Kentucky tops new playoff metric
A consensus power rating system places the Wildcats first while Texas holds fifth with two losses.
By Ivan Mori ·
Kentucky sits at No. 1 in the CFB Metrics Consensus resume rankings entering Week 9. This new baseline metric replaces single-source power ratings with a composite score. The system folds 10 different power ratings into one figure. This approach aims to remove bias from any individual rating model.
The Wildcats lead No. 2 UCLA under this formula. Kentucky’s ledger includes three road victories. The team beat Texas A&M, South Carolina, and Oklahoma on the road. All three opponents hold top-30 power ratings in the consensus metric. These results provide depth beyond the team’s only win over an AP-poll ranked opponent, LSU.
Texas holds the No. 5 spot despite two losses. The Longhorns defeated No. 1 Ohio State and No. 11 Texas away from home. They also beat Ole Miss, who currently ranks No. 12 in the AP poll. However, the CFB Metrics Consensus rates Ole Miss as No. 9. This discrepancy favors Texas in the resume calculation.
The ranking formula mirrors the NCAA’s Wins Above Bubble metric used in college basketball. It calculates the likelihood that the average No. 25 team would win a specific game. A neutral-site victory over a No. 26 team adds 0.49 to a team’s resume score. This assumes a 51% win probability for the higher-ranked team on neutral ground.
Road victories against elite opponents generate the highest scores. Auburn earned 0.91 points for its win at No. 4 Georgia. The average No. 25 team would win that game only 9% of the time. Road wins carry more weight than home wins in this model.
The system evaluates the totality of a team’s performance. It weighs the strength of opponents and the location of games. Kentucky’s combination of high-quality road wins and a top consensus rating secures its top position. The metric offers a standardized way to compare resumes across different conferences and schedules.
The rankings update weekly as results accumulate. The current standings reflect data through Week 8. Teams with multiple wins over highly rated opponents in difficult locations gain the most points. Kentucky and Texas both benefit from this emphasis on high-leverage victories.
