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As we finally turn the page from summer to fall (at least in some parts of the country, I’ve heard), the fourth weekend of the college football season means the return of the SwampSwamiSports.com College Football Top 25 rankings!
Unlike the major media publications, yours truly refuses to play the annual beauty contest game of ranking major college football teams until there are enough games in the books to determine some trends.
Two Orange Titans
Both of the orange-colored UT schools (Texas and Tennessee) have each looked like King Kong preying upon the college football world during weeks #1-4. They are both 4-0. Each has an impressive road win over a legitimate top team.
The University of Texas is this week’s #1 team for good reason.
In week #2, Texas ended the two-year home winning streak of the Michigan Wolverines (now 3-1) with a convincing 31-12 drubbing in The Big House. Michigan’s normally stout running game was held to a measly 80 yards on 23 carries. The Longhorns turned the tables and rolled-up 246 yards on the ground on just 24 carries while roughing up the home team in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Last Saturday night in noisy Norman, Oklahoma, the other SEC newcomer (Oklahoma Sooners) fell to 3-1 after being pushed around the field by a dominant Tennessee defense.
The #2 team in this season-opening ranking of teams, good ol’ Rocky Top held the run-heavy Boomer Schooner to only 36 yards on the ground in Tennessee’s 25-15 road win on Saturday night. The final score looked relatively close because OU scored a final touchdown with one minute to play in this game.
What are the rules for ranking the teams in the SwampSwamiSports.com College Football Top 25?
If you are new to my site (welcome!), I have attempted to put together some objective weekly measures to rank all 134 major college football teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision group.
My ranking system brings ZERO credit for last year’s finishes. Each new season is a clean slate. No conference (not even the SEC) is allowed to dominate this poll unless they are winning on the field every week as the season progresses.
Most importantly, teams which play some legitimate early-season competition (such as Texas and Tennessee have done) are given preference over cupcake diners such as this week’s #26 team, the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Debuting in September, 2017, the SwampSwamiSports.com College Football Top 25 is now in its 8th season.
Every week, you will see major swings in the rankings when a top team loses for the first or a second time.
I tried to develop an unbiased set of ranking rules to consider the current season’s results and give the most credit to the teams which have beaten quality opponents through the previous weekend of play.
Here are my rules for ranking college football teams on SwampSwamiSports.com:
- Teams without a loss are ranked higher than any team which has lost a game. Why should a team a perfect record be ranked below a team with one loss?
- A team with four wins is ranked above a team with three, etc.
- Your team’s “best win” is determined weekly against your opponent which has the best record won/loss record thus far in the season. It matters who you beat!
- Preference is given to your team’s “best win” if it comes on the road vs. a home win.
- Ties are broken by point differentials in each team’s “best win”.
- A win over an FBS team receives preference over a win over an FCS school.
- If a tie still exists, a head-to-head win over another team with the same number of losses gets preference.
- All decisions by the administrator of this site (me) are FINAL!
How could I possibly rank Ohio State #26 this week?
Easy. The Buckeyes have played just three games (unlike the top unbeaten teams with four wins under their belts). Each of the Buckeyes games has been played at home at the Big Horseshoe in Columbus. Ohio State scheduled three consecutive softies to start the year.
Let’s take a look at the three victories by the Buckeyes:
Game 1 – Ohio State 52, Akron 6 (Akron is currently 0-3)
Game 2 – Ohio State 56, Western Michigan 0 (Western Michigan is now 1-2 with its only win over small college FCS team Bethune Cookman)
Game 3 – Ohio State 49, Marshall 14 (Marshall is currently 1-2 with its only win coming over FCS team Stony Brook)
Though the Ohio State football team has obliterated its competition, its three competitors are a combined 2-7 with their only wins coming over small college football teams.
In other words, Ohio State has played three straight home games over some very weak competition. Tough luck, Buckeyes. Ohio State should not be rewarded for playing patsies.
Ohio State finally hits the road for a legitimate test. After Saturday’s road trip to 3-1 Michigan State, the Buckeyes have a home game against 3-1 Iowa and a visit to 4-0 Oregon. Ohio State will move up in my rankings quickly with three straight wins.
Remembering Ed Sullivan with the “Really Big” Conferences in 2024
During the 1960’s, the highest rated television show was a weekly variety program from New York City hosted by a stuffy local newspaper writer with a distinctive “not for radio” voice by the name of Ed Sullivan. His weekly Sunday night show introduced America to music stars such as Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Jackson 5, and The Rolling Stones for the first time on national television.
The man best remembered for his “Really big show” would enjoy today’s top football conferences.
The Big Ten has ballooned to an 18-team league after adding USC, UCLA, Washington, and Oregon to its transcontinental conference this fall.
The Big 12 has grown to 16 with the addition of Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah. The ACC is a bloated 17 teams after inviting California, Stanford, and SMU to come east.
The SEC grew to 16 teams with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the party this year.
That makes a total of 67 major college football teams playing in the top four conferences this year.
Also, the Army joined long-time rival Navy in the American Athletic Conference beginning this fall to make the AAC a 14-team league, too.
Odds and ends
With the addition of Kennesaw State from metro Atlanta to Conference USA, there are now 134 teams in the upper division FBS group of college football teams.
After the fourth week of the college football season, there are 26 unbeaten teams remaining. Thirteen are 4-0 and the other half is 3-0 following Week #4.
By contrast, there are seven FBS teams which still haven’t won a game.
Before the one-win teams celebrate, an incredible 18 of those teams carded their lone victory over a smaller division FCS opponent.
Without further ado, let’s unveil the rankings for all 134 FBS teams in the initial SwampSwamiSports.com Top 25 for games played through Saturday, September 21, 2024:
