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12 October 2010
Quick Explanation
This is a display of all the undefeated and the 1 loss teams. The second row of the chart depicts a team's accomplishments. This early in the season all we're going to bother counting as an accomplishment is being the only team to serve another team its lone loss. Oklahoma has FSU and AFA listed as its accomplishments because those two teams have not lost to anyone except Oklahoma. LSU does not have Florida listed as an accomplishment because Florida has lost 2 games (Bama and LSU). Now, I understand the temptation to point out Florida's storied superiority over Air Force. You are not wrong but this year Florida (at this point) is a two loss team. Counting them would force this system to recognize all 2 loss teams (which would bring this list closer to 60 teams) or it would force this system to introduce biase by permitting them and noone else into consideration due to their reputation. We're not going to do that. Besides, if you look at the black teams at the bottom, Florida hasn't even been responsible for dealing a relevant team its only loss.
Moving On.......
This depiction isn't perfect. There are places where teams can be innerchanged. Obviously teams of the same color can be arranged however one prefers (they've accomplished approximately the same thing). I would even say that Yellow can be mixed in with the Orange and Blue can be mixed in with the Green. That is due to presense of an accomplishment. The top 6 are a bit static and kind of tricky. Oklahoma and Michigan State have accomplished the same thing; they are innerchangeable. Auburn and LSU have both beaten accomplished 1 loss teams but South Carolina's is more impressive and thus these 2 can't be innerchanged. Oregon and Nebraska are the same story as Oklahoma and Michigan State.
Are these the Best Rankings?
Of course not, I don't even believe they're right. I would put FSU ahead of Boise, Ohio State, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia if it were up to me. But in an accomplishment based ranking system, that would be irresposible. Florida State may be better, but it hasn't proven it with an accomplishment. As long as that's the case, a one-loss team can't jump an undefeated.
Using my rules of innerchangability on this chart, I would slide South Carolina up to 12th and Alabama up the 18th. What would you do?
