College football rankings are such a polarizing topic amongst fan bases across the country.  Questions like “why is their team higher than my team?” or “do the voters even watch the games?” are common when discussing a school potentially under/ over ranked.  I have personally had many discussions regarding these very questions, and it is generally just talking in circles because all fanatics think their opinion is gospel truth.  AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I am ok with that because that is one of the many reason why I love this sport. Which is why I always interesting to listen to other schools of thought on the matter.

When ranking college football teams I use a combination of strength of schedule, in game and season long data, top tier talent on the team, and most importantly, I trust my own judgement.  Sometimes there is a team that wins a big game and there is a massive overreaction, such as Florida upsetting Utah week 1.  This led to preseason unranked Florida to climb into the rankings at #13 only to lose at home to Kentucky the next week, while being shut out the entire second half.  This isn’t a shot at Florida, but it is a shot at overreaction rankings.  When I handicapped the Kentucky @ Florida matchup preseason, I had Kentucky as a 2.5 point favorite based on rosters and coaching.  The week of the game, the line on the game hovered around Florida as a 4.5 point favorite which both surprised and excited me.  I trusted my own judgement and it ended up being a quite profitable game. 

There is a lot that unfolds week to week and I will adjust my rankings properly as the season progresses. I certainly do not get everything correct, but it sure is a hell of a lot fun trying to predict this almost unpredictable sport.  This season may end up being the most unpredictable season since ’07 if the top 25 upset trend continues.