College Football: University of Cincinnati Remains #1 in TGOPoll
Posted by thegameonpaper on November 2, 2009
As we head in to week 10 of the college football season, Cincinnati enjoys its second straight week at the top of our TGOPoll. Based on our statistical model that takes into account Strength of Schedule (SOS), Dominance Index (DI), Wins/Loss Record, and VATI (Versus Average Team Index), the Bearcats remain the king of the hill.
As the only unbeaten team in what is pound-for-pound the nation’s best conference, this is not surprising. The TGOPoll has Brian Kelly and crew ranked safely ahead of Notre Dame’s other
On paper, it is your performance, not your conference that matters
perspective head coach, Urban Meyer, and the Florida Gators.
Other notable moves were Texas’ leap-frog over Alabama, and Central Michigan and USC’s swan-dives toward the bottom of the Top 25. The TGOPoll was much kinder to the Chippewas than the Trojans.
Several teams benefited from this Top 10 turmoil. Boise State, the Pennsylvania Schools, and the Heart-Attack Hawks all moved up as CMU fell to #10.
New entrants included the Ohio State Buckeyes, whose pummeling of #100 New Mexico State was enough to improve their DI and VATI to catapult them into the Top 25.
Poor TCU remains the worst unbeaten team in the country according to the TGOPoll, suffering from the weakest Strength of Schedule of the unbeatens. Like Iowa, TCU’s W/L record is the best thing it has going for it. If either team sustains an “L” on their schedule, you can bet that they are going the way of USC.
Another notable change in this weeks’ poll comes from the impact of some big games in the Big Ten this weekend. Penn State, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Illinois all laid the spikes to their opponents. At
On paper, the Big Ten is trying its best at "Movin' on up to the East Side."
Historic Kinnick Stadium, the Hoosiers seized defeat from the jaws of victory in a 42-24 loss to Iowa. The improbable bobble by the “Epic Tyler” Sash has to be the most entertaining and TRULY game changing performance in the Big Ten thus far. Pontiac, you have our vote. The combined efforts of the Big Ten teams helped to improve the collective conference ranking from 4th to 3rd, surpassing the Big XII and chasing the SEC and Big East. In fact, of the Top 5 conferences, the Big Ten was the only one to improve its position compared to last week. The conference will see some notable showdowns this next week that will have both Big 10 Conference and TGOPoll implications.
So, as we start to head into the final month of the NCAA regular season, there is still plenty of drama left. And in an organic poll that responds not only to whether teams when or lose, but how they lose, and who they lose to, there is always a lot of drama. We’ll see you next week to review the rock climbers, the cliff divers, and maybe even some of those pitiable teams who are always ice-skating uphill.
