SportsRatings Final 2008 College Football Top 25: Utah is #1

The Utah Utes are the #1 team for 2008 in the final SportsRatings College Football Top 25.

Utah finished undefeated and beat four other teams in the top 25, two in the top ten. That's good enough to consider them, as the only undefeated team, tops in the land. They beat #6 Alabama just as convincingly or moreso as #2 Florida did, and beat Oregon State, the team that beat #4 USC.

Texas was #1 last week, and though it may be unfair and I usually don't drop a team that doesn't lose, the final poll has to reflect what I believe. The Lonhorns' main argument for being #1 is that they'd only lost to a 1-loss team and had beaten the team with the best résumé. Now that Texas Tech and Oklahoma lost again, that argument doesn't put Texas ahead of Utah. It also puts the Longhorns in a tie at #2 with Florida; the teams now have similar résumés: a ten-point win over Oklahoma and one loss to a top 25 team. Texas has a few more top 25 wins, but Florida has two ten ten win; Texas lost to a 2-loss team rather than a 4-loss team, but Mississippi beat Texas Tech head-to-head. It's a wash.

USC moves up to fourth after their strong win over Penn State and the Pac-10's 5-0 bowl performance, and they're really quite close to Florida and Texas. #5 Oklahoma isn't far behind either, with losses to co-number twos Texas and Florida and a long list of top 25 wins. Alabama has losses only to #1 Utah and co-#2 Florida, but lags in terms of big victories. Still, they don't fall from the previous rankings.

TCU jumps up four spots to #7 after beating Boise State. The Horned Frogs have two losses, both to top-5 teams. #8 Penn State and #9 Boise State hold their spots despite losing as Texas Tech tumbles from #3 to #10.

SportsRatings Top 25 - Final rankings for 2008 season (1-08-2009)
lw	#	Team	Rec	Significant wins/losses
4	1.	Utah	13-0	wins: =Alabama31-17,TCU13-10,OreSt31-28,BYU48-24 losses: none
1	2t	Texas	12-1	wins: =OK45-35,OhioSt24-21,OkSt28-24,Mizz56-31,Rice52-10 Losses: @Texas Tech 39-33
5	2t	Florida	13-1	wins: =Oklahoma24-14,Alabama31-20,Georgia49-10 Losses: Mississippi31-30
7	4.	Southern Cal	12-1	wins: PennState38-24,Oregon44-10,OhioState35-3,@Cal17-3 Losses: @Oregon State 27-21
2	5.	Oklahoma	12-2	wins: TTech65-21,TCU35-10,Cin52-26,@OkSt61-41,=Mizz62-21 Losses: =Florida24-14, =Texas 45-35
6	6.	Alabama	12-2	wins: @Georgia41-30,Miss24-20 Losses: =FLA31-20,=Utah31-17
11	7.	TCU	11-2	wins: BYU32-7,=BoiseSt17-16 Losses: @OK35-10,@Utah13-10
8	8.	Penn State	11-2	wins: @OSU13-6,MichSt48-19,OreSt45-14 Losses: @Iowa24-23,@USC38-24
9	9.	Boise State	12-1	wins: @Oregon37-32 Losses: =TCU17-16
3	10.	Texas Tech	11-2	wins: Texas39-33,OklaSt56-20 Losses: =Miss47-34,@OK65-21
18	11.	Oregon	10-3	wins: @OreSt62-21,=OkSt42-31 Losses: @Cal26-16,BoiseSt37-32,@USC44-10
10	12.	Ohio State	10-3	wins: MichSt45-7,@Nwest45-10 Losses: @USC35-3,PennSt13-6,=Texas24-21
24	13.	Mississippi	9-4	wins: @Fla31-30,=Ttech47-34 Losses: @Wake30-28,Vand23-17,SCaro31-24,@Ala24-20
17	14.	Georgia	10-3	wins: =MSU26-12 Losses: GT45-42,=FLA49-10,Ala41-30
12	15.	Oklahoma State	9-4	wins: Mizz28-23 Losses: =Oregon42-31,@TTech56-20,@Tex28-24,OK61-41
23	16.	Oregon State	9-4	wins: USC27-21,=Pitt3-0,Cal34-21 Losses: @Stan36-28,@PennSt45-14,@Utah31-28,Ore65-38
13	17.	Cincinnati	11-3	wins: Pitt28-21 Losses: @UConn40-16,=VT20-7,@OK52-26
--	18.	California	9-4	wins: MichSt38-31,Ore26-16 Losses: @Ariz42-27,@Mary35-27,@USC17-3,@OreSt34-21
19	19.	Michigan State	9-4	wins: @Nwest37-20,Iowa16-13 Losses: @Cal38-31,OSU45-7,@PennSt48-19,GA24-12
--	20.	Missouri	10-4	wins: =Nwest30-23ot Losses: =KU40-37,OKst28-23,@Tex56-31,=Oklahoma62-21
21	21.	Northwestern	9-4	wins: @Iowa22-17 Losses: @Ind21-19,MichSt37-20,OSU45-10,=Mizz30-23ot
20	22.	Pittsburgh	9-4	wins: Iowa21-20 Losses: BowlGr27-17,L Rutgers54-34,@Cincy28-21,=OreSt3-0
25	23.	Iowa	9-4	wins: PennSt24-23 Losses: @Ill27-24,@Pitt21-20,Nwest22-17,@MichSt16-13
--	24.	Tulsa	11-3	wins: =BallSt45-13,Rice 63-28 Losses: @Ark30-23,@Houston70-30,ECar27-24
16	25t	Brigham Young	10-3	Losses: =Arizona31-21,@TCU32-7,@Utah48-24
14	25t	Ball State	12-2	Losses: =Tulsa45-13=Buffalo42-24
--	25t	Rice	10-3	Losses: @Vandy38-21,@Tulsa63-28,@Texas52-10

 

The highest-ranked 3-loss team is Oregon at #11, just ahead of Ohio State at #12. The Ducks and Buckeyes both lost big on the road to USC and lost to two other top 25 teams. Ohio State's losses were all to top-10 teams, but the Ducks have stronger wins to offset it, though it's very close. Right behind them is the top-ranked 4-loss team, Mississippi. The Rebels have a bunch of not-so-great losses, but are the only team beside Utah, Florida, and Oklahoma to have two wins over top ten teams. They fly up from #24 to #13.

10-3 Georgia follows at #14, up from #17. The Bulldogs have losses to Florida and Alabama, but only one strong win, in their bowl game against Michigan State. Oklahoma State dips just a few spots to #15 after their loss to Oregon; all four of their losses are to teams ranked #11 or above. Oregon State has three wins over top 25 competition, including a win over USC, but their loss to Stanford soils their résumé just a bit. Big East champ Cincinnati, who had 11 wins in 2008, follows at #17.

California jumps back in at #18, ahead of #19 Michigan State, whom they beat in the first game of the season. All of the Spartans' losses are to top 20 teams, but their wins are fairly weak, while Cal beat MSU head-to-head and beat Oregon as well.

The next four teams all have four losses and are ranked relative to each other and Michigan State. The Spartans beat #21 Northwestern and did so more convincingly than #20 Missouri, who needed overtime, did. Likewise Northwestern beat #23 Iowa on the road while #22 Pittsburgh won by a point at home. The Hawkeyes at #23 are the lynchpin that prevents several teams from falling out of the top 25; they won their bowl game 31-10 and have a win over Penn State.

Tulsa gets back in the rankings at #24 with a strong win over Ball State in the GMAC bowl, giving them two wins over teams with 3-losses or fewer. The final three teams tied at #25 all have 3 or fewer losses but no wins over top 25 teams: BYU (10-3) and the two teams Tulsa beat, Ball State (12-2) and Rice (10-3).

And for "others receiving votes" I designate the entire Atlantic Coast Conference, in no particular order.

Comments

[Edie]

Do you seriously rate Utah's win over a very disapointed Alabama in the Sugar Bowl with a decimated offensive line as equal to or better than a win by the same points by Florida(without Percy Harvin) in the SEC championship with a trip to Miami for the winner? Ridiculous even to 62 year old female fan!

[SportsRatings]

No Edie, I don't think it was better, but largely equivalent. In any case, I consider Florida the best team in the country, but the Utes deserve the #1 spot, going undefeated and beating 4 top 25 teams. I put a premium on perfection accompanied by big wins.

Plus I'm sure there are many 62 year old female fans in Salt Like City that think it's just as ridiculous that Florida is ahead of them.