Golden Rankings, week 7

More than halfway through the year, time to reveal our first full Golden rankings:



For an explanation of the ranking system, check out the original site of the rankings. Our rankings differ slightly from his, with the main difference being the inclusion of FCS teams and discounted values for wins over FCS teams based on the overall FCS vs FBS record.

Not surprisingly the top of the poll is dominated by unbeaten teams. For the first time that I can recall, four of the top five teams play each other this week as LSU visits Auburn, and Oklahoma visits Missouri.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we've added a couple of new columns to our chart - offensive average and defensive average. This is a measurement of how teams do scoring wise in relation to the averages of the teams they are playing. So for example, our #1 team Oklahoma is scoring 13.2 points more per game that their opponents usually allow, and are allowing 8.8 points less per game than their opponents normally score.

Top Riser from last week (FBS) - UAB, up 60 places
Biggest Loser (FBS): UTEP, down 46
Top Riser (FCS) : South Dakota State, up 46
Biggest Loser (FCS): Texas State, down 68
Toughest Schedule (FBS): Washington State, Opponent average place in the rankings - 46.71
Weakest Schedule (FBS): UTEP, 173
Toughest Schedule (FCS): Charleston Southern 88.75
Weakest Schedule (FCS): Southern 211.5

Conference rankings show the Big 12 leading the way with the Big Ten holding off the defending champ SEC: