2015 Michigan and Northwestern... Computer Rankings

[collegefbfan-8898]

So, I decided changing my computer rankings this season. So, I tested it out for the end of the 2015 season (bowl season that is). It looks really good except for Northwestern. They came out way too high. Above Michigan and other teams. An Michigan beat them. It is not a head-to-head ranking. Mainly, it is a winning percentage, strength of schedule, opponents winning percentage, opponents opponents winning percentage, etc. Like I said, the poll looks good, but Northwestern is too high or so it seems. I will post it in a few.

[collegefbfan-8898]

1 Alabama 0.982
2 Clemson 0.917
3 Ohio State 0.871
4 Michigan State 0.822
5 Stanford 0.804
6 Oklahoma 0.788
7 Iowa 0.774
8 TCU 0.756
9 Ole Miss 0.714
10 Northwestern 0.6936
11 Houston 0.6934
12 Notre Dame 0.685
13 LSU 0.6824
14 Michigan 0.6821
15 North Carolina 0.662
16 Oklahoma State 0.655
17 Florida State 0.650
18 Utah 0.647
19 Baylor 0.6464
20 Georgia 0.6462
21 Wisconsin 0.625
22 Oregon 0.606
23 Florida 0.605
24 Navy 0.604
25 Mississippi State 0.601
26 Tennessee 0.600
27 Western Kentucky

Why Northwestern so highly ranked?

[Eric]

Well, they beat Stanford and Wisconsin. Other than that, I can't tell you

I think I picked them to beat Tennessee last year and they embarrassed me

[billybud]

It is the individual game match up...Houston looks more powerful than Navy on the scale...yet Navy beat them..

And where, oh where, is Louisville?

[donovan]

I really like the fact you do the rankings...it is fun. I think you may need to take a look, however. You have Oregon ranked. They are rank, for sure.

[collegefbfan-8898]

Don't forget. This is the 2015 season. I am not sure about Louisville, but was Oregon ranked in 2015?

Thanks.

[donovan]

oh...I missed the 2015 part...yes they were....

[billybud]

2015 ? splutter.....get outa here!

[WoVeU]

What this points to is that rankings aren't predictors and ranking formulas aren't constructed like predictor algorithms (which aren't all that great.) If NW compared to Michigan seem out of whack yet Michigan compares as you would expect to the teams a few slots above and below them and you can do say the same for NW (excluding Michigan) then you have an outlier...which happens in real life and surely happens in football.