Final BCS Computer Rankings for 2008 Season

Here are the final computer rankings for each of the six services as of Thursday Jan. 8, 2009 (after the bowl games were over).  The source is Ken Massey of Massey Ratings.  The Harris Poll and the USA Today Poll are included for comparison.

The Bowl Championship series uses six computer services. 

The computers all take into account win/loss and factor out the scoring margin.  As well, strength of schedule is important for all six.

The BCS also uses the six services to obtain input from different aspects of the game, like the game's venue (Massey and Richard Billingsley), strength of conference schedule versus out-of-conference opponents (Billingsley), and the use of a statistical maximum likelihood estimate (Peter Wolfe and Massey) to compare what happened with what could have been.

Each ranking scores points in inverse order (No. 1 gets 25 points, No. 2 gets 24 points, and so on).  The points are added and that sum is divided by 100.  Finally, each week the aggregate computer result is factored into the BCS equation.  The USA Today coaches, the Harris experts, and the computer average each contribute one third to the mix.

Harris Poll (group of 113 experts, 1/3 of BCS rankings, final pre-bowl poll)

1.                  Florida

2.                  Oklahoma

3.                  Texas

4.                  Alabama

5.                  Southern California

6.                  Penn State

7.                  Utah

8.                  Texas Tech

9.                  Boise State

10.                Ohio State

USA Today Poll (active college coaches, 1/3 of BCS rankings)

1.                  Florida

2.                  Southern California

3.                  Texas

4.                  Utah

5.                  Oklahoma

6.                  Alabama

7.                  Texas Christian

8.                  Penn State

9.                  Oregon

10.                Georgia

Computer Composite Average (1/3 of BCS rankings)

1.                  Utah

2.                  Florida

3.                  Texas

4.                  Southern California

5.                  Oklahoma

6.                  Alabama

7.                  Texas Christian

8.                  Texas Tech

9.                  Georgia

10.                Boise State

Ken Massey Ratings – BCS

1.                  Utah

2.                  Florida

3.                  Oklahoma

4.                  Texas

5.                  Southern California

6.                  Alabama

7.                  Texas Tech

8.                  Texas Christian

9.                  Georgia

10.                Boise State

Jeff Sagarin – Elo

1.                  Utah

2.                  Florida

3.                  Texas

4.                  Oklahoma

5.                  Southern California

6.                  Alabama

7.                  Texas Christian

8.                  Georgia

9.                  Texas Tech

10.                Mississippi

Wes Colley Matrix

1.                  Florida

2.                  Texas

3.                  Utah

4.                  Southern California

5.                  Oklahoma

6.                  Alabama

7.                  Texas Tech

8.                  Penn State

9.                  Boise State

10.                Georgia

Richard Billingsley

1.                  Florida

2.                  Southern California

3.                  Utah

4.                  Texas

5.                  Oklahoma

6.                  Alabama

7.                  Texas Tech

8.                  Texas Christian

9.                  Boise State

10.                Penn State

Jeff Anderson and Chris Hester

1.                  Utah

2.                  Florida

3.                  Texas

4.                  Oklahoma

5.                  Southern California

6.                  Alabama

7.                  Texas Christian

8.                  Texas Tech

9.                  Boise State

10.                Penn State

Peter Wolfe

1.                  Utah

2.                  Florida

3.                  Texas

4.                  Southern California

5.                  Oklahoma

6.                  Texas Christian

7.                  Alabama

8.                  Georgia

9.                  Texas Tech

10.                Oregon

a.                   Utah was the computer darling in 2008.  The Utes’ undefeated season tickled the electrons.  Their schedule wasn’t that bad, either, opening with a win in Ann Arbor (before we knew just how bad Rich Rodriguez would have it).  Oregon State was a top 25 win, and of course they dismantled Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

b.                  Oklahoma dropped out-of-sight (virtually, that is), compared to what we thought they could have done.  Sam Bradford puts up great numbers, but he doesn’t do well with linebackers and corners in his face. (site Florida 2009 BCS championship and West Virginia 2008 Fiesta Bowl.)

c.                   Watch out, SEC, and Florida, for that matter!  The state of Texas remains the hotbed of college football, with the computers.  Texas, Texas Christian, and Texas Tech finished at third, seventh, and eighth, respectively.  I know, recruits can come from anywhere, but the attitude is definitely Lone Star.

d.                  For us playoff-heads, there are three (count ‘em) non-BCS conference teams in the computer Top 10.  Utah (numero uno), Texas Christian, (seventh), and Boise State (10th) scream for a chance at the big boys.