With three weeks to go in college football's 2021 regular season, the CFP chase remains a bit uncertain (outside of Georgia's nearly guaranteed spot, anyway). But from a power ratings perspective, the hierarchy remains unchanged. In this week's SP+ ratings, Georgia still holds a solid lead in the top spot, followed by Ohio State, Alabama and, after a pretty significant gap, everyone else. No. 3 Bama is 4.5 points ahead of the No. 4 team -- the same distance that separates No. 6 from No. 15.
What is SP+? In a single sentence, it's a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency . I created the system at Football Outsiders in 2008, and as my experience with both college football and its stats has grown, I have made quite a few tweaks to the system.
It is, as always, important to note that SP+ is intended to be predictive and forward-facing . It is not a résumé ranking that gives credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling -- no good predictive system is. It is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you're lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you're strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise. It is a look at how teams should likely perform moving forward.
Overall SP+ Rankings Team Rating Offense Defense Special Teams 1. Georgia (10-0) 31.6 40.4 (5) 9.1 (1) 0.3 (26) 2. Ohio St. (9-1) 29.6 47.4 (1) 18.5 (14) 0.7 (2) 3. Alabama (9-1) 27.0 42.0 (3) 15.2 (10) 0.2 (30) 4. Wisconsin (7-3) 22.5 31.4 (49) 9.2 (2) 0.3 (24) 5. Michigan (9-1) 21.9 35.3 (25) 14.1 (5) 0.6 (3) 6. Cincinnati (10-0) 20.0 36.7 (16) 16.6 (11) -0.1 (77) 7. Clemson (7-3) 19.9 30.7 (57) 11.2 (3) 0.4 (16) 8. Texas A&M (7-3) 19.8 34.2 (32) 14.9 (7) 0.5 (9) 9. Pittsburgh (8-2) 17.7 37.9 (10) 20.3 (20) 0.1 (49) 10. Notre Dame (9-1) 17.5 35.5 (24) 18.0 (13) 0.1 (54) 11. Oklahoma (9-1) 17.1 42.1 (2) 25.4 (60) 0.4 (12) 12. Iowa St. (6-4) 16.0 36.7 (15) 20.8 (24) 0.1 (38) 13. Baylor (8-2) 15.7 34.6 (30) 19.0 (15) 0.1 (40) 14. Oregon (9-1) 15.6 37.2 (13) 22.1 (35) 0.5 (5) 15. Penn St. (6-4) 15.6 30.0 (66) 14.5 (6) 0.2 (28) 16. Oklahoma St. (9-1) 15.2 30.3 (59) 15.1 (9) 0.0 (58) 17. Ole Miss (8-2) 15.1 39.6 (6) 24.7 (56) 0.2 (27) 18. Michigan St. (9-1) 14.9 35.0 (27) 19.8 (18) -0.3 (102) 19. Arizona St. (7-3) 14.8 35.6 (23) 20.6 (21) -0.1 (86) 20. NC St. (7-3) 14.8 32.1 (44) 17.5 (12) 0.2 (31) 21. Utah (7-3) 14.8 36.2 (19) 21.0 (26) -0.4 (123) 22. Florida (5-5) 14.3 38.5 (8) 23.9 (46) -0.4 (118) 23. Iowa (8-2) 14.0 24.9 (93) 11.4 (4) 0.5 (7) 24. Tennessee (5-5) 13.6 36.4 (18) 23.2 (39) 0.4 (20) 25. Nebraska (3-7) 13.5 33.8 (36) 19.8 (17) -0.5 (126) 26. N. Carolina (5-5) 12.3 40.6 (4) 28.3 (78) 0.0 (65) 27. Auburn (6-4) 12.2 32.7 (41) 20.6 (22) 0.1 (39) 28. Coastal Caro. (8-2) 11.8 38.1 (9) 26.3 (67) 0.0 (68) 29. Minnesota (6-4) 11.8 31.0 (53) 19.3 (16) 0.0 (62) 30. Kansas St. (7-3) 11.8 33.8 (35) 21.9 (32) -0.2 (92) 31. Miss. St. (6-4) 11.7 34.1 (33) 21.9 (34) -0.5 (125) 32. Miami (5-5) 11.7 35.6 (22) 24.0 (47) 0.1 (50) 33. SMU (8-2) 10.9 37.5 (12) 26.5 (68) -0.1 (80) 34. Arkansas (7-3) 10.6 32.1 (43) 21.6 (29) 0.0 (57) 35. Wake Forest (9-1) 10.6 38.5 (7) 28.3 (79) 0.3 (23) 36. Liberty (7-3) 9.8 33.5 (37) 23.5 (43) -0.2 (99) 37. Louisville (5-5) 9.6 35.3 (26) 25.8 (62) 0.1 (53) 38. Houston (9-1) 9.6 31.5 (48) 21.8 (31) -0.2 (94) 39. Marshall (6-4) 9.3 30.8 (56) 21.4 (27) -0.1 (83) 40. App. St. (8-2) 9.2 32.4 (42) 23.6 (44) 0.4 (13) 41. BYU (8-2) 8.9 35.8 (20) 26.6 (70) -0.3 (107) 42. Kentucky (7-3) 8.7 31.9 (45) 23.3 (40) 0.1 (48) 43. Virginia (6-4) 8.7 37.9 (11) 29.2 (83) -0.1 (78) 44. Va. Tech (5-5) 8.7 29.4 (67) 20.9 (25) 0.2 (32) 45. Fresno St. (8-3) 8.4 33.9 (34) 25.3 (58) -0.1 (89) 46. Texas (4-6) 8.3 35.7 (21) 27.8 (76) 0.4 (14) 47. San Diego St. (9-1) 8.1 22.6 (103) 14.9 (8) 0.4 (10) 48. Boise St. (6-4) 8.1 30.1 (62) 22.4 (36) 0.4 (15) 49. UTSA (10-0) 7.8 31.8 (46) 24.2 (49) 0.2 (36) 50. UCLA (6-4) 7.5 36.5 (17) 28.9 (82) -0.1 (81) 51. Purdue (6-4) 7.4 30.4 (58) 22.7 (37) -0.4 (120) 52. UAB (7-3) 7.3 27.4 (76) 19.9 (19) -0.2 (96) 53. Florida St. (4-6) 7.2 31.2 (51) 24.2 (51) 0.2 (37) 54. Louisiana (9-1) 6.7 30.9 (55) 24.2 (50) 0.0 (64) 55. WKU (6-4) 6.4 34.5 (31) 28.5 (80) 0.4 (19) 56. Maryland (5-5) 6.3 33.4 (38) 26.9 (73) -0.2 (100) 57. Oregon St. (6-4) 5.8 36.7 (14) 31.0 (99) 0.1 (52) 58. USC (4-5) 5.5 34.7 (28) 29.4 (87) 0.1 (43) 59. Texas Tech (6-4) 5.4 34.6 (29) 29.8 (90) 0.5 (6) 60. Boston Coll. (6-4) 5.3 31.1 (52) 25.8 (64) 0.0 (60) 61. Toledo (5-5) 5.1 27.3 (77) 21.9 (33) -0.3 (112) 62. UCF (6-4) 4.6 31.4 (50) 26.5 (69) -0.3 (111) 63. LSU (4-6) 4.5 30.1 (63) 25.9 (65) 0.3 (21) 64. Air Force (7-3) 4.5 26.4 (84) 21.7 (30) -0.2 (97) 65. Syracuse (5-5) 4.4 28.6 (70) 23.8 (45) -0.4 (119) 66. Nevada (7-3) 4.3 29.4 (68) 25.1 (57) 0.0 (66) 67. Army (6-3) 3.9 28.6 (69) 24.4 (52) -0.3 (103) 68. W. Virginia (4-6) 3.5 28.0 (72) 24.4 (54) -0.1 (84) 69. Washington (4-6) 3.5 26.7 (83) 23.3 (42) 0.0 (56) 70. Wash. St. (5-5) 3.2 32.8 (40) 29.6 (88) 0.1 (55) 71. Memphis (5-5) 3.2 30.1 (64) 26.7 (71) -0.1 (88) 72. TCU (4-6) 2.8 33.0 (39) 30.2 (93) 0.0 (61) 73. California (3-6) 2.3 27.8 (73) 25.8 (63) 0.3 (25) 74. Rutgers (5-5) 1.7 23.3 (100) 21.5 (28) -0.1 (76) 75. Missouri (5-5) 1.5 31.7 (47) 30.8 (96) 0.6 (4) 76. Ga. Tech (3-7) 1.4 30.3 (60) 28.8 (81) -0.2 (91) 77. Wyoming (5-5) 1.3 22.6 (104) 20.8 (23) -0.5 (127) 78. S. Carolina (5-5) 0.3 25.2 (88) 25.4 (59) 0.5 (8) 79. Tulsa (4-6) 0.1 25.7 (86) 25.7 (61) 0.1 (45) 80. ECU (6-4) -0.1 27.3 (78) 27.6 (74) 0.2 (29) 81. Miami-OH (5-5) -0.3 27.8 (74) 27.8 (75) -0.3 (114) 82. Indiana (2-8) -0.4 24.2 (97) 24.4 (53) -0.1 (87) 83. San Jose St. (5-6) -0.4 23.9 (98) 24.6 (55) 0.4 (17) 84. Illinois (4-6) -0.5 23.1 (101) 24.0 (48) 0.4 (11) 85. WMU (6-4) -0.9 30.9 (54) 31.1 (100) -0.7 (130) 86. Colorado St. (3-7) -1.2 22.0 (105) 23.3 (41) 0.1 (46) 87. FAU (5-5) -2.2 24.7 (94) 26.8 (72) -0.1 (74) 88. Northwestern (3-7) -3.4 19.9 (116) 22.8 (38) -0.5 (128) 89. Utah St. (8-2) -3.8 27.0 (80) 31.0 (97) 0.2 (33) 90. Georgia St. (5-5) -4.0 27.0 (81) 31.0 (98) 0.0 (67) 91. Troy (5-5) -4.1 21.9 (106) 26.1 (66) 0.0 (59) 92. CMU (6-4) -4.6 28.5 (71) 33.0 (107) -0.1 (82) 93. Tulane (1-9) -4.6 27.0 (82) 31.3 (101) -0.3 (108) 94. Hawaii (4-7) -4.9 25.2 (89) 30.7 (95) 0.7 (1) 95. MTSU (5-5) -4.9 24.6 (95) 29.4 (86) 0.0 (73) 96. Stanford (3-7) -6.6 24.9 (91) 31.7 (102) 0.2 (34) 97. Kent St. (5-5) -7.8 30.3 (61) 37.7 (122) -0.3 (115) 98. Ball St. (5-5) -8.2 24.9 (92) 33.1 (109) 0.0 (63) 99. Duke (3-7) -8.3 25.1 (90) 33.1 (108) -0.3 (109) 100. S. Alabama (5-5) -8.3 20.1 (114) 28.2 (77) -0.1 (90) 101. EMU (6-4) -8.3 30.0 (65) 38.7 (124) 0.4 (18) 102. Colorado (3-7) -8.3 21.6 (107) 30.1 (92) 0.1 (44) 103. Ohio (3-7) -8.4 27.7 (75) 35.7 (117) -0.3 (117) 104. UTEP (6-4) -8.5 21.1 (110) 29.7 (89) 0.1 (51) 105. Buffalo (4-6) -8.6 25.5 (87) 33.8 (111) -0.3 (110) 106. NIU (7-3) -9.4 25.8 (85) 35.1 (115) 0.0 (72) 107. La. Tech (3-7) -9.9 24.5 (96) 34.2 (113) -0.3 (106) 108. N. Texas (4-6) -11.1 21.2 (108) 32.1 (104) -0.3 (105) 109. Arizona (1-9) -11.3 20.5 (113) 31.9 (103) 0.1 (42) 110. USF (2-8) -11.5 23.6 (99) 35.3 (116) 0.2 (35) 111. ODU (4-6) -11.7 17.6 (121) 29.3 (85) 0.0 (71) 112. Navy (2-7) -12.8 16.7 (125) 29.3 (84) -0.2 (95) 113. Charlotte (5-5) -13.2 27.3 (79) 40.4 (126) -0.1 (79) 114. UNLV (2-8) -13.3 20.7 (111) 33.9 (112) -0.1 (85) 115. Temple (3-7) -14.2 19.0 (119) 32.7 (106) -0.4 (122) 116. Ga. Southern (3-7) -14.4 19.1 (118) 33.6 (110) 0.1 (47) 117. BGSU (3-7) -15.6 16.8 (124) 32.5 (105) 0.1 (41) 118. New Mexico (3-7) -15.8 14.8 (128) 30.6 (94) -0.1 (75) 119. So. Miss (1-9) -16.6 13.3 (129) 29.9 (91) 0.0 (70) 120. Vanderbilt (2-8) -16.7 18.0 (120) 34.4 (114) -0.3 (113) 121. Texas St. (3-7) -16.8 21.1 (109) 37.9 (123) 0.0 (69) 122. FIU (1-9) -17.9 19.8 (117) 37.5 (121) -0.2 (98) 123. Arkansas St. (2-8) -18.7 22.7 (102) 41.7 (128) 0.3 (22) 124. Kansas (2-8) -19.6 20.6 (112) 39.8 (125) -0.3 (116) 125. ULM (4-6) -20.5 16.8 (123) 37.2 (119) -0.2 (93) 126. Akron (2-8) -20.9 20.0 (115) 40.6 (127) -0.3 (104) 127. Rice (3-7) -21.3 15.5 (126) 36.2 (118) -0.7 (129) 128. UConn (1-9) -24.8 12.8 (130) 37.3 (120) -0.2 (101) 129. NMSU (1-9) -27.2 17.6 (122) 44.4 (130) -0.4 (121) 130. UMass (1-9) -29.3 15.4 (127) 44.3 (129) -0.4 (124)