College Sports Analysis: How College Football Rankings Are Calculated

Ever wonder why a team jumps up the leaderboard after a big win, or why another drops despite a win? The answer lies in a mix of human votes and computer math. In the world of college football, rankings aren’t just a guess—they’re built on set rules that blend opinions and stats.

The Human Side: AP and Coaches Polls

The first piece of the puzzle comes from people who watch the game every day. The Associated Press (AP) poll gathers votes from sports journalists across the country. Each journalist ranks their top 25 teams, giving 25 points to their favorite, 24 to the next, and so on. Add up all the points and you get the AP ranking.

Right next to the AP poll is the Coaches poll, officially known as the USA TODAY Coaches poll. Here, a panel of FBS coaches does the same ranking exercise. Because coaches see the game from the sidelines, their perspective can differ from journalists. That’s why the two polls sometimes disagree on where a team should sit.

The Computer Side: Algorithms and Data

Human votes are important, but they can be biased by recent headlines or regional loyalties. To balance that, computer algorithms step in. These formulas look at win‑loss records, strength of schedule, margin of victory, and even how opponents performed in their own games.

One well‑known system used to be the BCS formula, which mixed three computer rankings with the human polls. Today, the College Football Playoff (CFP) committee uses a set of proprietary models that factor in similar data points. The computers crunch the numbers, then produce a ranking that sits alongside the AP and Coaches poll.

When the season is in full swing, the three sources feed into each other. A team that dominates a tough schedule will earn high computer scores, which can boost its position in the human polls. Conversely, a team with a soft schedule might need a strong win‑loss record to convince voters.

So, how does a team actually move up? Imagine a mid‑tier team beats a top‑10 opponent on the road. Voters see that win and likely give it a bump in the AP and Coaches poll. At the same time, the computer model registers the win against a strong opponent and adjusts the team’s strength‑of‑schedule rating upward. The combined effect pushes the team higher in the overall rankings.

Understanding this blend of polls and computers helps you read the rankings like a pro. You’ll know why some teams rise quickly after a signature win, and why others stay stuck despite a solid record. Next time you check the weekly leaderboard, you’ll see the story behind the numbers—not just the scores.