This Week’s PiRate Rating Spreads
Home |
Visitor |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Miami (O) |
Akron |
3.4 |
2.9 |
4.0 |
Buffalo |
Bowling Green |
6.0 |
7.5 |
7.6 |
Western Michigan |
Kent St. |
26.9 |
24.5 |
27.6 |
Ohio U |
Toledo |
-6.2 |
-5.0 |
-6.7 |
Central Michigan |
Eastern Michigan |
-1.4 |
-0.4 |
-1.4 |
Northern Illinois |
Ball St. |
29.3 |
27.1 |
29.4 |
Appalachian St. |
Georgia Southern |
21.7 |
19.1 |
22.1 |
Pittsburgh |
North Carolina |
8.3 |
9.0 |
9.1 |
Cincinnati |
Temple |
-3.0 |
-1.6 |
-1.7 |
Stanford |
Washington |
-7.5 |
-6.1 |
-8.7 |
UNLV |
BYU |
1.1 |
3.0 |
1.8 |
Maryland |
Michigan |
-11.6 |
-10.3 |
-11.2 |
South Carolina |
Florida |
5.6 |
5.2 |
5.6 |
Georgia Tech |
Virginia Tech |
-2.9 |
-4.7 |
-4.6 |
East Carolina |
Tulane |
-8.2 |
-7.2 |
-8.6 |
Boston College |
North Carolina St. |
-4.0 |
-3.5 |
-4.1 |
Central Florida |
Connecticut |
31.9 |
31.3 |
32.9 |
Syracuse |
Wake Forest |
6.1 |
5.9 |
5.5 |
Penn St. |
Rutgers |
33.0 |
31.3 |
34.0 |
Army |
Duke |
-3.3 |
-2.6 |
-1.4 |
Ohio St. |
Michigan St. |
27.2 |
23.8 |
25.9 |
Illinois |
Indiana |
-11.6 |
-10.6 |
-13.1 |
Coastal Carolina |
Troy |
-22.2 |
-21.2 |
-20.8 |
Charlotte |
Middle Tennessee |
-11.2 |
-10.1 |
-11.6 |
Air Force |
Wyoming |
-2.0 |
-0.3 |
-0.7 |
Nevada |
San Jose St. |
16.2 |
17.7 |
18.4 |
Baylor |
Texas Tech |
-2.2 |
-0.8 |
-1.1 |
Kansas St. |
West Virginia |
3.1 |
2.6 |
2.6 |
Oklahoma |
TCU |
6.6 |
7.2 |
6.7 |
Iowa St. |
Oklahoma St. |
-7.4 |
-6.6 |
-7.0 |
Louisville |
Virginia |
13.1 |
13.0 |
12.7 |
Miami (Fla.) |
Notre Dame |
3.1 |
2.6 |
1.6 |
Navy |
SMU |
4.9 |
5.4 |
4.6 |
Utah |
Washington St. |
-7.0 |
-3.8 |
-6.8 |
Northwestern |
Purdue |
10.4 |
9.3 |
10.2 |
Ole Miss |
Louisiana-Lafayette |
25.1 |
22.2 |
23.6 |
Minnesota |
Nebraska |
4.0 |
4.2 |
4.0 |
Mississippi St. |
Alabama |
-22.3 |
-17.9 |
-20.8 |
Louisiana Tech |
Florida Atlantic |
-5.0 |
-5.3 |
-5.9 |
Rice |
Southern Miss. |
-9.8 |
-9.5 |
-10.0 |
Colorado |
USC |
-9.7 |
-10.5 |
-11.7 |
Wisconsin |
Iowa |
10.0 |
6.9 |
8.8 |
Auburn |
Georgia |
1.0 |
-1.2 |
0.8 |
Missouri |
Tennessee |
5.4 |
5.1 |
6.5 |
Texas A&M |
New Mexico |
22.7 |
20.9 |
21.3 |
UCLA |
Arizona St. |
-1.0 |
-0.5 |
-1.5 |
Vanderbilt |
Kentucky |
-1.7 |
-1.5 |
-1.8 |
South Alabama |
Arkansas St. |
-8.4 |
-7.0 |
-10.0 |
Texas St. |
Georgia St. |
-8.3 |
-6.0 |
-9.0 |
North Texas |
UTEP |
15.8 |
14.6 |
16.5 |
Texas |
Kansas |
37.7 |
34.6 |
39.5 |
Marshall |
Western Kentucky |
3.7 |
5.0 |
4.7 |
Florida Int’l. |
Old Dominion |
8.9 |
6.6 |
9.9 |
UTSA |
UAB |
15.0 |
14.0 |
14.0 |
Clemson |
Florida St. |
14.4 |
12.8 |
15.3 |
LSU |
Arkansas |
21.2 |
19.9 |
22.5 |
Arizona |
Oregon St. |
16.3 |
15.0 |
16.8 |
Colorado St. |
Boise St. |
-2.2 |
-1.7 |
-2.6 |
Hawaii |
Fresno St. |
-6.3 |
-4.5 |
-7.0 |
The PiRate Ratings
Retro Rankings
PiRate Retrodictive |
# |
Team |
1 |
Alabama |
2 |
Georgia |
3 |
Notre Dame |
4 |
Clemson |
5 |
Wisconsin |
6 |
Miami (Fla) |
7 |
Oklahoma |
8 |
Penn St. |
9 |
Central Florida |
10 |
Ohio St. |
11 |
Washington |
12 |
TCU |
13 |
USC |
14 |
Auburn |
15 |
Oklahoma St. |
16 |
Michigan St. |
17 |
Virginia Tech |
18 |
Michigan |
19 |
Iowa |
20 |
Mississippi St. |
21 |
Memphis |
22 |
Washington St. |
23 |
Iowa St. |
24 |
North Carolina St. |
25 |
Boise St. |
26 |
Stanford |
27 |
LSU |
28 |
Toledo |
29 |
Northwestern |
30 |
South Florida |
31 |
Boston College |
32 |
Arizona |
33 |
South Carolina |
34 |
Wake Forest |
35 |
West Virginia |
36 |
San Diego St. |
37 |
Arizona St. |
38 |
Georgia Tech |
39 |
Houston |
40 |
Texas |
41 |
Texas A&M |
42 |
SMU |
43 |
Oregon |
44 |
Navy |
45 |
Louisville |
46 |
Florida St. |
47 |
Syracuse |
48 |
Florida Atlantic |
49 |
Utah |
50 |
Virginia |
51 |
Northern Illinois |
52 |
Texas Tech |
53 |
Kentucky |
54 |
Army |
55 |
Troy |
56 |
California |
57 |
Fresno St. |
58 |
Purdue |
59 |
Kansas St. |
60 |
Pittsburgh |
61 |
Nebraska |
62 |
UCLA |
63 |
Marshall |
64 |
Maryland |
65 |
Wyoming |
66 |
Ohio |
67 |
Arkansas St. |
68 |
Florida |
69 |
Colorado |
70 |
Missouri |
71 |
Duke |
72 |
Minnesota |
73 |
Indiana |
74 |
Tennessee |
75 |
Colorado St. |
76 |
Ole Miss |
77 |
Florida Int’l. |
78 |
North Texas |
79 |
Western Michigan |
80 |
Akron |
81 |
Rutgers |
82 |
Arkansas |
83 |
Vanderbilt |
84 |
Utah St. |
85 |
Temple |
86 |
Central Michigan |
87 |
UAB |
88 |
Air Force |
89 |
Eastern Michigan |
90 |
Tulane |
91 |
UTSA |
92 |
Southern Miss. |
93 |
Cincinnati |
94 |
Appalachian St. |
95 |
Georgia St. |
96 |
Louisiana Tech |
97 |
UNLV |
98 |
Middle Tennessee |
99 |
North Carolina |
100 |
Western Kentucky |
101 |
Buffalo |
102 |
Tulsa |
103 |
Miami (O) |
104 |
New Mexico St. |
105 |
Connecticut |
106 |
Illinois |
107 |
Baylor |
108 |
New Mexico |
109 |
UL-Monroe |
110 |
East Carolina |
111 |
Oregon St. |
112 |
South Alabama |
113 |
UL-Lafayette |
114 |
Bowling Green |
115 |
BYU |
116 |
Idaho |
117 |
Nevada |
118 |
Old Dominion |
119 |
Massachusetts |
120 |
Kent St. |
121 |
Hawaii |
122 |
Kansas |
123 |
Ball St. |
124 |
Rice |
125 |
Charlotte |
126 |
Texas St. |
127 |
Coastal Carolina |
128 |
San Jose St. |
129 |
UTEP |
130 |
Georgia Southern |
PiRate Predictive Ratings
# |
Team |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
1 |
Alabama |
138.2 |
134.2 |
136.9 |
136.4 |
2 |
Ohio St. |
130.9 |
128.5 |
131.0 |
130.1 |
3 |
Georgia |
128.4 |
128.5 |
128.7 |
128.5 |
4 |
Washington |
128.9 |
126.1 |
129.3 |
128.1 |
5 |
Clemson |
127.8 |
125.3 |
127.3 |
126.8 |
6 |
Penn St. |
127.1 |
125.3 |
127.8 |
126.7 |
7 |
Auburn |
126.4 |
124.3 |
126.5 |
125.7 |
8 |
Oklahoma |
123.5 |
122.3 |
124.1 |
123.3 |
9 |
Oklahoma St. |
123.1 |
122.2 |
123.7 |
123.0 |
10 |
Notre Dame |
122.2 |
120.8 |
122.9 |
121.9 |
11 |
Miami |
122.3 |
120.4 |
121.5 |
121.4 |
12 |
Virginia Tech |
120.6 |
119.9 |
120.8 |
120.4 |
13 |
Wisconsin |
121.6 |
118.8 |
120.1 |
120.2 |
14 |
T C U |
119.9 |
118.1 |
120.4 |
119.4 |
15 |
U S C |
119.2 |
118.4 |
119.1 |
118.9 |
16 |
Stanford |
118.4 |
117.0 |
117.6 |
117.7 |
17 |
N. Carolina St. |
116.9 |
116.1 |
116.9 |
116.6 |
18 |
L S U |
117.0 |
114.9 |
117.6 |
116.5 |
19 |
Florida St. |
116.4 |
115.5 |
114.9 |
115.6 |
20 |
Texas |
114.6 |
114.9 |
115.1 |
114.9 |
21 |
Iowa |
114.6 |
114.9 |
114.3 |
114.6 |
22 |
Michigan |
114.3 |
114.3 |
113.4 |
114.0 |
23 |
Washington St. |
114.8 |
112.5 |
114.4 |
113.9 |
24 |
Central Florida |
112.9 |
114.3 |
114.0 |
113.8 |
25 |
Georgia Tech |
114.7 |
112.2 |
113.2 |
113.4 |
26 |
Mississippi St. |
112.9 |
113.3 |
113.1 |
113.1 |
27 |
Iowa State |
112.6 |
112.6 |
113.7 |
113.0 |
28 |
Louisville |
112.1 |
111.2 |
111.9 |
111.7 |
29 |
Syracuse |
112.2 |
110.5 |
111.6 |
111.4 |
30 |
West Virginia |
110.3 |
110.8 |
110.7 |
110.6 |
31 |
Kansas St. |
110.4 |
110.4 |
110.3 |
110.4 |
32 |
Northwestern |
110.4 |
109.3 |
110.3 |
110.0 |
33 |
Boston College |
109.9 |
109.6 |
109.9 |
109.8 |
34 |
South Florida |
109.8 |
108.7 |
110.4 |
109.6 |
35 |
Wake Forest |
109.2 |
107.5 |
109.1 |
108.6 |
36 |
S. Carolina |
109.1 |
108.1 |
108.3 |
108.5 |
37 |
Memphis |
108.5 |
107.8 |
109.1 |
108.4 |
38 |
Arizona |
108.8 |
107.2 |
107.9 |
108.0 |
39 |
Michigan St. |
106.7 |
107.7 |
108.1 |
107.5 |
40 |
Boise St. |
107.0 |
105.5 |
107.2 |
106.6 |
41 |
Pittsburgh |
106.5 |
106.3 |
106.3 |
106.4 |
42 |
Texas A&M |
107.1 |
105.1 |
106.3 |
106.2 |
43 |
Arizona St. |
106.6 |
105.6 |
106.3 |
106.2 |
44 |
Florida |
106.5 |
105.9 |
105.7 |
106.0 |
45 |
Kentucky |
106.7 |
105.7 |
105.6 |
106.0 |
46 |
Duke |
106.6 |
105.9 |
105.3 |
105.9 |
47 |
Oregon |
106.5 |
104.7 |
105.6 |
105.6 |
48 |
Colorado |
106.5 |
105.0 |
104.4 |
105.3 |
49 |
Missouri |
106.0 |
104.1 |
105.3 |
105.1 |
50 |
Utah |
104.8 |
105.7 |
104.6 |
105.0 |
51 |
Toledo |
104.1 |
104.2 |
105.8 |
104.7 |
52 |
Ole Miss |
105.0 |
103.5 |
103.6 |
104.0 |
53 |
Texas Tech |
103.9 |
103.8 |
103.1 |
103.6 |
54 |
California |
104.5 |
102.4 |
102.6 |
103.2 |
55 |
Indiana |
103.0 |
103.1 |
103.4 |
103.2 |
56 |
Houston |
103.1 |
102.7 |
103.3 |
103.0 |
57 |
Purdue |
102.9 |
103.1 |
103.1 |
103.0 |
58 |
Tennessee |
103.6 |
102.0 |
101.8 |
102.5 |
59 |
Minnesota |
102.4 |
103.3 |
101.6 |
102.4 |
60 |
U C L A |
102.6 |
102.1 |
101.8 |
102.2 |
61 |
San Diego St. |
101.7 |
101.6 |
102.6 |
102.0 |
62 |
Vanderbilt |
102.5 |
101.7 |
101.3 |
101.8 |
63 |
Virginia |
102.0 |
101.2 |
102.1 |
101.8 |
64 |
Colo. State |
101.8 |
100.8 |
101.6 |
101.4 |
65 |
Nebraska |
101.3 |
102.1 |
100.6 |
101.3 |
66 |
Navy |
100.4 |
101.2 |
100.5 |
100.7 |
67 |
N. Carolina |
101.2 |
100.3 |
100.1 |
100.5 |
68 |
Army |
100.3 |
100.3 |
100.9 |
100.5 |
69 |
Maryland |
99.7 |
101.0 |
99.2 |
99.9 |
70 |
Baylor |
98.7 |
100.1 |
99.0 |
99.3 |
71 |
SMU |
98.4 |
98.8 |
98.9 |
98.7 |
72 |
Wyoming |
99.3 |
98.0 |
98.3 |
98.5 |
73 |
Arkansas |
98.8 |
98.0 |
98.0 |
98.3 |
74 |
Western Michigan |
97.7 |
96.7 |
98.6 |
97.7 |
75 |
Eastern Michigan |
97.2 |
96.9 |
97.8 |
97.3 |
76 |
Rutgers |
97.1 |
97.0 |
96.8 |
97.0 |
77 |
Florida Atlantic |
95.7 |
97.7 |
97.2 |
96.9 |
78 |
Arkansas St. |
95.8 |
96.7 |
97.3 |
96.6 |
79 |
Ohio U |
95.5 |
96.6 |
96.6 |
96.2 |
80 |
Troy |
95.1 |
95.3 |
94.5 |
95.0 |
81 |
Oregon St. |
95.5 |
95.2 |
94.1 |
94.9 |
82 |
Fresno St. |
94.7 |
93.9 |
95.2 |
94.6 |
83 |
Air Force |
94.2 |
94.7 |
94.6 |
94.5 |
84 |
Tulsa |
94.6 |
94.4 |
94.1 |
94.4 |
85 |
Northern Illinois |
94.1 |
94.0 |
95.0 |
94.3 |
86 |
Temple |
94.0 |
94.4 |
94.1 |
94.2 |
87 |
Central Michigan |
93.3 |
94.0 |
93.9 |
93.7 |
88 |
Tulane |
92.9 |
93.3 |
93.1 |
93.1 |
89 |
Appalachian St. |
93.3 |
92.1 |
93.1 |
92.8 |
90 |
Marshall |
91.6 |
92.9 |
93.3 |
92.6 |
91 |
U T S A |
91.0 |
93.1 |
92.0 |
92.0 |
92 |
Utah St. |
92.3 |
91.5 |
91.9 |
91.9 |
93 |
W. Kentucky |
90.9 |
90.9 |
91.7 |
91.2 |
94 |
Massachusetts |
90.2 |
89.4 |
90.5 |
90.0 |
95 |
Cincinnati |
88.5 |
90.2 |
89.9 |
89.5 |
96 |
Miami (O) |
88.1 |
90.2 |
89.3 |
89.2 |
97 |
BYU |
89.2 |
89.0 |
88.7 |
88.9 |
98 |
Illinois |
88.9 |
90.0 |
87.8 |
88.9 |
99 |
Louisiana Tech |
87.6 |
89.4 |
88.2 |
88.4 |
100 |
Akron |
87.3 |
89.7 |
87.8 |
88.3 |
101 |
Florida Int’l. |
87.7 |
87.9 |
88.8 |
88.2 |
102 |
U N L V |
87.3 |
88.9 |
87.5 |
87.9 |
103 |
Nevada |
86.2 |
88.0 |
87.5 |
87.2 |
104 |
New Mexico |
86.9 |
86.7 |
87.5 |
87.0 |
105 |
N. Mexico St. |
87.4 |
85.8 |
87.7 |
87.0 |
106 |
Buffalo |
85.4 |
87.7 |
87.4 |
86.8 |
107 |
Middle Tennessee |
86.1 |
87.3 |
86.9 |
86.8 |
108 |
Hawaii |
84.9 |
85.9 |
84.7 |
85.2 |
109 |
S. Alabama |
84.4 |
86.7 |
84.3 |
85.1 |
110 |
Southern Miss. |
84.2 |
85.3 |
84.7 |
84.7 |
111 |
Connecticut |
84.0 |
86.0 |
84.1 |
84.7 |
112 |
N. Texas |
83.9 |
85.5 |
84.6 |
84.7 |
113 |
Georgia St. |
84.1 |
83.9 |
84.1 |
84.1 |
114 |
UL-Lafayette |
82.4 |
83.8 |
82.5 |
82.9 |
115 |
Old Dominion |
81.8 |
84.4 |
81.9 |
82.7 |
116 |
East Carolina |
82.2 |
83.7 |
82.0 |
82.6 |
117 |
Bowling Green |
81.9 |
82.8 |
82.3 |
82.3 |
118 |
UL-Monroe |
82.3 |
83.1 |
81.5 |
82.3 |
119 |
Idaho |
80.9 |
82.0 |
81.7 |
81.5 |
120 |
UAB |
79.0 |
82.0 |
81.0 |
80.7 |
121 |
Kansas |
79.9 |
83.3 |
78.6 |
80.6 |
122 |
Georgia Southern |
74.6 |
76.0 |
74.0 |
74.9 |
123 |
Kent St. |
73.7 |
75.3 |
74.0 |
74.3 |
124 |
Texas St. |
73.3 |
75.4 |
72.6 |
73.8 |
125 |
Charlotte |
72.4 |
74.7 |
72.7 |
73.3 |
126 |
San Jose St. |
73.0 |
73.3 |
72.1 |
72.8 |
127 |
Rice |
71.9 |
73.3 |
72.2 |
72.5 |
128 |
U T E P |
71.0 |
73.9 |
71.1 |
72.0 |
129 |
Coastal Carolina |
70.8 |
72.2 |
71.7 |
71.6 |
130 |
Ball St. |
67.8 |
69.8 |
68.6 |
68.7 |
PiRate Ratings By Conference
American Athletic Conference |
East Division |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
AAC |
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
Central Florida |
5-0 |
8-0 |
112.9 |
114.3 |
114.0 |
113.8 |
South Florida |
5-1 |
8-1 |
109.8 |
108.7 |
110.4 |
109.6 |
Temple |
2-3 |
4-5 |
94.0 |
94.4 |
94.1 |
94.2 |
Cincinnati |
1-4 |
3-6 |
88.5 |
90.2 |
89.9 |
89.5 |
Connecticut |
2-4 |
3-6 |
84.0 |
86.0 |
84.1 |
84.7 |
East Carolina |
1-4 |
2-7 |
82.2 |
83.7 |
82.0 |
82.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
West Division |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
AAC |
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
Memphis |
5-1 |
8-1 |
108.5 |
107.8 |
109.1 |
108.4 |
Houston |
4-2 |
6-3 |
103.1 |
102.7 |
103.3 |
103.0 |
Navy |
3-3 |
5-3 |
100.4 |
101.2 |
100.5 |
100.7 |
SMU |
3-2 |
6-3 |
98.4 |
98.8 |
98.9 |
98.7 |
Tulsa |
1-5 |
2-8 |
94.6 |
94.4 |
94.1 |
94.4 |
Tulane |
1-4 |
3-6 |
92.9 |
93.3 |
93.1 |
93.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AAC Averages |
|
|
97.4 |
97.9 |
97.8 |
97.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Atlantic Coast Conference |
Atlantic Division |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
ACC |
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
Clemson |
6-1 |
8-1 |
127.8 |
125.3 |
127.3 |
126.8 |
N. Carolina St. |
4-1 |
6-3 |
116.9 |
116.1 |
116.9 |
116.6 |
Florida St. |
3-4 |
3-5 |
116.4 |
115.5 |
114.9 |
115.6 |
Louisville |
2-4 |
5-4 |
112.1 |
111.2 |
111.9 |
111.7 |
Syracuse |
2-3 |
4-5 |
112.2 |
110.5 |
111.6 |
111.4 |
Boston College |
3-3 |
5-4 |
109.9 |
109.6 |
109.9 |
109.8 |
Wake Forest |
2-3 |
5-4 |
109.2 |
107.5 |
109.1 |
108.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coastal Division |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
ACC |
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
Miami |
6-0 |
8-0 |
122.3 |
120.4 |
121.5 |
121.4 |
Virginia Tech |
3-2 |
7-2 |
120.6 |
119.9 |
120.8 |
120.4 |
Georgia Tech |
3-3 |
4-4 |
114.7 |
112.2 |
113.2 |
113.4 |
Pittsburgh |
2-3 |
4-5 |
106.5 |
106.3 |
106.3 |
106.4 |
Duke |
1-5 |
4-5 |
106.6 |
105.9 |
105.3 |
105.9 |
Virginia |
3-2 |
6-3 |
102.0 |
101.2 |
102.1 |
101.8 |
N. Carolina |
0-6 |
1-8 |
101.2 |
100.3 |
100.1 |
100.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ACC Averages |
|
|
112.8 |
111.6 |
112.2 |
112.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Big 12 Conference |
Team |
B12 |
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
Oklahoma |
5-1 |
8-1 |
123.5 |
122.3 |
124.1 |
123.3 |
Oklahoma St. |
4-2 |
7-2 |
123.1 |
122.2 |
123.7 |
123.0 |
T C U |
5-1 |
8-1 |
119.9 |
118.1 |
120.4 |
119.4 |
Texas |
3-3 |
4-5 |
114.6 |
114.9 |
115.1 |
114.9 |
Iowa State |
4-2 |
5-4 |
112.6 |
112.6 |
113.7 |
113.0 |
West Virginia |
4-2 |
6-3 |
110.3 |
110.8 |
110.7 |
110.6 |
Kansas St. |
3-3 |
5-4 |
110.4 |
110.4 |
110.3 |
110.4 |
Texas Tech |
1-5 |
4-5 |
103.9 |
103.8 |
103.1 |
103.6 |
Baylor |
1-5 |
1-8 |
98.7 |
100.1 |
99.0 |
99.3 |
Kansas |
0-6 |
1-8 |
79.9 |
83.3 |
78.6 |
80.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Big 12 Averages |
|
|
109.7 |
109.8 |
109.9 |
109.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Big Ten Conference |
East Division |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
BTen |
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
Ohio St. |
5-1 |
7-2 |
130.9 |
128.5 |
131.0 |
130.1 |
Penn St. |
4-2 |
7-2 |
127.1 |
125.3 |
127.8 |
126.7 |
Michigan |
4-2 |
7-2 |
114.3 |
114.3 |
113.4 |
114.0 |
Michigan St. |
5-1 |
7-2 |
106.7 |
107.7 |
108.1 |
107.5 |
Indiana |
0-6 |
3-6 |
103.0 |
103.1 |
103.4 |
103.2 |
Maryland |
2-4 |
4-5 |
99.7 |
101.0 |
99.2 |
99.9 |
Rutgers |
3-3 |
4-5 |
97.1 |
97.0 |
96.8 |
97.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
West Division |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
BTen |
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
Wisconsin |
6-0 |
9-0 |
121.6 |
118.8 |
120.1 |
120.2 |
Iowa |
3-3 |
6-3 |
114.6 |
114.9 |
114.3 |
114.6 |
Northwestern |
4-2 |
6-3 |
110.4 |
109.3 |
110.3 |
110.0 |
Purdue |
2-4 |
4-5 |
102.9 |
103.1 |
103.1 |
103.0 |
Minnesota |
1-5 |
4-5 |
102.4 |
103.3 |
101.6 |
102.4 |
Nebraska |
3-3 |
4-5 |
101.3 |
102.1 |
100.6 |
101.3 |
Illinois |
0-6 |
2-7 |
88.9 |
90.0 |
87.8 |
88.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Big Ten Averages |
|
|
108.7 |
108.4 |
108.4 |
108.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Conference USA |
East Division |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
CUSA |
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
Florida Atlantic |
5-0 |
6-3 |
95.7 |
97.7 |
97.2 |
96.9 |
Marshall |
3-2 |
6-3 |
91.6 |
92.9 |
93.3 |
92.6 |
W. Kentucky |
3-2 |
5-4 |
90.9 |
90.9 |
91.7 |
91.2 |
Florida Int’l. |
4-1 |
6-2 |
87.7 |
87.9 |
88.8 |
88.2 |
Middle Tennessee |
2-3 |
4-5 |
86.1 |
87.3 |
86.9 |
86.8 |
Old Dominion |
1-4 |
3-6 |
81.8 |
84.4 |
81.9 |
82.7 |
Charlotte |
1-4 |
1-8 |
72.4 |
74.7 |
72.7 |
73.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
West Division |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
CUSA |
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
U T S A |
2-3 |
5-3 |
91.0 |
93.1 |
92.0 |
92.0 |
Louisiana Tech |
2-3 |
4-5 |
87.6 |
89.4 |
88.2 |
88.4 |
Southern Miss. |
3-2 |
5-4 |
84.2 |
85.3 |
84.7 |
84.7 |
N. Texas |
5-1 |
6-3 |
83.9 |
85.5 |
84.6 |
84.7 |
UAB |
4-2 |
6-3 |
79.0 |
82.0 |
81.0 |
80.7 |
Rice |
1-4 |
1-8 |
71.9 |
73.3 |
72.2 |
72.5 |
U T E P |
0-5 |
0-9 |
71.0 |
73.9 |
71.1 |
72.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CUSA Averages |
|
|
83.9 |
85.6 |
84.7 |
84.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FBS Independents |
Team |
|
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
Notre Dame |
|
8-1 |
122.2 |
120.8 |
122.9 |
121.9 |
Army |
|
7-2 |
100.3 |
100.3 |
100.9 |
100.5 |
Massachusetts |
|
2-7 |
90.2 |
89.4 |
90.5 |
90.0 |
BYU |
|
2-8 |
89.2 |
89.0 |
88.7 |
88.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Indep. Averages |
|
|
100.5 |
99.9 |
100.7 |
100.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mid-American Conference |
East Division |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
MAC |
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
Ohio U |
4-1 |
7-2 |
95.5 |
96.6 |
96.6 |
96.2 |
Miami (O) |
2-3 |
3-6 |
88.1 |
90.2 |
89.3 |
89.2 |
Akron |
4-1 |
5-4 |
87.3 |
89.7 |
87.8 |
88.3 |
Buffalo |
1-4 |
3-6 |
85.4 |
87.7 |
87.4 |
86.8 |
Bowling Green |
2-3 |
2-7 |
81.9 |
82.8 |
82.3 |
82.3 |
Kent St. |
1-4 |
2-7 |
73.7 |
75.3 |
74.0 |
74.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
West Division |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
MAC |
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
Toledo |
5-0 |
8-1 |
104.1 |
104.2 |
105.8 |
104.7 |
Western Michigan |
3-2 |
5-4 |
97.7 |
96.7 |
98.6 |
97.7 |
Eastern Michigan |
1-4 |
3-6 |
97.2 |
96.9 |
97.8 |
97.3 |
Northern Illinois |
4-1 |
6-3 |
94.1 |
94.0 |
95.0 |
94.3 |
Central Michigan |
3-2 |
5-4 |
93.3 |
94.0 |
93.9 |
93.7 |
Ball St. |
0-5 |
2-7 |
67.8 |
69.8 |
68.6 |
68.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MAC Averages |
|
|
88.8 |
89.8 |
89.7 |
89.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mountain West Conference |
Mountain Division |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
MWC |
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
Boise St. |
5-0 |
7-2 |
107.0 |
105.5 |
107.2 |
106.6 |
Colo. State |
4-2 |
6-4 |
101.8 |
100.8 |
101.6 |
101.4 |
Wyoming |
4-1 |
6-3 |
99.3 |
98.0 |
98.3 |
98.5 |
Air Force |
3-2 |
4-5 |
94.2 |
94.7 |
94.6 |
94.5 |
Utah St. |
3-3 |
5-5 |
92.3 |
91.5 |
91.9 |
91.9 |
New Mexico |
1-5 |
3-6 |
86.9 |
86.7 |
87.5 |
87.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
West Division |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
MWC |
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
San Diego St. |
4-2 |
8-2 |
101.7 |
101.6 |
102.6 |
102.0 |
Fresno St. |
4-1 |
6-3 |
94.7 |
93.9 |
95.2 |
94.6 |
U N L V |
3-3 |
4-5 |
87.3 |
88.9 |
87.5 |
87.9 |
Nevada |
1-4 |
1-8 |
86.2 |
88.0 |
87.5 |
87.2 |
Hawaii |
1-5 |
3-6 |
84.9 |
85.9 |
84.7 |
85.2 |
San Jose St. |
0-5 |
1-9 |
73.0 |
73.3 |
72.1 |
72.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MWC Averages |
|
|
92.4 |
92.4 |
92.6 |
92.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pac-12 Conference |
North Division |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
P12 |
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
Washington |
5-1 |
8-1 |
128.9 |
126.1 |
129.3 |
128.1 |
Stanford |
5-2 |
6-3 |
118.4 |
117.0 |
117.6 |
117.7 |
Washington St. |
4-2 |
7-2 |
114.8 |
112.5 |
114.4 |
113.9 |
Oregon |
2-5 |
5-5 |
106.5 |
104.7 |
105.6 |
105.6 |
California |
2-5 |
5-5 |
104.5 |
102.4 |
102.6 |
103.2 |
Oregon St. |
0-6 |
1-8 |
95.5 |
95.2 |
94.1 |
94.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
South Division |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
P12 |
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
U S C |
6-1 |
8-2 |
119.2 |
118.4 |
119.1 |
118.9 |
Arizona |
4-2 |
6-3 |
108.8 |
107.2 |
107.9 |
108.0 |
Arizona St. |
4-2 |
5-4 |
106.6 |
105.6 |
106.3 |
106.2 |
Colorado |
2-5 |
5-5 |
106.5 |
105.0 |
104.4 |
105.3 |
Utah |
2-4 |
5-4 |
104.8 |
105.7 |
104.6 |
105.0 |
U C L A |
2-4 |
4-5 |
102.6 |
102.1 |
101.8 |
102.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pac-12 Averages |
|
|
109.8 |
108.5 |
109.0 |
109.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Southeastern Conference |
East Division |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
SEC |
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
Georgia |
6-0 |
9-0 |
128.4 |
128.5 |
128.7 |
128.5 |
S. Carolina |
4-3 |
6-3 |
109.1 |
108.1 |
108.3 |
108.5 |
Florida |
3-4 |
3-5 |
106.5 |
105.9 |
105.7 |
106.0 |
Kentucky |
3-3 |
6-3 |
106.7 |
105.7 |
105.6 |
106.0 |
Missouri |
1-4 |
4-5 |
106.0 |
104.1 |
105.3 |
105.1 |
Tennessee |
0-5 |
4-5 |
103.6 |
102.0 |
101.8 |
102.5 |
Vanderbilt |
0-5 |
4-5 |
102.5 |
101.7 |
101.3 |
101.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
West Division |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
SEC |
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
Alabama |
6-0 |
9-0 |
138.2 |
134.2 |
136.9 |
136.4 |
Auburn |
5-1 |
7-2 |
126.4 |
124.3 |
126.5 |
125.7 |
L S U |
3-2 |
6-3 |
117.0 |
114.9 |
117.6 |
116.5 |
Mississippi St. |
3-2 |
7-2 |
112.9 |
113.3 |
113.1 |
113.1 |
Texas A&M |
3-3 |
5-4 |
107.1 |
105.1 |
106.3 |
106.2 |
Ole Miss |
2-4 |
4-5 |
105.0 |
103.5 |
103.6 |
104.0 |
Arkansas |
1-4 |
4-5 |
98.8 |
98.0 |
98.0 |
98.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SEC Averages |
|
|
112.0 |
110.7 |
111.3 |
111.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sunbelt Conference |
Team |
SBC |
Overall |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
Arkansas St. |
4-0 |
5-2 |
95.8 |
96.7 |
97.3 |
96.6 |
Troy |
4-1 |
7-2 |
95.1 |
95.3 |
94.5 |
95.0 |
Appalachian St. |
4-1 |
5-4 |
93.3 |
92.1 |
93.1 |
92.8 |
N. Mexico St. |
2-3 |
4-5 |
87.4 |
85.8 |
87.7 |
87.0 |
S. Alabama |
2-3 |
3-6 |
84.4 |
86.7 |
84.3 |
85.1 |
Georgia St. |
4-1 |
5-3 |
84.1 |
83.9 |
84.1 |
84.1 |
UL-Lafayette |
3-2 |
4-4 |
82.4 |
83.8 |
82.5 |
82.9 |
UL-Monroe |
4-3 |
4-5 |
82.3 |
83.1 |
81.5 |
82.3 |
Idaho |
2-3 |
3-6 |
80.9 |
82.0 |
81.7 |
81.5 |
Georgia Southern |
0-4 |
0-8 |
74.6 |
76.0 |
74.0 |
74.9 |
Texas St. |
1-4 |
2-7 |
73.3 |
75.4 |
72.6 |
73.8 |
Coastal Carolina |
0-5 |
1-8 |
70.8 |
72.2 |
71.7 |
71.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sun Belt Averages |
|
|
83.7 |
84.4 |
83.7 |
84.0 |
Conference Ratings
# |
League |
PiRate |
Mean |
Bias |
Average |
1 |
ACC |
112.8 |
111.6 |
112.2 |
112.2 |
2 |
SEC |
112.0 |
110.7 |
111.3 |
111.3 |
3 |
BIG 12 |
109.7 |
109.8 |
109.9 |
109.8 |
4 |
PAC-12 |
109.8 |
108.5 |
109.0 |
109.1 |
5 |
BIG TEN |
108.7 |
108.4 |
108.4 |
108.5 |
6 |
INDEP. |
100.5 |
99.9 |
100.7 |
100.4 |
7 |
AAC |
97.4 |
97.9 |
97.8 |
97.7 |
8 |
MWC |
92.4 |
92.4 |
92.6 |
92.5 |
9 |
MAC |
88.8 |
89.8 |
89.7 |
89.5 |
10 |
CUSA |
83.9 |
85.6 |
84.7 |
84.8 |
11 |
Sun Belt |
83.7 |
84.4 |
83.7 |
84.0 |
Bowl Projections
Bowl |
Conferences |
Team 1 |
Team 2 |
New Orleans |
CUSA |
SBC |
Florida Int’l. |
UL-Lafayette |
Cure |
AAC |
SBC |
South Florida |
Troy |
Las Vegas |
MWC 1 |
PAC-12 5 |
San Diego St. |
Utah |
New Mexico |
CUSA |
MWC |
North Texas |
Wyoming |
Camellia |
MAC |
SBC |
Northern Illinois |
Arkansas St. |
Boca Raton |
AAC |
CUSA |
Central Fla. |
Marshall |
Frisco |
AAC |
MAC |
SMU |
Ohio U |
Gasparilla |
AAC |
CUSA |
[Georgia St.] |
Southern Miss. |
Bahamas |
CUSA 1 |
MAC |
Florida Atlantic |
Toledo |
Idaho Potato |
MAC |
MWC |
Central Mich. |
Utah St. |
Birmingham |
AAC |
SEC 8-9 |
Cincinnati |
[UAB] |
Armed Forces |
Army |
BIG TEN 8 |
Army |
[California] |
Dollar General |
MAC |
SBC |
Akron |
Appalachian St. |
Hawaii |
AAC |
MWC |
Houston |
Boise St. |
Heart of Dallas |
BIG 12 6 |
CUSA |
[UNLV] |
UTSA |
Quick Lane |
ACC 7-9 |
BIG TEN 7 |
[Western Ky.] |
[Western Mich.] |
Cactus |
BIG 12 5 |
PAC-12 6 |
Kansas St. |
Stanford |
Independence |
ACC 7-9 |
SEC 8-9 |
Duke |
[Middle Tennessee] |
Pinstripe |
ACC 3-6 |
BIG TEN 5 |
Boston College |
Iowa |
Foster Farms |
BIG TEN 6 |
PAC-12 8 |
[Fresno St.] |
Washington St. |
Texas |
BIG 12 3 |
SEC 2-7 |
Texas |
Missouri |
Military |
AAC 7-9 |
ACC 7-9 |
Navy |
[Miami (O)] |
Camping World |
ACC 2 |
BIG 12 2 |
Virginia Tech |
Iowa St. |
Holiday |
BIG TEN 3 |
PAC-12 2 |
Michigan |
Arizona St. |
Alamo |
BIG 12 1 |
PAC-12 1 |
Oklahoma St. |
Arizona |
Belk |
ACC 3-6 |
SEC 2-7 |
NC State |
Auburn |
Sun |
ACC 3-6 |
Pac-12 |
Wake Forest |
Oregon |
Music City |
ACC 3-6/B10 4 |
SEC 2-7 |
Northwestern |
Kentucky |
Arizona |
MWC |
SBC |
Colorado St. |
New Mexico St. |
Cotton |
At-large |
At-large |
Wisconsin |
Washington |
Taxslayer |
ACC 3-6/B10 4 |
SEC 2-7 |
Louisville |
LSU |
Liberty |
BIG 12 4 |
SEC 2-7 |
West Virginia |
Texas A&M |
Fiesta |
At-large |
At-large |
USC |
TCU |
Orange |
ACC 1 |
SEC 1/B10 1 |
Miami (Fla) |
Penn St. |
Outback |
BIG TEN 2 |
SEC 2-7 |
Ohio St. |
South Carolina |
Peach |
At-large |
At-large |
Clemson |
Memphis |
Citrus |
B10 1/ACC 2 |
SEC 1 |
Michigan St. |
Mississippi St. |
Rose |
Playoff |
Semi-final |
Georgia |
Notre Dame |
Sugar |
Playoff |
Semi-final |
Alabama |
Oklahoma |
Nat’l Champ. |
Semifinal |
Winners |
Alabama |
Georgia |
|
|
|
|
|
Teams in [Brackets] are at-large selections |
A Great Weekend Ahead
After looking at the schedule for this week, the folks at the sports networks could call this one, “moving week.” There are numerous games where teams in contention for a playoff spot are facing tough, sometimes trap games. There are a host of games where the winner will stay in bowl contention, while fans of the loser can start thinking about basketball season, which begins this Friday.
Then, there is another interesting phenomenon. There are a host of teams that have six losses and must win out to get to 6-6 and get into a bowl. Most will lose again to fall out of the bowl picture, but until they get to seven losses, these teams will bring their A-games to the field. What that means is that a 3-6 team that is a 15-point underdog to a 6-3 team that is already bowl eligible but has no chance to win a division or conference might be ready to play its best game of the year and maybe pull off the upset. Even if they lose to go to 3-7, they might make it a close game and lose by single digits.
Here’s a look at the interesting games.
Game Involving Playoff Contenders Against Each Other
Notre Dame at Miami (Fla.)
The winner of this game takes a major step forward toward earning one of the magic four spots in the playoffs. The Irish have a home game with Notre Dame and a road game against Stanford remaining, while the Hurricanes have a home game with Virginia, and a road game against Pittsburgh (as well as needing to win the ACC Championship Game).
Games Important In Deciding Conference or Division Winner
Akron at Miami (O) & Toledo at Ohio U
Akron and Ohio are currently tied for the MAC East lead at 4-1. Miami (O) has 6 losses and must win out to become bowl eligible, while Toledo is still in contention for a New Year’s 6 Bowl if the Rockets win out and get help from other teams beating UCF, USF, and Memphis.
Washington at Stanford
Washington currently leads Stanford by a half game and Washington St. by a full game in the Pac-12 North.
Michigan St. at Ohio St.
Both teams are 5-1 in the Big Ten East and most likely out of playoff contention. The winner hasn’t wrapped up the division yet, as Michigan and Penn State are both one game back at 4-2.
TCU at Oklahoma
Both teams are 5-1 and tied for first in the Big 12. The winner almost assuredly makes the Big 12 Championship Game, while the loser will have to fight it out with Iowa St. and Oklahoma St. for the second spot.
Iowa St. at Oklahoma St.
Both teams are 4-2, and the winner stays in contention for second place, which in this league gets you into the Championship Game (WVU is also 4-2).
Potential Trap Games For Playoff Contenders
Alabama at Mississippi St.
Georgia at Auburn
The nation’s top two teams have trap games this week. Alabama had a tough home game with LSU and lost several key defensive players to injury. Plus, in the past five years, the teams that have upset the Crimson Tide have had top notch dual threat quarterbacks. Mississippi State’s Nick Fitzgerald is a dual threat quarterback.
Georgia beat South Carolina, and the Bulldogs were in control of the game with not much doubt of losing, but Coach Kirby Smart did not get the opportunity to empty his bench and rest his regulars. Now, the Bulldogs play at Auburn, where the Tigers are still in contention in the SEC West, but only if they beat Georgia.
Must Win Out To Stay In Bowl Contention
Eastern Michigan at Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan has six losses and must win out to become bowl eligible. The Eagles have winnable games with Miami (O) and Bowling Green remaining on their schedule, a CMU (5-4) loss could put the Chippewas in Jeopardy of getting to six wins.
Michigan at Maryland
Maryland is now 4-5 after losing to Rutgers, and this looks like loss number six. With remaining games against Michigan State in East Lansing and Penn State at home, the Terrapins have little chance of going 2-1 and getting to 6-6, but they aren’t eliminated yet. Michigan can still win the East Division, but they Wolverines must win out, including games against Wisconsin and Ohio St.
Florida at South Carolina
Florida has just five losses, but the Gators only play 11 games due to the hurricane earlier this year. Interim coach Randy Shannon fared little better than Jim McElwain, losing big to Missouri, so the chances of Florida winning out against South Carolina, UAB, and Florida St. are close to nil. Even the UAB game might be tough to win.
Indiana at Illinois
Indiana had a lot of near misses this year. The Hoosiers have some talented players, but their depth is not up to par with the teams ahead in the Big Ten East. Indiana sits at 3-6 and must win out against Illinois, Rutgers, and Purdue. It’s possible, but the way the Boilermakers are playing, we believe Purdue will get revenge for their near miss last year.
Arkansas St. at South Alabama
South Alabama is 3-6 needs a big upset over 4-0/5-2 Arkansas St. and then must win on the road against winless Georgia Southern and a New Mexico St. team that most likely would also be playing for bowl contention. Coach Joey Jones has taken the Jaguars to multiple bowls in the past, but this year is looking bleak.
Florida St. at Clemson
Florida St. is in the same boat as rival Florida. The Seminoles have had their season turned upside down, losing a game to the hurricane as well as a quarterback very early in the season. The Seminoles must pull the playoff-destroying upset of Clemson to have a chance to make the season-ender with Florida meaningful. We will give FSU the win over Delaware St. on November 18.
Late Note–FSU may be able to reschedule their cancelled game with Louisiana-Monroe at the end of the regular season, so the Seminoles could still possibly get to 6-6 with wins over Delaware St., Florida, and UL-Monroe.
Probable Bowl Eliminator Games
Temple at Cincinnati
Temple is 4-5, while Cincinnati is 3-6. Obviously, the Bearcats must win out (East Carolina and UConn after TU). Temple was not really in contention for a bowl until the Owls thumped Navy. With Central Florida to follow this game, if TU loses to fall to 4-6, you can almost completely toss the Owls out of the bowl picture. But if TU wins this game to square their record at 5-5, then the Owls would have a chance to finish 6-6 by defeating Tulsa.
Wake Forest at Syracuse
Wake Forest is 5-4 and Syracuse is 4-5. The loser of this game technically can still make a bowl, but scheduling will make it very difficult. If the Demon Deacons win this game, they are bowl eligible, while a Syracuse win would mean the Orangemen would still have to beat either Louisville or Boston College.
Nebraska at Minnesota
Truth be told, we do not believe the winner of this game will win another game this year, so the 5-5 victor will most likely fall to 5-7. Nebraska must still play Penn St. and Iowa, while Minnesota has Northwestern and Wisconsin remaining.
Tennessee at Missouri
These two 4-5 teams are going in opposite directions. Missouri was expected to go 0-8 in the conference, while Tennessee was expected to compete for a division flag this year. Instead, the Tigers are two wins away from sneaking into a bowl with three winnable games left on their schedule. We feel Mizzou will win at least two if not all three and earn a bowl trip, while Tennessee will have a hard time getting their fifth win.
Can Get Into Bowl Contention With Win
BYU at UNLV
UNLV was not in the bowl picture until just two weeks ago, but now the Rebels have won consecutive games to improve to 4-5. The Rebels absolutely must win this game to get to 5-5 before finishing with road games against New Mexico and Nevada. At 5-5, they should be able to pick up one more win.
In Jeopardy of Missing Bowl With Loss
Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech is another team relegated to playing 11 games due to the hurricane. At 4-4, the Yellow Jackets need to finish 2-1 and will play at Duke before hosting Georgia. It’s not likely to happen for Paul Johnson this year.
Texas Tech at Baylor
Texas Tech has fallen to 4-5 and must finish 2-1 with closing games with TCU and Texas. Baylor finally won a game last week against lowly Kansas, but sometimes when a team opens the year with many losses before winning their first game, the next game turns out to be the best one they play. TTU needs to be prepared for an ambush in Waco this week. Coach Kliff Kingsbury’s seat is simmering hot, and a loss in this game most likely sends him into unemployment. Even a win in this one might just delay the firing by a few weeks.
USC at Colorado
Colorado is 5-5 with a road game at Utah to follow this one. The Buffalos may have a better chance of upsetting the Trojans in Boulder than winning in SLC.
Arizona St. at UCLA
UCLA is 4-5 and has the combination of key injuries and team dissension. Coach Jim Mora, Jr. is more than likely not going to return as coach, especially with Chip Kelly available and with a supposed desire to coach on the West Coast. The Bruins have remaining games with USC and Cal, and it doesn’t look promising that the sons of Westwood will win two of these three.
Kentucky at Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt is 4-5 and must win two of three with games against Missouri and Tennessee following this one. The Missouri game now appears to be quite difficult, while Kentucky is playing for one of the top second tier bowls like the Outback and Taxslayer. Vanderbilt’s defense may have a hard time holding the Wildcats under 30 points and the Tigers under 40, so it could be 5-7 or 4-8 for the Commodores, unless they pull off the upset in this one.
Arkansas at LSU
Arkansas is in the same boat with Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Missouri (all 4-5). The Razorbacks narrowly defeated one of the nation’s weakest FBS team in Coastal Carolina, so expecting Arky to win two of their final three (Mississippi St. & Missouri) is quite a stretch. The chance that Coach Bret Bielema will return in Fayetteville is a much larger stretch.