With both Penn State and TCU losing on Saturday, somebody was going to take advantage in the Fornelli 50 rankings, and it appears that team is Wisconsin.
The Badgers, who just broke into the top five last week, are now up to No. 3.
They're a curious case. On the one hand, you have to respect the fact that this is an 8-0 team we're dealing with here. As you likely know by now if you're reading these rankings, that win-loss record means more than anything in this formula, and the Badgers are being rewarded for it.
Even if wins and losses matter most, the Badgers are seven spots ahead of Miami this week, and the Hurricanes are 7-0 themselves. This despite the fact that the Badgers have played a schedule that's the equivalent of a senior who only needs a few more elective credits to get their degree. Miami's has been more difficult, but aside from the strength of the schedule, it's the quality of the play.
It's not just that you win, or who you win against, but how you win against them. Wisconsin has played an easy schedule, yes, but it's played as it should anyway. It's been the better team in every game, and for the most part, it's been dominant. Or at least, dominant enough.
I don't know if Wisconsin's performance will be good enough to impress the College Football Playoff, but it's doing enough for the math right now.
Now, before we get to the rankings, a brief reminder on how all of it works. You can read a full explanation of the process here.
- My opinion has absolutely nothing to do with the rankings, they're math-based
- There is true equality to start as math doesn't play favorites
- Wins and losses mean more than anything
- The formula is in no way predictive, it's a meritocracy
- I won't share the formula, but it works
| Team | Rank | Record | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Alabama | 8-0 | You know, plenty of people have brought up Wisconsin's schedule -- I just did! -- but have you taken a close look at Alabama's? (Last week: 1) | |
| 2. Georgia | 8-0 | I wasn't surprised by Georgia debuting at No. 1 in the CFP rankings. (4) | |
| 3. Wisconsin | 8-0 | Badgers fans should root for Michigan to keep winning. (5) | |
| 4. Ohio State | 7-1 | So what's more impressive: Ohio State beating Penn State at home, or Oklahoma beating Ohio State on the road? (8) | |
| 5. Notre Dame | 7-1 | It's not just that Notre Dame is beating good teams, it's that its dominating them for the most part. I still fear its too one-dimensional on offense, however. (9) | |
| 6. Clemson | 7-1 | This team is a lot better when Kelly Bryant's healthy, isn't it? (7) | |
| 7. UCF | 7-0 | UCF's slide continues, and this week it can thank Austin Peay for dragging down its strength of schedule. (6) | |
| 8. Penn State | 7-1 | A friend has degrees from both Penn State and Michigan. How do you think he feels about Ohio State right now? (2) | |
| 9. TCU | 7-1 | Never go to Ames if you have national title hopes! (3) | |
| 10. Miami | 7-0 | In a season that everybody is crushing North Carolina, Miami finds a way to keep it interesting. (10) | |
| 11. Oklahoma | 7-1 | I don't know if Sooners fans will like their spot in the CFP rankings, but a win over Oklahoma State will change things. (12) | |
| 12. Oklahoma State | 7-1 | Of course, beating Oklahoma would be good for the Cowboys, too. (13) | |
| 13. Washington | 7-1 | This is a good team, and it will probably win its division, but I just don't have any confidence in it right now. (14) | |
| 14. Virginia Tech | 7-1 | Is there a more slept on one-loss team in the country right now? (15) | |
| 15. Iowa State | 6-2 | Iowa State controls its destiny in the Big 12. Read that again. (23) | |
| 16. USC | 7-2 | We've got ourselves a Jekyll and Hyde situation here. (22) | |
| 17. USF | 7-1 | The formula hasn't been a big fan of the Bulls all season, but they didn't fall nearly as far as I thought they would following their first loss. (11) | |
| 18. Stanford | 6-2 | So I guess Bryce Love is pretty important to this team. (20) | |
| 19. Auburn | 6-2 | Auburn won't reach the playoff, but Auburn could turn everything on its head. (19) | |
| 20. Mississippi State | 6-2 | The Bulldogs seem to have gotten back on track, but now they'll have to deal with all the distractions surrounding Dan Mullen's job prospects. (24) | |
| 21. Toledo | 7-1 | It's going to come down to Toledo vs. Northern Illinois in the MAC. Some things never change. (25) | |
| 22. Arizona | 6-2 | Please stay up late and beg your cable provider for Pac-12 Network so you can watch Khalil Tate be magical. (30) | |
| 23. Washington State | 7-2 | Just ask Wazzu about the magic of Khalil Tate. (16) | |
| 24. Memphis | 7-1 | USF's loss opens up the New Year's Six door for Memphis. (27) | |
| 25. Michigan | 6-2 | Nothing like a little Rutgers to get you headed in the right direction. (29) | |
| 26. NC State | 6-2 | The loss to Notre Dame hurts, but it does not affect the Pack's ACC title hopes. (17) | |
| 27. Michigan State | 6-2 | Sparty lost to Northwestern, and now it gets Penn State and Ohio State. (18) | |
| 28. South Carolina | 6-2 | Hey, someone has to take advantage of the SEC East being awful, so kudos to the Gamecocks for stepping up. (32) | |
| 29. LSU | 6-2 | The Tigers are more than a three-touchdown underdog to Alabama this weekend. (28) | |
| 30. Boise State | 6-2 | I nearly wrote Boise off entirely earlier this season, but the Broncos are right back where they always are in the Mountain West. (35) | |
| 31. Ohio | 6-2 | The Bobcats still have to deal with Akron, but I like their chances. (33) | |
| 32. San Diego State | 7-2 | Did you see Rashaad Penny drag that tackler like 10 yards? It was one of my favorite moments of the season. (38) | |
| 33. Marshall | 6-2 | My editor will be upset to see Marshall still ranked while FIU is outside the top 50 after losing to the Panthers at home. (21) | |
| 34. Northern Illinois | 6-2 | This is one nasty defense in DeKalb. (39) | |
| 35. Arkansas State | 5-2 | The Sun Belt race is going to be very interesting down the stretch. (43) | |
| 36. SMU | 6-2 | The Mustangs still have to play UCF, Navy and Memphis. It's a pivotal three-week stretch that could change a lot of things for a lot of different people. (41) | |
| 37. West Virginia | 5-3 | Hey, there's something to be said about being the best three-loss team in the country. (26) | |
| 38. UTSA | 5-2 | I'm not writing off the Roadrunners in the C-USA West. (47) | |
| 39. Troy | 6-2 | Troy's game with Arkansas State to finish the regular season will be crucial, but it has to win out first. (46) | |
| 40. Army | 6-2 | The Cadets had the week off, but I'd bet they were still pretty busy. (40) | |
| 41. Kentucky | 6-2 | It says a lot that Kentucky beats Tennessee, and it doesn't feel like a big deal. (50) | |
| 42. Iowa | 5-3 | Can Iowa do to Ohio State what it did earlier this year to Penn State? (51) | |
| 43. Navy | 5-2 | I had some people mad at me last week that Army was ranked ahead of Navy. I guess they'll still be angry. (42) | |
| 44. Northwestern | 5-3 | Northwestern climbs back into the Fornelli 50 after beating Michigan State. (55) | |
| 45. Georgia Tech | 4-3 | Bees don't do well in water. (31) | |
| 46. Wake Forest | 5-3 | Not so good without their playbook, are you, Louisville!? (59) | |
| 47. Colorado State | 6-3 | Why do I feel like Mike Bobo makes his way back to the SEC and Jim McElwain returns to Colorado State? (34) | |
| 48. Houston | 5-3 | You kinda figured somebody was going to get USF eventually, and Houston was the one. (62) | |
| 49. FAU | 5-3 | Don't look now, but Lane Kiffin's FAU offense is rolling. (60) | |
| 50. Fresno State | 5-3 | The Bulldogs barely hold on to a spot in the rankings after their loss to UNLV. They still have a cushion in their division, though. (36) |
No Longer Ranked: Texas A&M (37), Appalachian State (44), Louisville (45), Southern Miss (48), Virginia (49)