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2011
College Football
Season Preview

Preseason Rankings Comparison

Past Years:
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |

2011 Preseason Rankings Comparison

Updated 8/30/11

It is our tradition to provide a comparison of our CCR Top 120 rankings, preseason voter polls, and a selection of widely-read season preview magazines.

The Harris Interactive Poll, which replaced the AP in the BCS in 2005, will continue in that roll this year. Harris does not publish a preseason poll and will not release its first rankings until October 9. The AP still releases a preseason poll and regular weekly rankings, and could determine a number one team independent of the BCS.

There are often amazing similarities between the preseason "voter polls" (coaches, Harris, AP) and the preseason annuals which would seemingly defy logic. After all, there is an inherent difference between a "poll" and a "preseason magazine prediction". The magazines are typically picking where they think the teams will be at the end of the year. The polls are determining where the teams should be ranked to begin the year.

However, it is NOT the goal of The Congrove Computer Rankings (CCR) to try to match the year-end rankings of the AP or Coaches' Poll, but rather to present a more accurate and unbiased ranking.

The CCR Preseason Rankings are the "projections" of how teams should perform through the regular season, and the CCR Current Rankings are how the teams stack-up on day one of the season.

Here is a sampling of this season's rankings, listed in alphabetical order of the teams that appear on at least one published Top 25 list.

Abbreviation descriptions
TSN - The Sporting News/Street & Smith's combined publication.
SI - Sports Illustrated
CCR Proj - Congrove Computer Rankings - Projected Final Regular Season Rankings.
CCR Wk. 1 - Congrove Computer Rankings - Opening Week Rankings.
Cons. Rank - Consensus rankings exclude both Congrove Computer Rankings to allow for comparison to the CCR.

Click on column heading to sort.

Team Coaches AP Athlon Lindy's Phil Steele TSN Game Plan SI Cons. Rank CCR (Proj.) CCR (Wk.1)
Air Force * * * * * * * * * 19 21
Alabama 2 2 1 2 1 3 2 1 1 2 2
Arizona State * * * 25 22 24 * 17 26 41 43
Arkansas 14 15 16 10 13 11 14 10 12 21 9
Auburn 19 23 * 24 * 21 * 24 24 60 35
Boise State 7 5 5 6 3 6 6 8 6 3 4
BYU * * * * * * 25 * 35 13 25
Clemson * * * * * * 23 * 34 55 40
Florida 23 22 18 20 * * 21 25 21 54 38
Florida State 5 6 4 5 10 7 1 6 5 9 13
Georgia 22 19 14 16 9 * 16 * 19 62 54
Houston * * * * 21 * * * 32 29 56
LSU 4 4 8 4 7 1 5 3 4 6 3
Miami, Fla. * * 19 * * * * * 31 74 57
Miami, O. * * * * * * * * * 22 33
Michigan State 17 17 22 22 * 17 20 14 18 16 17
Mississippi State 20 20 * 21 * 15 * 21 22 25 14
Missouri 21 21 25 23 * * 12 22 20 10 5
Nebraska 11 10 10 9 12 10 13 9 8 4 8
Nevada * * * * * * * * * 28 22
North Carolina St. * * * * * * * * * 23 34
Northwestern * * * * * 16 * * 30 31 26
Notre Dame 18 16 6 19 6 18 7 15 13 11 18
Ohio State 16 18 9 14 15 8 18 19 15 38 24
Oklahoma 1 1 2 1 2 2 4 2 2 1 1
Oklahoma State 8 9 12 7 19 12 11 13 11 17 6
Oregon 3 3 3 3 4 5 3 5 3 8 11
Penn State 25 * * * 24 14 * * 28 49 27
South Carolina 12 12 21 11 14 19 19 7 14 15 15
Southern Miss * * * * 20 * 24 * 29 12 48
Stanford 6 7 13 8 16 4 8 4 7 20 23
TCU 15 14 15 15 11 20 17 18 16 39 30
Texas 24 * 24 * 18 * 22 * 26 69 41
Texas A&M 9 8 11 13 8 9 15 11 8 7 7
Texas Tech * * * * * * * * * 37 20
Toledo * * * * * * * * * 18 19
Tulsa * * * * * * * * * 27 19
USC * 25 20 * 17 * * 20 25 34 37
USF * * * * 25 * * * 35 44 50
Utah * * * * * 22 * * 33 32 29
Virginia Tech 17 13 7 12 5 13 9 16 10 5 10
West Virginia * 24 17 18 * 23 * 23 23 24 39
Wisconsin 10 11 23 17 23 25 10 12 17 14 12


Go here for more preseason ratings comparisons.