CFB Program Rankings

I did this project after last season and I just updated it with this year's results. The calculations are based only on all-time AP Poll Performance with an extra 3x points bonus for a national title.... but rewarding more relevant strong years as opposed to accomplishments from long ago.

Here is the formula:

#1 AP Finish = 75 points
#2 AP Finish = 24 points
#3 AP Finish = 23 points...
#25 AP Finish = 1 point

**AP finishes during the most recent 10-year period (2009-2018) are rewarded at full credit
**AP finishes 50 years ago and longer are only given half credit (1936-1969). For example: Tennessee's 1951 National Championship is equal to just 37.5 points due to being so long ago.
**AP finishes from 11 up to 49 years ago are awarded credit on a sliding scale which reduces by 1.25% with each passing year. So Florida's 2008 National Title now receives 75 points but at just 98.75% credit, equaling 74.06 points. At the other end of the spectrum, Texas' and Nebraska's split national title of 1970 are each awarded 75 points, but at only 51.125% credit, netting them 38.44 points each. After next season, those national titles will drop to just 37.5 points where they will bottom out and stay for eternity since they hit the 50-year mark.

*For years in which a UPI/Coaches Poll Champion differed from the AP Champion, both teams are rewarded the full 75 points (ex. LSU and USC in 2003).

There is very little change from last season. Surprisingly, the only movement was within the Top 5:

1. Alabama- 1,197 points
2. Ohio St.- 946.3 (up 1 spot)
3. Oklahoma- 946.0 (down 1 spot)
4. Notre Dame- 822 (up 1 spot)
5. USC- 800 (down 1 spot)
6. Michigan- 720
7. Nebraska- 702
8. Texas- 649
9. Florida St.- 599
10. Miami- 595
11. LSU- 592
12. Florida- 562
13. Penn St.- 550
14. Tennessee- 509
15. Auburn- 484
16. Georgia- 472
17. Clemson- 461
18. Michigan St.- 349
19. UCLA- 343
20. Washington- 302
21. Texas A&M- 287
22. Wisconsin- 274
23. Arkansas- 272
24. Georgia Tech- 249
25. TCU- 248

Close to being ranked:

26. Oregon- 236
27. Pitt- 230
28. Colorado- 229
29. Iowa- 227
30. Minnesota- 224

In my lifetime, there has always been a very clear Top 16 teams with a gigantic gap between them and everyone else. What Clemson has done in recent years has made it clear there are now 17 programs that are historically head-and-shoulders above the rest, with Clemson now finally joining the group.

Clemson is now just 11 points back of Georgia at #16. They stayed put at #17 in the rankings from last year, but they gained 72 total points... and shrunk the gap between them and #16 Georgia from 69 points all the way to just 11 points.

The biggest gap is between #1 Bama and everyone else (251 ponts between them and #2 Ohio State). The second biggest gap is between #3 Oklahoma and #4 Notre Dame (124 points). And the 3rd largest gap is that gap between #17 Clemson and #18 Michigan State (111 points).