Opponents' Rank Distribution

September 6, 2015

"Grade"RanksPoints
A+ 1-34
A 4-93
B 10-212
C+ 22-401.5
C 41-891
C− 90-1080.5
D 109-1200.25
E121-1260.125
F127-NR0.0625
In Results vs Opponents' Ratings I used ½standard deviation to define the width of histogram "buckets" (with the two nearest the mean combined.) I mentioned that when rating values are not available we can infer the bucket by assuming a normal distribution. For composites based upon ratings' ranks this is the only choice available.

The same method can be used to charactize teams' schedules by opponents' rank values. Since there is no actual mean or standard deviation we just name the buckets "grades" and assign the team and its opponents grades based upon which of the rank ranges its rank belongs to.

It turns out that this approach provides a way to describe "strength of schedule" that describes the schedule in a way that is more illuminating than any kind of averages. The SOS column is just the sum of opponents' grade values because (nearly) all teams play the same number of games. The ConfSOS column is the sum of conference opponents' grades because that is only useful for comparison within the conference and (exactly) all teams in the conference play the same number of conference games. Both the non-conference sum and average are reported, because teams from different conferences likely play different numbers of non-conference games.

The team's grade is shown and the column corresponding to the team's grade is shown in bold to make visible the concept of "relative SOS" - regardless of how "low" the team's SOS is, the number of games against teams with better and worse "grades" than the team is easy to see.

Note: the following table was produced from the pre-season Majority Consensus rankings based upon Dr. Massey's College Football Ranking Composite as of Fri Sep 4 06:59:04. The team name column links to the current team resume based upon opponents' rank, which will change as the Composite is updated.

Opponents' Rank Distribution

OverallConferenceNon-Conference
SOSConfSOSNCSosTeamGradeConfCDivA+ABC+CC−DEFA+ABC+CC−DEFA+ABC+CC−DEF    Avg
19.562516.00003.5625Texas A&MC+SECWest1052210011042100000010110010.8906
19.562517.00002.5625CaliforniaCP12North1043300011042200000001100010.8542
19.500016.00003.5000TexasC+B121114410001113210000001200001.1667
19.312516.00003.3125TennesseeC+SECEast1132301011122200000010101010.8281
19.187517.00002.1875AuburnBSECWest1133110111132100000001010110.5469
19.125016.50002.6250Southern CaliforniaBP12South1034300101033200000001100100.8750
19.062515.50003.5625AlabamaA+SECWest0153110010143000000010110010.8906
19.062516.50002.5625ArkansasBSECWest1043210011043000000000210010.6406
19.062516.50002.5625Texas TechCB121124120011114110000010010010.8542
19.062517.00002.0625KansasC−B121114400011114200000000200010.6875
19.000016.00003.0000UtahC+P12South1032600001032300000000300001.0000
18.812517.00001.8125ColoradoCP12South1042311011042200000000111010.4531
18.562516.00002.5625WashingtonC+P12North1033400011032300000001100010.8542
18.562516.50002.0625Iowa StateCB121114310011114110000000200010.6875
18.500015.00003.5000StanfordBP12North1023600001022400000001200001.1667
18.250012.50005.7500MinnesotaCB10West2011611001011500001000111001.4375
18.125016.00002.1250LSUBSECWest1034200021034000000000200020.5313
18.062514.50003.5625GeorgiaASECEast1033310011023200000010110010.8906
18.062516.00002.0625West VirginiaC+B121113410011113210000000200010.6875
18.062516.50001.5625Mississippi StateC+SECWest1051202011051100000000102010.3906
18.000011.50006.5000Michigan StateAB10East2001810001001600001000210001.6250
17.687515.50002.1875MississippiBSECWest1033300111033100000000200110.5469
17.625014.00003.6250FloridaC+SECEast0142310100132200000010110100.9063
17.562513.50004.0625South CarolinaC+SECEast0133400010123200000010200011.0156
17.562515.50002.0625Arizona StateBP12South1024310011023300000001010010.6875
SOSConfSOSNCSosTeamGradeConfCDivA+ABC+CC−DEFA+ABC+CC−DEFA+ABC+CC−DEF    Avg
17.562516.00001.5625Washington StateCP12North1032410011032300000000110010.5208
17.500015.50002.0000OklahomaBB121105212001104210000001002000.6667
17.312516.00001.3125Kansas StateC+B121113311011113210000000101010.4375
17.062514.00003.0625VanderbiltCSECEast0124400010124100000000300010.7656
17.062514.00003.0625MarylandCB10East1111610011110500000001110010.7656
17.062515.50001.5625Oregon StateCP12North1023410011023300000000110010.5208
16.812516.00000.8125Oklahoma StateC+B121113221011113210000000011010.2708
16.750013.00003.7500MichiganCB10East1101801001100600000001201000.9375
16.687514.00002.6875KentuckyCSECEast0125200110124100000001100110.6719
16.312514.50001.8125RutgersCB10East1111511011111400000000111010.4531
16.187513.00003.1875OregonA+P12North0132400110032400000100000111.0625
15.750013.00002.7500Penn StateCB10East1100811001100600000000211000.6875
15.687514.50001.1875BaylorAB121014310111014210000000100110.3958
15.562510.50005.0625Georgia TechBACCCoastal0122510010021500000101010011.2656
15.562511.50004.0625PurdueCB10West0113600010111500000002100011.0156
15.312513.00002.3125MissouriBSECEast0114401010114200000000201010.5781
15.312514.00001.3125ArizonaC+P12South0042401010042300000000101010.4375
15.25000.000015.2500Notre DameC+ND0041511000000000000041511001.2708
15.250013.00002.2500UCLABP12South0032601000032400000000201000.7500
15.06259.00006.0625Virginia TechC+ACCCoastal1010900010010700001000200011.5156
15.062510.00005.0625VirginiaCACCCoastal0024500010012500000012000011.2656
15.062513.00002.0625IndianaCB10East1100720011100600000000120010.5156
14.812512.50002.3125IllinoisCB10West1011701011011500000000201010.5781
14.687513.50001.1875TCUA+B120114310110114210000000100110.3958
14.562511.50003.0625Miami-FloridaCACCCoastal0032510010031400000001110010.7656
SOSConfSOSNCSosTeamGradeConfCDivA+ABC+CC−DEFA+ABC+CC−DEFA+ABC+CC−DEF    Avg
14.31256.75007.5625HawaiiC−MWWestern1011531010001421001010110011.5125
14.062510.00004.0625ClemsonBACCAtlantic0023510010021410000002100011.0156
14.000010.00004.0000Ohio StateA+B10East0101910000100700000001210001.0000
13.750011.00002.7500NebraskaC+B10West0110811000110600000000211000.6875
13.56256.25007.3125SMUEAACWest1100522010000521001100001011.8281
13.56259.50004.0625LouisvilleC+ACCAtlantic0030710010020510000010200011.0156
13.37508.50004.8750WisconsinBB10West1001711100001700001000011101.2188
13.312510.50002.8125Wake ForestC−ACCAtlantic0022601010021500000001101010.7031
13.125010.50002.6250Boston CollegeCACCAtlantic0023410020022310000001100020.6563
13.06259.50003.5625NorthwesternCB10West0021710010011600000010110010.8906
13.062510.00003.0625SyracuseCACCAtlantic0031430010021410000010020010.7656
12.81250.000012.8125BYUCInd0022511010000000000022511011.0677
12.81255.00007.8125UL MonroeC−SBC1100422210000411201100011011.5625
12.812510.00002.8125PittsburghCACCCoastal0013601010012500000001101010.7031
12.75004.68758.0625Western MichiganCMACWest1100430120000330111100100012.0156
12.562510.00002.5625Florida StateBACCAtlantic0022430010021410000001020010.6406
11.81259.50002.3125IowaCB10West0011801010011600000000201010.5781
11.812510.50001.3125North Carolina StateCACCAtlantic0022331010022310000000021010.3281
11.62509.00002.6250North CarolinaCACCCoastal0012610020011510000001100020.6563
11.56257.50004.0625Utah StateCMWMountain0003620010001520000002100011.0156
11.18755.12506.0625Middle Tenn StateCCUSAEast1001422110001222101000200011.5156
11.06257.00004.0625UNLVDMWWestern0011630010001430000010200011.0156
10.81256.25004.5625Fresno StateCMWWestern0011621010000521000011100011.1406
10.81256.50004.3125Air ForceCMWMountain0101441010001340000100101011.0781
10.81256.75004.0625San Jose StateC−MWWestern0011621010001421000010200011.0156
SOSConfSOSNCSosTeamGradeConfCDivA+ABC+CC−DEFA+ABC+CC−DEFA+ABC+CC−DEF    Avg
10.81259.00001.8125DukeCACCCoastal0011621010011510000000111010.4531
10.43756.37504.0625South FloridaC−AACEast0010801110000601100010200011.0156
10.37506.25004.1250Western KentuckyCCUSAEast0011531100001331000010200101.0313
10.31257.00003.3125ConnecticutDAACEast0010721010000620000010101010.8281
10.12504.56255.5625Central MichiganC−MACWest0101422020000322010101100011.3906
10.12504.62505.5000Texas-San AntonioDCUSAWest0003422100000322100003100001.3750
10.12506.62503.5000TulsaDAACWest0010640100000610100010030000.8750
10.06255.37504.6875Georgia StateESBC1000431210000421101000010111.1719
9.56255.50004.0625UCFCAACEast0011432010000422000011010011.0156
9.50004.18755.3125Northern IllinoisCMACWest1000341120000240111000101011.3281
9.43754.87504.5625IdahoESBC0020341110000331100020010011.1406
9.43757.00002.4375New MexicoC−MWMountain0011431110001430000010001110.6094
9.37506.12503.2500Florida AtlanticC−CUSAEast0002441100001330100001111000.8125
9.37507.25002.1250WyomingC−MWMountain0001711020001511000000200020.5313
9.18755.12504.0625East CarolinaCAACEast0002512110000412100002100011.0156
9.18756.50002.6875North TexasDCUSAWest0002512110001412000001100110.6719
9.06256.75002.3125Colorado StateCMWMountain0001622010001421000000201010.5781
9.00004.50004.5000New Mexico StateESBC0011341200000321200011020001.1250
8.93753.87505.0625Arkansas StateCSBC0020330310000230300020100011.2656
8.93754.37504.5625TroyDSBC0011420310000320300011100011.1406
8.93755.37503.5625MemphisCAACWest0010531110000421100010110010.8906
8.93755.62503.3125TulaneC−AACWest0010603110000502100010101010.8281
8.81254.75004.0625Louisiana TechCCUSAWest0002423010000323000002100011.0156
8.81255.25003.5625NevadaCMWWestern0002351010000341000002010010.8906
8.81255.25003.5625Boise StateC+MWMountain0001541010000341000001200010.8906
SOSConfSOSNCSosTeamGradeConfCDivA+ABC+CC−DEFA+ABC+CC−DEFA+ABC+CC−DEF    Avg
8.75004.25004.5000Bowling GreenCMACEast0001533000000233000001300001.1250
8.68753.12505.5625Georgia SouthernCSBC0101231310000131300101100011.3906
8.68753.87504.8125RiceCCUSAWest0101224110000223100101001011.2031
8.68755.12503.5625Southern MissDCUSAWest0003232110001222100002010010.8906
8.62504.56254.0625ToledoCMACWest0010522020000322010010200011.0156
8.56255.00003.5625South AlabamaC−SBC0001611210000411200001200010.8906
8.43756.12502.3125Florida IntlC−CUSAEast0001531110001330100000201010.5781
8.31255.75002.5625San Diego StateCMWWestern0000641010000431000000210010.6406
8.25005.37502.8750TempleCAACEast0001522200000421100001101100.7188
8.18755.12503.0625HoustonCAACWest0001522110000412100001110010.7656
8.18756.00002.1875CincinnatiCAACEast0000712110000512000000200110.5469
8.00005.31252.6875Ball StateC−MACWest0001521120000421010001100110.6719
7.87503.81254.0625Miami-OhioEMACEast0010423020000223010010200011.0156
7.87504.62503.2500Eastern MichiganFMACWest0010343100000322100010021000.8125
7.68753.68754.0000MassachusettsDMACEast0001432110000222110001210001.0000
7.68754.12503.5625Kent StateDMACEast0001432110000232100001200010.8906
7.68754.37503.3125Texas StateC−SBC0010421310000320300010101010.8281
7.68755.50002.1875UNC-CharlotteECUSAEast0001432110001232000000200110.5469
7.56254.50003.0625Appalachian StateCSBC0010341210000321200010020010.7656
7.43750.00007.4375ArmyDInd0000621030000000000000621030.6198
7.43754.25003.1875UTEPC−CUSAWest0010333110000233000010100110.7969
7.43754.62502.8125NavyCAACWest0001423110000322100001101010.7031
7.31254.62502.6875OhioC−MACEast0001422210000322100001100110.6719
7.25003.18754.0625AkronDMACEast0010332120000132110010200011.0156
6.75004.62502.1250Old DominionC−CUSAEast0001332120001132100000200020.5313
SOSConfSOSNCSosTeamGradeConfCDivA+ABC+CC−DEFA+ABC+CC−DEFA+ABC+CC−DEF    Avg
6.43753.87502.5625BuffaloC−MACEast0000433110000223100000210010.6406
6.31254.00002.3125UL LafayetteCSBC0000432210000231200000201010.5781
5.93754.12501.8125MarshallC+CUSAEast0000343110000232100000111010.4531

© Copyright 2015, Paul Kislanko