LSU moved up a few slots to take a rather commanding lead on top of the ratings. While the Tigers weren't completely dominant last week at Syracuse, the model clearly likes their strength of schedule to date, their seriously imposing ground game, and impressive work in the secondary. If this were a September-only sport, I would put LSU in the 4-team playoff and give the Heisman Trophy to LSU RB Leonard Fournette.
The model, however, wasn't too impressed with Northwestern's sleep-walking victory over visiting middle-of-the-pack MAC-10er, Ball State. The Purple Cats slid 11 spots to #21 this week. A passing game stuck in neutral may be the biggest issue in Evanston right now.
Many were surprised by the Michigan Harbaugh's dismantling of BYU in the Big House last weekend. My Numbers bumped the Wolverines all the way into the Top 10 because of it. Perhaps that is a little high, but UM's tight loss at Utah to open the season doesn't look so bad now, does it? Wasn't all this supposed to take a year or two?
And speaking of the Utes, the Reign of King Duck officially ended in the PAC-12 after Utah walked into Eugene and pulled feathers for four quarters on Saturday. The balance of power in the conference is clearly shifting to the south...and east. Utah and USC broke into the My Numbers Top 25 this week and UCLA held serve at #6 after rolling up 56 points at previously unbeaten Arizona. I doubt if the Bruins will be underrated nationally much longer. They look like a legitimate post-season threat, true frosh QB or not.
Still little or no love for Michigan State in the My Numbers ratings. The KPIs just aren't there. MSU beat another MAC opponent last weekend (Central Michigan) and have two more (Purdue and Rutgers...OK, MAC-like, then) before what is shaping up as an epic October showdown in Ann Arbor. My Numbers disagree with the national polls on the Spartans more than any other team. Am I wildly off base on the Green & White or am I on to something? Is the truth somewhere in the middle?
Alabama (#4) and Stanford (#5) are clearly being rewarded here for who they've played and how they've played, despite the matching marks they share on the wrong side of the W/L column.
And finally, this week's My Numbers "completely under the radar" shout out goes to the all but nationally invisible yet 4-0 Iowa Hawkeyes, who have played pretty damn well to date, not that anyone outside of Iowa City has noticed. Iowa leap-frogged 8 spots to #9 this week.
| team | W | L | 'My Numbers' rating | last week | |
| 1 | LSU | 3 | 0 | 21.3 | 3 |
| 2 | Notre Dame | 4 | 0 | 27.0 | 2 |
| 3 | Georgia | 4 | 0 | 29.0 | 1 |
| 4 | Alabama | 3 | 1 | 29.9 | 7 |
| 5 | Stanford | 3 | 1 | 30.9 | 12 |
| 6 | UCLA | 4 | 0 | 31.6 | 6 |
| 7 | Ole Miss | 4 | 0 | 32.1 | 5 |
| 8 | Ohio State | 4 | 0 | 33.0 | 11 |
| 9 | Iowa | 4 | 0 | 33.8 | 17 |
| 10 | Michigan | 3 | 1 | 34.0 | NR |
| 11 | Oklahoma | 3 | 0 | 35.0 | 11 |
| 12 | Clemson | 3 | 0 | 35.6 | 15 |
| 13 | Florida | 4 | 0 | 36.5 | 13 |
| 14 | Boise State | 3 | 1 | 38.1 | 13 |
| 15 | Florida State | 3 | 0 | 38.8 | 9 |
| 16 | Baylor | 3 | 0 | 39.4 | 17 |
| Utah | 4 | 0 | 39.4 | NR | |
| 18 | USC | 3 | 1 | 39.8 | NR |
| 19 | Mississippi State | 3 | 1 | 40.3 | NR |
| 20 | Texas A&M | 4 | 0 | 40.6 | 16 |
| 21 | Northwestern | 4 | 0 | 40.9 | 10 |
| 22 | West Virginia | 3 | 0 | 43.5 | 25 |
| 23 | Duke | 3 | 1 | 43.9 | NR |
| 24 | TCU | 4 | 0 | 44.4 | 22 |
| 25 | Houston | 3 | 0 | 45.6 | NR |
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