The polls are all about reputation. We don't have one - yet.
Unfortunately this is true.
In the record books, wins are typically stated by the the opponents ranking at the time of the game.
I'm not sure we want what will likely be our best win looking weak in the eyes of the committee.
You can be ranked #21 when you lose to the #1 team by 7 on the road and beat #6 by 17.
This.
Of course you can. Bama has won 5 straight including 3 straight ranked wins(2 on the road to undefeated teams). Texas just handled the #6 team in the country. They have the results and momentum to justify where they're at.
There's more chance a 10-2 ND is ahead of a 10-2 Illinois than a 10-2 USC being ahead of a 10-2 Illinois. We should want USC to win that game.
Exactly correct. A 10-2 ND will be selected over a 10-2 Illini team 100% of the time. They would be on 10 game winning streak and two losses by a combined 4 points to elite teams.
It hasn't happened in the last 30 years, has it?
We were literally ranked in the next poll after losing 63-10….?
You are trying to fit the data too perfectly to serve your purpose. If I am reading the footnotes correctly, SOR is simply measuring an average top 25 team would have similar or better record than what Illlini have (not necessarily taking into effect point differential or other meaningful stats).Another data point that shows we should absolutely be ranked this week:
ESPN’s Strength Of Record. This is a resume metric that rates each team on how you have performed vs how an average team would have performed given your same schedule. It’s an advanced stat that also takes into account wins & losses.
We’re ranked #13 in this metric:
View attachment 44262
We are 13 spots lower in the AP poll than the we are in Strength of Record. This is the largest gap of any team in the country. The second largest I could find was BYU at -6.
Some other notables:
- Notre Dame is #28 (+15)
- Texas is #30 (+9)
- Virginia is #29 (+11)
Source:
2025 Resume College Football Power Index - ESPN
View the 2025 Resume College Football power index on ESPN. The FPI is the best predictor of a team's performance of the season.www.espn.com
Using Texas as an example, we have a better resume so far and it’s not particularly close. Using ESPN’s FPI metric (which at this point in the season is pretty similar to all of those others), Texas has beat one P4 team all season, #15 Oklahoma. With their two losses coming against #1 Ohio St and #29 Florida.
We have 3 P4 wins (#9 USC, @ #33 Duke, @ #74 Purdue) and our two losses have come against #1 Ohio St and #2 Indiana.
Our best win is better than their best win. Our second best win is better than their second best win. And second loss is better than their second loss.
Hence, we’re 13 in the resume metric and they’re 30.
That is a textbook example of how to build a successful program in a hurry.
Agree - beat Washington as our 2nd "marquee" win, then win by 10+ to the remaining teams on the schedule and see what happens.
We might even be ranked by the time that Washington game happens, seeing as we are first one out. ND and USC face each other. Loser of that likely drops out and we could move ahead of them. Nebraska could lose @ Minnesota. Utah is likely to lose @BYU. I wouldn't put it past this Texas team to follow up their big win with a confounding loss @Kentucky. Would a Vanderbilt loss to LSU put them below us? Probably not, but maybe? Memphis will eventually lose and get dropped from the rankings like a hot potato. Is this the week?
