconsin 7-6 (NR)
54. Nevada 7-6 (NR)
55. Fresno State 7-6 (NR)
56. Louisiana Tech 8-5 (NR)
57. Troy 8-5 (NR)
58. Southern Miss 7-6 (NR)
59. Memphis 6-7 (NR)
60. Ball State 12-2 (NR)
61. Florida Atlantic 7-6 (NR)
62. Notre Dame 7-6 (NR)
63. Minnesota 7-6 (NR)
64. Buffalo 8-6 (NR)
65. Central Michigan 8-5 (NR)
66. Western Michigan 9-4 (NR)
67. Northern Illinois 6-7 (NR)
68. Hawaii 7-7 (NR)

Explanation: The only team to fall out of my top 12 in the final rankings was Oklahoma State. I moved Ole Miss out of my next 3 in and into my top 12 to replace them. Cincinnati and Georgia Tech had been in my next 3 in but I dropped them in my rankings. The #1 team in my final power rankings is the same team that was ranked #1 in my preseason power 15 and was the top team in my final 6 power rankings of the regular season, the BCS Champion Florida Gators. I had Texas #2 in my final 6 power rankings and I kept them there after their win over Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. The Longhorns were disappointed to be where they were, while Buckeyes came into this game trying to regain some of the respect they have lost over the last few years. Texas pulled it out in the end and they lost only 1 game all season and it was at Texas Tech on a last second touchdown. Oklahoma was 3rd in my final 4 rankings and I kept them at #3 after their loss to the Gators in a very competitive BCS National Title Game. They were just a few close plays away from maybe winning that game last night. I moved USC up a spot from 5th to 4th in my final rankings after they won decisively over Penn State in the Rose Bowl. Look, I know the Trojans have a dominant defense and I realize they looked great in the Rose Bowl but this movement in mass to say that they are the best team in the country is just silly. It’s remarkable how the media, fans, and even coaches and players from other teams are so quick to see the historic greatness in USC time and time again. Bama had been the #4 team in my week 15 (and last) power rankings but I dropped them down a spot to 5th after their very disappointing performance against Utah in the Sugar Bowl. I know a lot of people would find this ranking incredible, but I think motivation and the suspension of Andre Smith played a gigantic role in that game. Utah was out to prove their legitimacy and shock the world; Bama had been the #1 team in the country and seen their perfect season end in the SEC Championship Game that they led in the 2nd half. They had their eyes on the National Championship Game, not a Sugar Bowl matchup against a team from the Mountain West Conference. Not only is a team more likely to underestimate a team from a non-BCS conference, it’s also a no-win situation for a team like Bama. If they win 55-0, that’s what everyone expected, and that’s what “they should” do. If they lose, they are laughed at, called a fraud, etc. I think it would be a different Bama team in a playoff game, and it would obviously be a different Bama team with the best left tackle in the country playing. Having said all of this, I moved Utah up 3 spots from 9th to 6th in my final rankings, as they finished off the only undefeated season in the FBS with a stunning beat down of Bama. Look, I watched Utah a lot this year. They could easily have lost to Michigan, Air Force, and New Mexico, and they should have lost to both Oregon State and TCU, and would have if either of those last two teams had a halfway decent kicker. But the Utes have convinced me. They are a lot like Bama in that they just know how to grind it out and win. I kept Penn State and Ohio State at 7th and 8th respectively even though they both lost their bowl games. Penn State was rocked by USC in the 1st half of the Rose Bowl but that didn’t sour me too much on the Nittany Lions. For one thing, the Rose Bowl is a home game for Troy; period, no argument about it. Secondly, I am thoroughly convinced that the 40 day layoff for Big Ten teams continues to be one of the things that leads to their struggles in the bowl games. USC was coming into that game on a 25 day layoff. Every team is rusty after 25 or so days off. 40 days off is just ridiculous. As for Ohio State, I was impressed with their effort against Texas. They were a play away from winning that game. I moved TCU up 2 spots in my final rankings from 11th to 9th after they won their battle against fellow non-BCS power Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl. Even though Boise State lost that game to see their perfect season end, I actually moved them up 2 spots in my final rankings from 12th to 10th. They impressed me with their effort in that game, pushing the Horned Frogs to the limit before losing by a point. Ole Miss jumped from the next 3 in to 11th in my final rankings. They were the only new team in my top 12 after they pulled off the upset of Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. I think Tech never really got over the massacre in Norman and I almost dropped them all the way out of my top 12 in the final rankings. I decided to put them in the #12 spot, dropping them 6 spots from 6th.

As for the rest of my final rankings, you’ll notice that the teams are kind of ranked in little bunches just like in the other polls you see. That’s inevitable because the teams really are evenly matched. Especially after the top 30 or so you get to the weaker teams in the weaker conferences it gets really hard to say one team is better than this team but not better than that team and you just have to kind of plug them in together in some order. There are a few rankings that I’m sure some people would scoff at. I feel I need to explain my decision to rank Georgia 14th and Georgia Tech 22nd, despite the fact that Tech beat the Dawgs in the regular season finale in Athens. I am a Bulldawg but I don’t think this decision is effected by bias. In my week 15 rankings I had Tech as my last of the “next 3 in” teams and the Dawgs were unranked. I think Tech was better this year than Georgia but I don’t think they should have been. After the Tech-Georgia game I was not confident that the Dawgs would beat Tech if the two teams played again a week later, even though the game was very close. But then I saw Tech play against LSU in the Peach Bowl and it changed my view of things. I think having played against Tech’s offense already and having a couple of weeks to prepare for a playoff game on a neutral field against the Jackets that the Dawgs would be able to hold down Tech’s offense for more than just a half. I also think that Tech played an almost perfect game against Georgia but after watching the Peach Bowl I do not believe they would be able to play a mistake free game again against Georgia. And there’s no reason to think that Georgia would have any less success against Tech offensively. I have to say that I would favor Georgia over Tech on a neutral field right now. That might be stupid but don’t forget that the Dawgs were ahead by 16 points at halftime against Tech, Matt Stafford threw 1 of the worst passes of his career for a gift pick 6, and Georgia fumbled a kickoff at their own 20 that led to another easy Tech score. Tech’s only turnover was an INT on a Hail Mary pass on the final play of the first half. Also, trailing by 8 early in the 3rd quarter, Tech went for it on 4th and 1 from the Georgia 24 and got the 1st down by the length of a pinky. If the spot is different by 3 inches Tech does not win that game. Moving on, it may seem strange to have a 6-7 NC State team ranked 28th, but they finished the season red hot and they would have beaten Rutgers in the Papa Johns Bowl if QB Russell Wilson hadn’t missed the entire second half with an ankle injury. BC may seem really low at 31, especially if you’re assuming that Chris Crane would be healthy. However, they were so awful in the ACC Championship Game and the Music City Bowl that I can’t put them higher than 31st even if they don’t have Dominique Davis holding them back.

Power Rankings Season Notes: 7 of the teams in my preseason Power 15 ended up in the top 15 of my final power rankings. 2 of the teams in my preseason Power 15 did not qualify for a bowl game. 6 of the teams in my preseason Power 15—Florida, Oklahoma, Ohio State, USC, Penn State, and Texas Tech—remained in my top 15 all year. Texas and Alabama were in my top 15 from Week 1 through the rest year. Oklahoma State debuted in my top 15 in week 6 and remained in my top 15 for the final 11 rankings. Utah debuted in my top 15 in week 7 and remained in my top 15 for the final 10 rankings. TCU debuted in my top 15 in week 8 and remained in my top 15 for the final 9 rankings. Boise State debuted in my top 15 in week 7 and remained in my top 15 for the final 10 rankings. Georgia was ranked in my top 15 from preseason through week 13, then fell out for week 14 and week 15, and then got back into the top 15 in the final power rankings. LSU was in my top 15 from preseason through week 12 and then fell out for good in week 13. Missouri was in my top 15 from preseason through week 13 and then fell out for good in week 14. 4 teams were ranked 1st in my power rankings from preseason through the final rankings. Florida was ranked #1 in my preseason Power 15, fell out of 1st in my week 2 rankings, then jumped back to #1 in week 10 and remained 1st in my final 7 rankings. The Gators had the #1 spot in way more of my rankings than any other team, holding the top spot in 9 of my 17 editions. Oklahoma was my #1 team in week 2, week 5, and week 6. USC was my #1 team in week 3 and week 4. Texas was my #1 team from week 7 through week 9. Something that really surprised me when I went back and discovered it was that no team remained in my top 6 from the preseason through the final rankings. USC and Oklahoma never dropped below 7th and Florida never dropped below 9th.