Resting Starters Revisited

The threat of college football teams resting starters in late season games once they have clinched a playoff berth remains a popular argument against a large playoff system in that sport. The argument is without merit. Nevertheless, it persists and playoff opponents point to NFL teams resting starters on a frequent basis to support their claim. It is my position that the number of games each team plays and the number of teams in direct competition with each other has more to do with the frequency at which teams are able to rest starters than does the actual existence of a playoff. This is easily demonstrated by comparing the NFL with a no conference/division format to its current two conference/eight division format. For purposes here, I have adopted my own tiebreakers which emphasize how teams finished the season and I have applied these tiebreakers to both formats. Teams are placed by best record, best finish (win/loss streak), best schedule strength, best wins (defeated opponents' records), and best net points. Both formats have the same 15 teams still in contention for a playoff berth if they have not already clinched. Here is how those teams are placed with one week remaining under the no conference/division format followed by their best and worst case scenarios (E = eliminated):

1 Atlanta....... 13 2 0  2  1 3
2 Denver........ 12 3 0 10  1 5
3 Houston....... 12 3 0 -1  1 5
4 Green Bay..... 11 4 0  4  2 9
5 New England... 11 4 0  1  2 9
6 San Francisco. 10 4 1 -1  4 9
7 Seattle....... 10 5 0  4  4 E
8 Baltimore..... 10 5 0  1  4 E
9 Indianapolis.. 10 5 0  1  4 E
10 Washington.... 9 6 0  6  7 E
11 Minnesota..... 9 6 0  3  7 E
12 Cincinnati.... 9 6 0  2  7 E
13 Chicago....... 9 6 0  1  7 E
14 Dallas........ 8 7 0 -1 10 E
15 NY Giants..... 8 7 0 -2 10 E


TOP TWO OVERALL SEEDS
Under the No C/D format, no teams has clinched homefield throughout the playoffs and five teams are still alive. Under the existing format, one team has clinched throughout and only three teams remain alive.

TOP FOUR OVERALL SEEDS
Under the No C/D format, only one team has clinched a first round bye while eight others remain alive for a bye. Under the existing format, one team has also clinched but only six teams can still gain a bye.

TOP EIGHT OVERALL SEEDS
Under the No C/D format, three teams have clinched at least a first round home game while ten others can still do so. Under the existing format, five teams have clinched a first round home game while only seven teams can still do so.

TOP TWELVE OVERALL SEEDS.
Under the No C/D format, six teams have clinched playoff berths while nine more remain in contention for the final six berths. Under the existing format, nine teams have clinched playoff berths while six teams remain in contention for the final three berths.


Here we have the same number of teams playing the same number of games but one format places all teams in direct competition with each other at all times while the other format separates teams into conferences and divisions thereby reducing the number of teams in direct competition and allowing for teams to clinch playoff berths, homefield advantage, and byes much sooner. While its unlikely that NFL would ever consider eliminating conferences and divisions, the point here is that the setup has more to do with the frequency of teams being able to rest starters than the simple fact that the NFL has a larger playoff in comparison to college football. When I addressed this issue in a previous post, I had applied these rules to the previous 23 NFL seasons and only found nine teams that did not have a playoff berth, bye, or home game to gain/lose in the final weekend excluding teams eliminated from playoff contention. In at least one instance, a team could go from gaining homefield advantage to missing the playoffs altogether based on the final weekend's results. Also, based on a top 16 college football playoff determined by the Power Points Standings, only five teams in 32 seasons (at the time) had nothing to gain/lose in final weekend and all benefited from an extra game they likely wouldn't be afforded under ideal circumstances. 

The bottom line is that larger playoffs are not to blame for sandbagging. 

Top 4 Playoff: Power Points vs. AP Part II

Listed below for each season are the disputed top four teams between the Power Points Standings and the AP Poll. Teams favored by the Power Points System are listed first.

1978 Notre Dame > Oklahoma
1979 BYU, Arkansas > Ohio State, Alabama
1980 BYU, Notre Dame > Georgia, Oklahoma
1981 Pittsburgh, Penn State, Miami > Georgia, Alabama, Nebraska
1982 UCLA > SMU
1983 BYU > Illinois
1984 None
1985 Florida, Michigan > Miami, Iowa
1986 LSU > Oklahoma
1987 Nebraska > Oklahoma
1988 USC, Nebraska > West Virginia, Florida State
1989 Tennessee > Miami
1990 None
1991 None
1992 None
1993 Florida > Notre Dame
1994 Florida, Alabama > Miami, Colorado
1995 None
1996 BYU > Ohio State
1997 None
1998 Texas A&M, UCLA > Ohio State, Kansas State
1999 Alabama > Wisconsin (BCS favored Alabama > Wisconsin)
2000 Florida > Washington
2001 Tennessee > Oregon
2002 USC > Iowa (BCS favored USC > Iowa)
2003 Ohio State > Michigan
2004 Texas > California (BCS favored Texas > California)
2005 None
2006 Boise State > LSU
2007 Virginia Tech, Missouri > Ohio State, Georgia (BCS favored Virginia Tech > Georgia)
2008 Utah > Alabama
2009 Florida, Boise State > TCU, Cincinnati
2010 Oklahoma, Boise State > Oregon, Wisconsin
2011 Boise State > Alabama
2012 Stanford > Alabama

Top 4 Playoff: Power Points vs AP Part I

Listed below for each season are the number of top four matches between the Power Points Standings and AP Poll, AP rank of the top four teams in the Power Points Standings, and the fewest game results removed from matching the AP top four in no particular order(ex. in 1978, matching all AP top four teams is possible by changing the outcome of one game). Over 35 seasons, the Power Points Standings and the AP Poll have agreed on 101 of 140 teams (72%) which is just under a three for four average per year. During the first four years of the FBS/I-A era, the two methods agreed on only 8 of 16 top four teams. Since then, the numbers are 93 of 124 (75%) which is exactly a three for four average. It should be noted that these results are based on FBS games only without the benefit of teams knowingly competing according to Power Points System rules and without the benefit of teams playing equal maximum game regular season schedules versus FBS competition only. On average, the Power Points Standings are 1.6 game results removed from matching the AP top four teams.


1978 : 3 : 1 2 3 10 : 1
1979 : 2 : 1 4 6 9 : 2
1980 : 2 : 2 3 7 14 : 4
1981 : 1 : 1 7 9 10 : 3
1982 : 3 : 1 2 3 5 : 1
1983 : 3 : 1 2 3 9 : 1
1984 : 4 : 1 2 3 4 : 0
1985 : 2 : 1 3 5 6 : 2
1986 : 3 : 1 2 4 5 : 1
1987 : 3 : 2 3 4 5 : 1
1988 : 2 : 1 2 5 6 : 6
1989 : 3 : 1 3 4 8 : 1
1990 : 4 : 1 2 3 4 : 0
1991 : 4 : 1 2 3 4 : 0
1992 : 4 : 1 2 3 4 : 0
1993 : 3 : 1 2 3 8 : 2
1994 : 2 : 1 2 5 6 : 2
1995 : 4 : 1 2 3 4 : 0
1996 : 3 : 1 2 3 5 : 1
1997 : 4 : 1 2 3 4 : 0
1998 : 2 : 1 2 6 8 : 2
1999 : 3 : 1 2 3 5 : 5
2000 : 3 : 1 2 3 7 : 1
2001 : 3 : 1 3 4 8 : 1
2002 : 3 : 1 2 4 5 : 2
2003 : 3 : 1 2 3 7 : 1
2004 : 3 : 1 2 3 6 : 1
2005 : 4 : 1 2 3 4 : 0
2006 : 3 : 1 2 3 9 : 1
2007 : 2 : 2 3 5 7 : 3
2008 : 3 : 1 2 3 7 : 2
2009 : 2 : 1 2 5 6 : 2
2010 : 2 : 1 3 9 10 : 3
2011 : 3 : 1 3 4 8 : 2
2012 : 3 : 1 3 4 8 : 1

CHAMPIONS ONLY FOUR TEAM FORMAT

The forthcoming playoff is expected to include the top four teams with added emphasis on winning a conference title but no requirement to do so. Reasons for opposing a champions only format include thinking the best four teams should advance, differences between the conferences, and not wanting low ranked champions to qualify. I think these reasons are shortsighted and much ado about nothing. For starters, there is nothing wrong with a "best" four team being eliminated earlier in the process by another. The differences in conferences do not punish strong leagues. If you expect to win a national title, you shouldn't have any objection to making and winning a conference title. And if you do that, you reward yourself by eliminating your toughest competition earlier and advancing to a presumably easier playoff. And concerns over low ranked champions is minimal as the top four champions usually reside inside the top six after conference title games are played.

That said, if a champions only format is done right, conference championship weekend has the potential to serve as a quarterfinal round. Based on how I would set it up, nine teams would still be in the playoff hunt on CCG weekend this year. In previous years, as many as 12 teams still had a shot. Ultimately, I would prefer all teams belonged to a conference but to accommodate independents, I created a Wildcard Championship Game matching the top two teams that did not qualify for a league title game. Under this format, each league has a title game matching the top two teams (divisions are eliminated) based on conference record with ties broken by the Power Points Standings. Conference championship results are included in the Power Points Standings and the top four champions advance to the playoffs. Listed below are the title game qualifiers with their matchups followed by the playoff scenarios for all mathematically eligible teams. For purposes here, postseason bans are ignored.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME TEAMS
1 -Notre Dame vs South Carolina
2 -Florida vs Alabama
3 -Ohio State vs Nebraska
4 -Stanford vs Oregon
5 -Oregon vs Stanford
6 -Kansas State vs Oklahoma
7 -Alabama vs Florida
8 -Nebraska vs Ohio State
9 -South Carolina vs Notre Dame
10 -Oklahoma vs Kansas State
14 -San Jose State vs Utah State
15 -Clemson vs Florida State
16 -Kent State vs Northern Illinois
19 -Florida State vs Clemson
22 -Boise State vs Fresno State
23 -Utah State vs San Jose State
24 -Arkansas State vs Louisiana-Lafayette
25 -Louisville vs Cincinnati
26 -Fresno State vs Boise State
27 -Northern Illinois vs Kent State
33 -Cincinnati vs Louisville
36 -Central Florida vs Tulsa
37 -Tulsa vs Central Florida
51 -Louisiana-Lafayette vs Arkansas State

PLAYOFF SCENARIOS
Notre Dame: Win
Florida: Win
Ohio State: Win
Stanford: Win
Oregon: Win
Kansas State: Win plus Notre Dame, Florida, or Ohio State loss
Alabama: Win plus Notre Dame, Ohio State, or Kansas State loss
Nebraska: Win plus Notre Dame or Kansas State loss
South Carolina: Win plus Kansas State loss

2012 Power Points Standings thru 12-08

1 -Notre Dame 83
2 -Florida 75
3 -Ohio State 71
4 -Stanford 70
5 -Alabama 68
6 -Oregon 60
7 -Kansas State 59
8 -South Carolina 53
9 -Oklahoma 52
10 -Louisiana State 51
11 -Georgia 50
12 -Texas A&M 50
13 -Nebraska 49
14 -San Jose State 47
15 -Clemson 44
16 -Florida State 43
17 -Northern Illinois 42
18 -Oregon State 41
19 -Kent State 40
20 -Ball State 37
21 -Michigan 36
22 -Boise State 35
23 -UCLA 35
24 -Utah State 34
25 -Arkansas State 33
26 -Louisville 32
27 -Fresno State 32
28 -Tulsa 31
29 -Penn State 30
30 -Toledo 29
31 -Texas 29
32 -Northwestern 28
33 -San Diego State 28
34 -Cincinnati 27
35 -Louisiana Tech 27
36 -Rutgers 26
37 -Wisconsin 25
38 -Southern California 21
39 -Arizona 21
40 -Central Florida 20
41 -Navy 20
42 -Vanderbilt 19
43 -Oklahoma State 19
44 -Mississippi State 18
45 -Baylor 18
46 -Michigan State 18
47 -Washington 16
48 -North Carolina 15
49 -Miami-Florida 15
50 -Texas Christian 14
51 -Louisiana-Lafayette 13
52 -West Virginia 13
53 -Syracuse 13
54 -Louisiana-Monroe 12
55 -Middle Tennessee State 12
56 -Texas Tech 12
57 -Brigham Young 10
58 -Bowling Green 9
59 -East Carolina 8
60 -Iowa State 7
61 -Missouri 6
62 -Ohio 5
63 -Mississippi 5
64 -Virginia Tech 4
65 -North Carolina State 3
66 -Arizona State 1
67 -Western Kentucky 1
68 -Duke 0
69 -Purdue -2
70 -Pittsburgh -2
71 -Georgia Tech -2
72 -Nevada -3
73 -UTSA -5
74 -Tennessee -6
75 -Minnesota -8
76 -Arkansas -9
77 -Southern Methodist -10
78 -Wake Forest -11
79 -Rice -12
80 -Central Michigan -13
81 -Air Force -13
82 -Utah -15
83 -Connecticut -15
84 -Troy -16
85 -Iowa -16
86 -Houston -17
87 -Miami-Ohio -18
88 -Marshall -20
89 -North Texas -20
90 -Buffalo -20
91 -Temple -21
92 -California -21
93 -Auburn -22
94 -Indiana -24
95 -Virginia -24
96 -South Florida -24
97 -Wyoming -26
98 -Texas State -27
99 -Colorado State -27
100 -Maryland -29
101 -Western Michigan -31
102 -Kentucky -31
103 -Florida International -33
104 -Memphis -34
105 -Florida Atlantic -35
106 -Washington State -38
107 -UTEP -40
108 -UAB -40
109 -Illinois -40
110 -Eastern Michigan -40
111 -Hawaii -42
112 -Boston College -43
113 -Army -43
114 -New Mexico -44
115 -Tulane -45
116 -Kansas -45
117 -Idaho -52
118 -Colorado -53
119 -UNLV -56
120 -South Alabama -58
121 -Akron -59
122 -Massachusetts -61
123 -Southern Mississippi -65
124 -New Mexico State -66

The Top 12

The Power Points Standings and the AP Poll agree on the top 12 teams but when comparing those teams in pairs, the two methods disagree on their order 15 times out of 66 possible pairs. The disputed pairs are listed below with team placed higher in the Power Points Standings listed first. The number in parentheses represents the number of AP pollsters that agreed with the Power Points System.

Florida > Ohio State (25)
Florida > Alabama (1)
Ohio State > Alabama (14)
Stanford > Alabama (0)
Stanford > Oregon (14)
Stanford > Kansas State (21)
Stanford > Georgia (14)
Kansas State > Georgia (25)
South Carolina > LSU (3)
South Carolina > Georgia (4)
South Carolina > Texas A&M (5)
Oklahoma > LSU (1)
Oklahoma > Georgia (1)
Oklahoma > Texas A&M (2)
LSU > Georgia (9)

Power Points, BCS, AP Poll, and Coaches' Poll

The numbers to the left are each team's position in the current Power Points Standings. The first number is their position among all 124 FBS teams. The second number is their position among the 119 FBS teams considered by the BCS Standings and Coaches' Poll. The numbers to the right are each team's position in the BCS Standings, AP Poll, and Coaches' Poll respectively. Ties in  those three are awarded to the highest placed team in Power Points Standings.


1 1 -Notre Dame 1 1 1
2 2 -Florida 3 3 4
3 X -Ohio State X 4 X
4 3 -Stanford 6 8 8
5 4 -Alabama 2 2 2
6 5 -Oregon 4 5 3
7 6 -Kansas State 5 7 6
8 7 -South Carolina 10 11 10
9 8 -Oklahoma 11 12 11
10 9 -Louisiana State 8 9 7
11 10 -Georgia 7 6 5
12 11 -Texas A&M 9 10 9
13 12 -Nebraska 16 23 21
14 13 -San Jose State 24 24 24
15 14 -Clemson 14 14 13
16 15 -Florida State 12 13 12
17 16 -Northern Illinois 15 16 16
18 17 -Oregon State 13 15 14
19 18 -Kent State 25 25 26
20 19 -Ball State 50 40 X
21 20 -Michigan 18 19 22
22 21 -Boise State 19 20 15
23 22 -UCLA 17 17 19
24 23 -Utah State 22 18 20
25 24 -Arkansas State 37 36 33
26 25 -Louisville 21 22 18
27 26 -Fresno State 35 31 30
28 27 -Tulsa 33 38 29
29 28 -Toledo 43 X X
30 29 -Texas 23 29 25
31 X -Penn State X 26 X
32 30 -Northwestern 20 21 17
33 31 -San Diego State 36 30 32
34 32 -Cincinnati 34 32 28
35 33 -Louisiana Tech 39 X 37
36 34 -Rutgers 32 39 31
37 35 -Wisconsin 26 28 23
38 36 -Southern California 31 37 38
39 37 -Arizona 30 X X
40 38 -Central Florida 44 X X
41 39 -Vanderbilt 28 27 27
42 40 -Oklahoma State 27 33 34
43 41 -Mississippi State 38 X 35
44 42 -Navy 56 X X
45 43 -Baylor 29 34 X
46 44 -Michigan State 52 X X
47 45 -Washington 48 X X
48 X -North Carolina X 41 X
49 X -Miami-Florida X X X
50 46 -Texas Christian 40 35 X
51 47 -Louisiana-Lafayette 57 X X
52 48 -West Virginia 46 42 X
53 49 -Syracuse 42 X X
54 50 -Louisiana-Monroe 47 X X
55 51 -Middle Tennessee State 64 X X
56 52 -Texas Tech 49 X X
57 53 -Brigham Young 55 X X
58 54 -Bowling Green 62 X X
59 55 -East Carolina 45 X X
60 56 -Iowa State 51 X X
61 57 -Missouri 54 X X
62 58 -Ohio 67 X X
63 59 -Mississippi 53 X X
64 60 -Virginia Tech 66 X X
65 61 -North Carolina State 63 X X
66 62 -Arizona State 41 X 36
67 63 -Western Kentucky 72 X X
68 64 -Duke 68 X X
69 65 -Purdue 58 X X
70 66 -Pittsburgh 69 X X
71 67 -Georgia Tech 70 X X
72 68 -Nevada 74 X X
73 X -UTSA X X X
74 69 -Tennessee 59 X X
75 70 -Minnesota 61 X X
76 71 -Arkansas 65 X X
77 72 -Southern Methodist 78 X X
78 73 -Wake Forest 75 X X
79 74 -Air Force 85 X X
80 75 -Rice 83 X X
81 76 -Central Michigan 79 X X
82 77 -Utah 60 X X
83 78 -Connecticut 80 X X
84 79 -Iowa 71 X X
85 80 -Troy 86 X X
86 81 -Houston 91 X X
87 82 -Miami-Ohio 89 X X
88 83 -Marshall 95 X X
89 84 -North Texas 92 X X
90 85 -Buffalo 93 X X
91 86 -Temple 84 X X
92 87 -California 73 X X
93 88 -Auburn 76 X X
94 89 -Indiana 77 X X
95 90 -Virginia 81 X X
96 91 -South Florida 88 X X
97 92 -Wyoming 96 X X
98 93 -Texas State 100 X X
99 94 -Colorado State 98 X X
100 95 -Maryland 90 X X
101 96 -Western Michigan 97 X X
102 97 -Kentucky 82 X X
103 98 -Florida International 102 X X
104 99 -Memphis 101 X X
105 100 -Florida Atlantic 103 X X
106 101 -Washington State 87 X X
107 102 -Army 109 X X
108 103 -UTEP 106 X X
109 104 -UAB 110 X X
110 105 -Illinois 99 X X
111 106 -Eastern Michigan 105 X X
112 107 -Hawaii 111 X X
113 108 -Boston College 104 X X
114 109 -New Mexico 107 X X
115 110 -Tulane 112 X X
116 111 -Kansas 94 X X
117 112 -Idaho 114 X X
118 113 -Colorado 108 X X
119 114 -UNLV 113 X X
120 115 -South Alabama 115 X X
121 116 -Akron 118 X X
122 117 -Massachusetts 116 X X
123 118 -Southern Mississippi 119 X X
124 119 -New Mexico State 117 X X

Playoffs: Power Points System vs. AP Poll

Based on the current Power Points Standings and the final regular season AP Poll, here is a list of the disputed qualifiers for all playoff fields from two teams through 16 teams. Teams favored by the Power Points System are listed first.

2-Florida > Alabama
3-Ohio State > Alabama
4-Stanford > Alabama
5-Stanford > Oregon
6-Stanford > Georgia
7-Stanford > Georgia
8-South Carolina > Georgia
9-South Carolina/Oklahoma > Georgia/LSU
10-South Carolina/Oklahoma > Georgia/Texas A&M
11-Oklahoma > Texas A&M
12-None
13-Nebraska > Florida State
14-Nebraska/San Jose State > Florida State/Clemson
15-Nebraska/San Jose State > Florida State/Oregon State
16-Nebraska/San Jose State > Oregon State/Northern Illinois

2012 Power Points Standings thru 12-01

1 -Notre Dame 82
2 -Florida 75
3 -Ohio State 71
4 -Stanford 70
5 -Alabama 68
6 -Oregon 60
7 -Kansas State 59
8 -South Carolina 53
9 -Oklahoma 52
10 -Louisiana State 51
11 -Georgia 50
12 -Texas A&M 50
13 -Nebraska 49
14 -San Jose State 46
15 -Clemson 44
16 -Florida State 43
17 -Northern Illinois 42
18 -Oregon State 41
19 -Kent State 40
20 -Ball State 37
21 -Michigan 36
22 -Boise State 35
23 -UCLA 35
24 -Utah State 34
25 -Arkansas State 33
26 -Louisville 32
27 -Fresno State 32
28 -Tulsa 31
29 -Toledo 29
30 -Texas 29
31 -Penn State 29
32 -Northwestern 28
33 -San Diego State 28
34 -Cincinnati 27
35 -Louisiana Tech 27
36 -Rutgers 26
37 -Wisconsin 25
38 -Southern California 21
39 -Arizona 21
40 -Central Florida 20
41 -Vanderbilt 19
42 -Oklahoma State 19
43 -Mississippi State 18
44 -Navy 18
45 -Baylor 18
46 -Michigan State 18
47 -Washington 16
48 -North Carolina 15
49 -Miami-Florida 15
50 -Texas Christian 14
51 -Louisiana-Lafayette 13
52 -West Virginia 13
53 -Syracuse 13
54 -Louisiana-Monroe 12
55 -Middle Tennessee State 12
56 -Texas Tech 12
57 -Brigham Young 10
58 -Bowling Green 9
59 -East Carolina 8
60 -Iowa State 7
61 -Missouri 6
62 -Ohio 5
63 -Mississippi 5
64 -Virginia Tech 4
65 -North Carolina State 3
66 -Arizona State 1
67 -Western Kentucky 1
68 -Duke 0
69 -Purdue -2
70 -Pittsburgh -2
71 -Georgia Tech -2
72 -Nevada -3
73 -UTSA -5
74 -Tennessee -6
75 -Minnesota -8
76 -Arkansas -9
77 -Southern Methodist -10
78 -Wake Forest -11
79 -Air Force -12
80 -Rice -12
81 -Central Michigan -13
82 -Utah -15
83 -Connecticut -15
84 -Iowa -16
85 -Troy -17
86 -Houston -17
87 -Miami-Ohio -18
88 -Marshall -20
89 -North Texas -20
90 -Buffalo -20
91 -Temple -21
92 -California -21
93 -Auburn -22
94 -Indiana -24
95 -Virginia -24
96 -South Florida -24
97 -Wyoming -26
98 -Texas State -27
99 -Colorado State -27
100 -Maryland -29
101 -Western Michigan -31
102 -Kentucky -31
103 -Florida International -33
104 -Memphis -34
105 -Florida Atlantic -35
106 -Washington State -38
107 -Army -39
108 -UTEP -40
109 -UAB -40
110 -Illinois -40
111 -Eastern Michigan -40
112 -Hawaii -42
113 -Boston College -42
114 -New Mexico -44
115 -Tulane -45
116 -Kansas -45
117 -Idaho -52
118 -Colorado -53
119 -UNLV -56
120 -South Alabama -58
121 -Akron -59
122 -Massachusetts -61
123 -Southern Mississippi -65
124 -New Mexico State -66

Power Points System 101

Under the Power Points System, teams are placed most to least:

1-Power Points (Games Won Opponents' Wins - Games Lost Opponents' Losses)
2-Net Wins (Wins - Losses)
3-Schedule Strength (Opponents' Power Points)
4-Net Points (Points For - Points Against)

If the Power Points System is used, the best case scenario would involve all FBS teams knowingly competing according to its rules while playing equal maximum game regular season schedules versus FBS competition only. The Power Points System defines best/most valuable season. It does NOT attempt to identify or quantify the best team. If there is a best team, it is the responsibility of that team to accomplish what is most valuable according to the rules of the Power Points System to achieve the desired standing. Being a better team is simply a competitive advantage and does not entitle a team to place higher in the standings for that reason. Essentially, the college football season is a game and the objective of the game per this system's rules is to accumulate more points than the other teams by scheduling and beating winners. Also, like all competitions, especially those that only use facts to determine their standings, there is no guarantee that more difficult accomplishments (which are a matter of opinion) will be more valuable accomplishments under the rules. Ultimately, the Power Points System's purpose is to determine playoff qualifiers and seeds.

2012 MOCK PLAYOFF RACE

If college football's forthcoming four team playoff format began with the 2012 season, this is how the playoff race would look like with one week left in the regular season according to the Power Points Standings under two different playoff formats.

IF TOP FOUR TEAMS ADVANCE:

1-Notre Dame: has clinched berth.
2-Florida: has clinched berth.
3-Stanford: clinches berth with win versus UCLA OR if Texas beats Kansas State, Wisconsin beats Nebraska, and Middle Tennessee State beats Arkansas State.
4-Oregon: clinches berth if UCLA beats Stanford, Wisconsin beats Nebraska, and Oregon State beats Nicholls State OR if UCLA beats Stanford, Wisconsin beats Nebraska, and Texas beats Kansas State.
5-Alabama: clinches berth with win versus Georgia.
6-Nebraska: clinches berth with win versus Wisconsin and UCLA win versus Stanford.
7-Georgia: clinches berth with win versus Alabama.
8-Kansas State clinches berth with win versus Texas, UCLA win versus Stanford, Wisconsin win versus Nebraska, and Nicholls State win versus Oregon State OR with win versus Texas, UCLA win versus Stanford, Wisconsin win versus Nebraska, and Middle Tennessee State win versus Arkansas State.

IF TOP FOUR CHAMPIONS ADVANCE:

1-Notre Dame: has clinched berth as Independent Champion.
2-Stanford: clinches berth with win versus UCLA.
3-Alabama: clinches berth with win versus Georgia.
4-Nebraska: clinches berth with win versus Wisconsin plus one win from UCLA, Texas, or Arkansas State.
5-Georgia: clinches berth with win versus Alabama.
6-Kansas State: clinches berth with win versus Texas plus one win from UCLA, Wisconsin, or Middle Tennessee State.
7-Oklahoma: clinches berth with win versus TCU, Texas win versus Kansas State plus two wins from UCLA, Wisconsin, and Northern Illinois.
8-Kent State: clinches berth with win versus Northern Illinois plus two wins from UCLA, Wisconsin, and Texas.
9-UCLA: clinches berth with win versus Stanford plus two wins from Wisconsin, Texas, and Northern Illinois.


Note: Ohio State was regarded as ineligible and all possible scenarios may not be listed above. All other teams that can still claim a conference title are mathematically eliminated from finishing among top four champions.  

2012 Power Points Standings thru 11-24

1 -Notre Dame 79
2 -Florida 74
3 -Ohio State 70
4 -Stanford 60
5 -Oregon 58
6 -Alabama 57
7 -Nebraska 53
8 -South Carolina 53
9 -Georgia 51
10 -Louisiana State 51
11 -Kansas State 49
12 -Texas A&M 49
13 -San Jose State 45
14 -Clemson 44
15 -Oklahoma 43
16 -Kent State 41
17 -Oregon State 40
18 -Ball State 38
19 -Florida State 37
20 -UCLA 37
21 -Michigan 37
22 -Utah State 33
23 -Northern Illinois 31
24 -Fresno State 31
25 -Texas 30
26 -Northwestern 29
27 -Penn State 29
28 -Rutgers 28
29 -Toledo 28
30 -Boise State 27
31 -San Diego State 26
32 -Louisiana Tech 26
33 -Arkansas State 25
34 -Central Florida 23
35 -Oklahoma State 23
36 -Louisville 22
37 -Tulsa 22
38 -Cincinnati 22
39 -Arizona 22
40 -Southern California 21
41 -Vanderbilt 20
42 -Mississippi State 18
43 -Navy 17
44 -Michigan State 17
45 -North Carolina 16
46 -Wisconsin 16
47 -Middle Tennessee State 15
48 -Texas Christian 15
49 -Miami-Florida 15
50 -Washington 14
51 -West Virginia 13
52 -Louisiana-Monroe 12
53 -Texas Tech 12
54 -Syracuse 12
55 -Baylor 12
56 -Louisiana-Lafayette 11
57 -Bowling Green 10
58 -East Carolina 9
59 -Brigham Young 9
60 -Iowa State 7
61 -Mississippi 7
62 -Missouri 7
63 -Ohio 6
64 -Virginia Tech 4
65 -Arizona State 2
66 -North Carolina State 2
67 -Western Kentucky 2
68 -Georgia Tech 2
69 -Duke 1
70 -Nevada -2
71 -Purdue -2
72 -Pittsburgh -4
73 -Tennessee -5
74 -UTSA -6
75 -Minnesota -7
76 -Southern Methodist -9
77 -Arkansas -9
78 -Rice -11
79 -Wake Forest -11
80 -Connecticut -12
81 -Central Michigan -13
82 -Air Force -13
83 -Utah -14
84 -Troy -15
85 -Houston -16
86 -Iowa -16
87 -Miami-Ohio -17
88 -Buffalo -17
89 -South Florida -17
90 -Marshall -19
91 -Temple -20
92 -North Texas -20
93 -California -20
94 -Auburn -21
95 -Virginia -22
96 -Indiana -24
97 -Wyoming -24
98 -Maryland -27
99 -Texas State -27
100 -Colorado State -28
101 -Florida Atlantic -28
102 -Western Michigan -30
103 -Kentucky -30
104 -Florida International -31
105 -Memphis -32
106 -Washington State -37
107 -Army -37
108 -Kansas -37
109 -UAB -39
110 -UTEP -39
111 -Eastern Michigan -39
112 -Illinois -40
113 -Boston College -41
114 -Hawaii -43
115 -New Mexico -44
116 -Tulane -44
117 -South Alabama -48
118 -Colorado -52
119 -Idaho -52
120 -UNLV -55
121 -Akron -57
122 -New Mexico State -58
123 -Massachusetts -60
124 -Southern Mississippi -63

2012 Power Points Standings thru 11-17

1 -Notre Dame 65
2 -Ohio State 57
3 -Florida 57
4 -Alabama 50
5 -Stanford 49
6 -Oregon 47
7 -Nebraska 47
8 -Kansas State 45
9 -Clemson 44
10 -Louisiana State 44
11 -Georgia 41
12 -Texas A&M 41
13 -South Carolina 39
14 -Oregon State 38
15 -Florida State 36
16 -UCLA 34
17 -Oklahoma 34
18 -Michigan 34
19 -Ball State 33
20 -Kent State 32
21 -San Jose State 32
22 -Texas 32
23 -Rutgers 31
24 -Utah State 29
25 -Northern Illinois 27
26 -Arizona 27
27 -Tulsa 26
28 -Louisville 25
29 -Louisiana Tech 25
30 -Northwestern 25
31 -Toledo 25
32 -Oklahoma State 24
33 -Boise State 23
34 -Fresno State 23
35 -Mississippi State 22
36 -Arkansas State 22
37 -Washington 22
38 -Penn State 22
39 -San Diego State 21
40 -Central Florida 19
41 -Southern California 19
42 -Wisconsin 19
43 -Cincinnati 18
44 -Texas Tech 17
45 -Navy 16
46 -Vanderbilt 13
47 -Iowa State 13
48 -North Carolina 12
49 -Michigan State 12
50 -Middle Tennessee State 10
51 -Louisiana-Lafayette 9
52 -Miami-Florida 9
53 -Syracuse 9
54 -Louisiana-Monroe 8
55 -West Virginia 8
56 -Ohio 7
57 -Texas Christian 7
58 -Duke 7
59 -Bowling Green 6
60 -Brigham Young 6
61 -Missouri 6
62 -Baylor 5
63 -Georgia Tech 3
64 -East Carolina 2
65 -North Carolina State 1
66 -Virginia Tech 1
67 -Minnesota 0
68 -Mississippi 0
69 -Nevada -1
70 -Western Kentucky -2
71 -Arizona State -3
72 -Purdue -3
73 -Wake Forest -4
74 -Arkansas -5
75 -Tennessee -6
76 -UTSA -8
77 -Air Force -10
78 -Troy -11
79 -South Florida -11
80 -Rice -12
81 -Pittsburgh -12
82 -Utah -12
83 -Buffalo -12
84 -Temple -13
85 -Iowa -13
86 -Miami-Ohio -13
87 -Central Michigan -14
88 -Virginia -14
89 -Houston -14
90 -Marshall -15
91 -North Texas -15
92 -Indiana -17
93 -Auburn -18
94 -California -18
95 -Southern Methodist -19
96 -Connecticut -19
97 -Maryland -19
98 -Wyoming -19
99 -Kentucky -20
100 -Texas State -21
101 -Florida International -24
102 -Florida Atlantic -26
103 -Western Michigan -28
104 -Colorado State -30
105 -Memphis -30
106 -UTEP -31
107 -New Mexico -32
108 -Boston College -32
109 -Illinois -32
110 -Army -32
111 -UAB -33
112 -Kansas -33
113 -Tulane -35
114 -Eastern Michigan -36
115 -South Alabama -40
116 -Washington State -41
117 -Colorado -41
118 -Hawaii -42
119 -UNLV -42
120 -Idaho -46
121 -New Mexico State -47
122 -Massachusetts -49
123 -Akron -50
124 -Southern Mississippi -51

2012 Power Points Standings thru 11-10

1 -Notre Dame 54
2 -Florida 51
3 -Ohio State 47
4 -Alabama 47
5 -Kansas State 46
6 -Oregon 45
7 -Texas A&M 38
8 -Nebraska 37
9 -Georgia 36
10 -Stanford 36
11 -South Carolina 35
12 -Clemson 34
13 -Louisiana State 34
14 -Oregon State 32
15 -Florida State 30
16 -Texas 29
17 -Oklahoma 27
18 -Michigan 27
19 -Louisiana Tech 25
20 -UCLA 24
21 -San Jose State 24
22 -Ball State 23
23 -Rutgers 22
24 -Toledo 22
25 -Fresno State 22
26 -Arizona 22
27 -Louisville 21
28 -Kent State 21
29 -Washington 21
30 -Boise State 20
31 -Utah State 20
32 -Texas Tech 20
33 -Southern California 19
34 -San Diego State 18
35 -Northwestern 18
36 -Northern Illinois 17
37 -Central Florida 17
38 -Cincinnati 17
39 -Wisconsin 17
40 -Tulsa 16
41 -Oklahoma State 16
42 -Penn State 16
43 -Mississippi State 15
44 -Arkansas State 15
45 -Michigan State 13
46 -Iowa State 12
47 -Navy 11
48 -West Virginia 10
49 -Duke 9
50 -Missouri 9
51 -Ohio 8
52 -Texas Christian 8
53 -Bowling Green 7
54 -Vanderbilt 7
55 -Brigham Young 7
56 -North Carolina 7
57 -Syracuse 7
58 -Miami-Florida 6
59 -Middle Tennessee State 5
60 -North Carolina State 3
61 -Louisiana-Monroe 3
62 -Minnesota 2
63 -Louisiana-Lafayette 2
64 -Western Kentucky 0
65 -Mississippi 0
66 -East Carolina -1
67 -Tennessee -1
68 -Virginia Tech -1
69 -Arizona State -2
70 -Wake Forest -2
71 -Georgia Tech -3
72 -Arkansas -4
73 -Nevada -5
74 -Baylor -5
75 -Purdue -5
76 -Miami-Ohio -5
77 -Troy -7
78 -Utah -7
79 -Houston -7
80 -South Florida -7
81 -UTSA -8
82 -Virginia -8
83 -North Texas -9
84 -Iowa -10
85 -Air Force -11
86 -Indiana -11
87 -Buffalo -11
88 -Southern Methodist -13
89 -Temple -13
90 -Pittsburgh -14
91 -Texas State -14
92 -California -14
93 -Maryland -16
94 -Central Michigan -16
95 -Rice -16
96 -Florida Atlantic -16
97 -Connecticut -17
98 -Marshall -17
99 -Western Michigan -17
100 -Auburn -17
101 -Kentucky -18
102 -Wyoming -20
103 -Illinois -22
104 -UAB -23
105 -Florida International -23
106 -Boston College -24
107 -New Mexico -26
108 -Army -26
109 -UTEP -26
110 -Kansas -26
111 -Colorado State -28
112 -Tulane -30
113 -Washington State -31
114 -Memphis -31
115 -UNLV -32
116 -Hawaii -33
117 -South Alabama -34
118 -Colorado -34
119 -Eastern Michigan -36
120 -Massachusetts -37
121 -Idaho -38
122 -Southern Mississippi -39
123 -New Mexico State -43
124 -Akron -44

2012 Power Points Standings thru 11-03

1 -Notre Dame 47
2 -Alabama 45
3 -Ohio State 43
4 -Florida 40
5 -Oregon 37
6 -Kansas State 36
7 -Oregon State 30
8 -Georgia 29
9 -Clemson 28
10 -Nebraska 28
11 -South Carolina 27
12 -Texas A&M 27
13 -Stanford 26
14 -Louisville 25
15 -Florida State 25
16 -Louisiana State 24
17 -UCLA 22
18 -Texas 22
19 -Oklahoma 21
20 -Toledo 20
21 -Louisiana Tech 20
22 -San Jose State 20
23 -Northwestern 19
24 -Texas Tech 19
25 -Arizona 19
26 -Rutgers 18
27 -Michigan 18
28 -Penn State 18
29 -Utah State 17
30 -Mississippi State 17
31 -Boise State 16
32 -Cincinnati 15
33 -Navy 15
34 -Washington 15
35 -Northern Illinois 14
36 -Kent State 14
37 -Ball State 14
38 -Central Florida 13
39 -Fresno State 13
40 -North Carolina 13
41 -West Virginia 13
42 -Iowa State 13
43 -Tulsa 12
44 -Southern California 12
45 -Wisconsin 12
46 -San Diego State 11
47 -Oklahoma State 11
48 -Miami-Florida 11
49 -Michigan State 11
50 -Ohio 10
51 -Arkansas State 8
52 -Louisiana-Monroe 8
53 -Duke 8
54 -Texas Christian 7
55 -Western Kentucky 7
56 -Brigham Young 7
57 -Mississippi 5
58 -Missouri 5
59 -Middle Tennessee State 4
60 -Tennessee 4
61 -Louisiana-Lafayette 2
62 -Arizona State 2
63 -Wake Forest 2
64 -Vanderbilt 1
65 -Virginia Tech 1
66 -Bowling Green 0
67 -Minnesota 0
68 -Arkansas 0
69 -East Carolina -1
70 -North Carolina State -1
71 -Baylor -1
72 -Iowa -1
73 -Nevada -2
74 -Utah -2
75 -Syracuse -2
76 -Miami-Ohio -5
77 -Houston -6
78 -South Florida -6
79 -Air Force -7
80 -Indiana -7
81 -Pittsburgh -7
82 -UTSA -8
83 -Georgia Tech -8
84 -Temple -8
85 -Purdue -8
86 -Marshall -9
87 -Southern Methodist -11
88 -Troy -11
89 -Texas State -11
90 -Western Michigan -11
91 -North Texas -11
92 -Virginia -11
93 -California -12
94 -Buffalo -12
95 -Auburn -13
96 -Maryland -14
97 -Central Michigan -14
98 -Rice -15
99 -Illinois -15
100 -Kentucky -15
101 -New Mexico -17
102 -Florida Atlantic -19
103 -Boston College -20
104 -Tulane -20
105 -Florida International -20
106 -Connecticut -21
107 -Wyoming -21
108 -Kansas -21
109 -UTEP -22
110 -Army -22
111 -UNLV -22
112 -Washington State -25
113 -UAB -25
114 -South Alabama -27
115 -Eastern Michigan -27
116 -Colorado State -28
117 -Colorado -28
118 -Hawaii -29
119 -Idaho -31
120 -Memphis -31
121 -Southern Mississippi -31
122 -Akron -32
123 -Massachusetts -34
124 -New Mexico State -36

2012 Power Points Standings thru 10-27

1 -Notre Dame 38
2 -Ohio State 36
3 -Alabama 35
4 -Florida 33
5 -Kansas State 29
6 -Oregon 28
7 -Stanford 24
8 -Oregon State 23
9 -South Carolina 23
10 -Florida State 22
11 -Louisiana State 21
12 -Nebraska 21
13 -Georgia 20
14 -Texas Tech 20
15 -Arizona 20
16 -Louisville 19
17 -Clemson 19
18 -Texas A&M 18
19 -Toledo 17
20 -Boise State 17
21 -Northwestern 17
22 -San Jose State 17
23 -Mississippi State 16
24 -Rutgers 16
25 -Texas 15
26 -UCLA 15
27 -Oklahoma 15
28 -Iowa State 15
29 -Tulsa 14
30 -West Virginia 14
31 -Penn State 14
32 -Michigan 13
33 -Michigan State 13
34 -Northern Illinois 12
35 -Louisiana Tech 12
36 -Wisconsin 12
37 -North Carolina 12
38 -Fresno State 12
39 -Washington 12
40 -Kent State 11
41 -Utah State 11
42 -Southern California 11
43 -Cincinnati 11
44 -Navy 11
45 -Oklahoma State 10
46 -Ball State 10
47 -Western Kentucky 9
48 -Louisiana-Monroe 9
49 -Ohio 7
50 -Central Florida 7
51 -Duke 7
52 -Brigham Young 6
53 -Miami-Florida 6
54 -North Carolina State 5
55 -Missouri 5
56 -Iowa 5
57 -Virginia Tech 5
58 -Mississippi 4
59 -Arkansas State 4
60 -Texas Christian 3
61 -Arizona State 3
62 -San Diego State 2
63 -Minnesota 2
64 -Miami-Ohio 2
65 -Bowling Green 1
66 -Syracuse 1
67 -Tennessee 1
68 -Wake Forest 0
69 -Baylor 0
70 -Air Force -1
71 -Middle Tennessee State -1
72 -Vanderbilt -1
73 -Houston -2
74 -Utah -2
75 -Nevada -3
76 -Louisiana-Lafayette -3
77 -Troy -5
78 -Purdue -5
79 -East Carolina -6
80 -Pittsburgh -6
81 -New Mexico -6
82 -Arkansas -6
83 -North Texas -6
84 -UTSA -7
85 -Maryland -7
86 -Texas State -7
87 -Temple -7
88 -Central Michigan -7
89 -California -7
90 -South Florida -7
91 -Southern Methodist -8
92 -Marshall -8
93 -Kentucky -9
94 -Indiana -10
95 -Auburn -11
96 -Georgia Tech -12
97 -Western Michigan -12
98 -Tulane -12
99 -Connecticut -13
100 -Florida Atlantic -13
101 -Rice -14
102 -South Alabama -14
103 -Buffalo -14
104 -Illinois -15
105 -Virginia -15
106 -Boston College -16
107 -Kansas -16
108 -UTEP -18
109 -Washington State -19
110 -Colorado State -19
111 -Florida International -19
112 -Wyoming -20
113 -UAB -21
114 -Colorado -22
115 -UNLV -22
116 -Southern Mississippi -22
117 -Hawaii -23
118 -Eastern Michigan -24
119 -Memphis -24
120 -Army -25
121 -Idaho -26
122 -New Mexico State -26
123 -Akron -29
124 -Massachusetts -31