College football Week 5 SP+ rankings

Bill Connelly, ESPN Staff WriterOct 4, 2020, 10:00 AM ET
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Sometimes it's better not to play, apparently. Miami ranked 15th in last week's SP+ ratings and took a bye week before next Saturday's big game against Clemson. Of the teams ranked just above them...

UCF lost to No. 71 Tulsa
Texas lost to No. 45 TCU
Oklahoma lost to No. 41 Iowa State
North Carolina narrowly beat No. 58 Boston College
Auburn got absolutely walloped by No. 4 Georgia

Combined with some slight shifts in the weighting of opponent adjustments, Miami was able to move up to ninth in this week's rankings without lifting a finger. Now that's efficiency.

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.

SP+ is intended to be predictive and forward-facing. That is important to remember. 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.

Overall SP+ Rankings

Team	Rating	Offense	Defense	Special Teams
1. Ohio St. (0-0)	30.2	44.2 (2)	14.1 (2)	N/A
2. Alabama (2-0)	28.5	46.2 (1)	17.7 (17)	0.1 (19)
3. Clemson (3-0)	27.9	43.1 (3)	15.5 (4)	0.2 (7)
4. Georgia (2-0)	25.6	31.6 (38)	6.2 (1)	0.1 (15)
5. Notre Dame (2-0)	23.3	38.7 (12)	15.5 (5)	0.0 (41)
6. Penn St. (0-0)	22.3	39.4 (7)	17.1 (13)	N/A
7. Wisconsin (0-0)	21.7	36.0 (15)	14.3 (3)	N/A
8. Florida (2-0)	21.0	39.0 (9)	18.2 (20)	0.2 (11)
9. Miami (3-0)	17.4	32.6 (30)	15.6 (6)	0.4 (1)
10. Oklahoma (1-2)	17.3	42.5 (4)	25.2 (51)	0.0 (36)
11. N. Carolina (2-0)	16.5	38.9 (10)	22.4 (37)	0.0 (43)
12. Oregon (0-0)	16.3	32.7 (29)	16.3 (9)	N/A
13. USC (0-0)	15.8	39.5 (6)	23.7 (43)	N/A
14. Washington (0-0)	15.3	32.5 (32)	17.2 (15)	N/A
15. Auburn (1-1)	14.9	32.5 (33)	17.6 (16)	0.1 (25)
16. BYU (3-0)	14.6	35.1 (20)	20.7 (27)	0.2 (10)
17. Texas (2-1)	14.4	39.7 (5)	25.3 (53)	0.0 (35)
18. Minnesota (0-0)	14.3	38.8 (11)	24.5 (47)	N/A
19. Michigan (0-0)	14.0	31.9 (37)	17.8 (19)	N/A
20. LSU (1-1)	13.7	35.1 (19)	21.6 (32)	0.1 (17)
21. Oklahoma St. (3-0)	13.6	32.8 (28)	19.4 (22)	N/A
22. Tennessee (2-0)	13.6	30.2 (51)	16.6 (10)	0.0 (46)
23. Va. Tech (2-0)	12.6	32.5 (31)	20.0 (24)	0.1 (21)
24. Utah (0-0)	11.9	36.1 (14)	24.3 (45)	N/A
25. Pittsburgh (3-1)	11.5	27.7 (71)	15.7 (7)	-0.4 (72)
26. Cincinnati (3-0)	11.5	28.4 (63)	16.9 (11)	N/A
27. Iowa (0-0)	11.3	28.4 (62)	17.0 (12)	N/A
28. UCF (2-1)	10.3	33.9 (22)	23.6 (42)	N/A
29. Texas A&M (1-1)	10.3	32.0 (36)	21.5 (31)	-0.1 (58)
30. App. St. (2-1)	10.0	34.7 (21)	24.3 (46)	-0.4 (73)
31. Nebraska (0-0)	9.9	35.6 (17)	25.7 (54)	N/A
32. Indiana (0-0)	9.9	32.1 (35)	22.2 (36)	N/A
33. Iowa St. (2-1)	9.8	31.1 (42)	21.5 (30)	0.2 (9)
34. SMU (4-0)	9.1	36.4 (13)	27.4 (64)	0.1 (24)
35. Louisville (1-2)	8.8	39.1 (8)	30.2 (88)	-0.1 (57)
36. Boise St. (0-0)	8.5	31.4 (39)	22.9 (39)	N/A
37. Memphis (1-1)	8.4	35.1 (18)	26.8 (61)	0.0 (42)
38. Virginia (1-1)	8.4	29.7 (55)	21.4 (29)	0.0 (38)
39. Baylor (1-1)	7.8	30.5 (50)	22.6 (38)	-0.1 (53)
40. Arizona St. (0-0)	7.3	26.8 (77)	19.5 (23)	N/A
41. TCU (1-1)	6.9	27.5 (72)	20.7 (28)	0.1 (23)
42. Kentucky (0-2)	6.6	30.2 (53)	23.5 (41)	-0.1 (52)
43. Louisiana (3-0)	6.2	33.7 (24)	27.3 (62)	-0.2 (61)
44. S. Carolina (0-2)	6.1	26.6 (78)	20.5 (25)	-0.1 (47)
45. Ole Miss (1-1)	5.9	33.4 (25)	27.4 (65)	-0.1 (54)
46. Florida St. (1-2)	5.4	29.5 (57)	23.9 (44)	-0.1 (50)
47. Miss. St. (1-1)	5.4	32.9 (27)	27.6 (67)	0.1 (14)
48. Stanford (0-0)	4.3	30.9 (43)	26.6 (59)	N/A
49. Purdue (0-0)	4.2	32.9 (26)	28.7 (74)	N/A
50. Michigan St. (0-0)	4.0	21.8 (109)	17.8 (18)	N/A
51. Army (3-1)	3.5	29.5 (58)	26.1 (57)	0.2 (8)
52. UAB (3-1)	3.2	22.6 (108)	19.2 (21)	-0.2 (66)
53. Northwestern (0-0)	3.1	19.4 (116)	16.3 (8)	N/A
54. Marshall (2-0)	3.0	24.8 (88)	21.8 (34)	0.0 (31)
55. W. Virginia (2-1)	2.7	27.8 (68)	24.9 (49)	-0.2 (68)
56. Ga. Tech (1-2)	2.6	24.7 (91)	21.8 (33)	-0.3 (70)
57. California (0-0)	2.4	30.6 (48)	28.2 (70)	N/A
58. Wash. St. (0-0)	2.3	35.8 (16)	33.5 (106)	N/A
59. Boston Coll. (2-1)	2.3	31.3 (40)	29.2 (77)	N/A
60. Houston (0-0)	1.1	31.1 (41)	30.0 (82)	N/A
61. UCLA (0-0)	0.9	30.8 (44)	29.9 (80)	N/A
62. Illinois (0-0)	0.7	26.4 (81)	25.7 (55)	N/A
63. Kansas St. (2-1)	0.6	29.3 (59)	28.8 (75)	0.0 (29)
64. NC St. (2-1)	0.5	28.7 (61)	28.4 (72)	N/A
65. Missouri (0-2)	0.2	20.5 (113)	20.5 (26)	0.1 (18)
66. Air Force (1-0)	0.1	26.3 (82)	26.1 (58)	0.0 (37)
67. Tulane (2-1)	-0.5	29.0 (60)	29.5 (79)	N/A
68. Arkansas (1-1)	-0.7	24.0 (97)	24.7 (48)	-0.1 (48)
69. WKU (1-2)	-0.8	20.9 (111)	22.0 (35)	0.2 (3)
70. Ohio (0-0)	-1.0	32.1 (34)	33.1 (102)	N/A
71. Coastal Caro. (3-0)	-1.3	30.6 (45)	32.1 (94)	0.2 (13)
72. Troy (1-1)	-1.4	30.1 (54)	31.5 (89)	N/A
73. Tulsa (1-1)	-1.4	26.5 (80)	27.7 (68)	-0.2 (59)
74. Temple (0-0)	-1.4	24.5 (92)	25.9 (56)	N/A
75. Georgia St. (1-1)	-1.6	30.6 (47)	32.0 (93)	-0.2 (60)
76. Oregon St. (0-0)	-2.0	28.0 (66)	30.0 (83)	N/A
77. San Diego St. (0-0)	-2.3	14.9 (123)	17.2 (14)	N/A
78. Buffalo (0-0)	-2.6	24.9 (87)	27.5 (66)	N/A
79. Texas Tech (1-2)	-2.7	30.2 (52)	32.6 (96)	-0.4 (71)
80. Wake Forest (1-2)	-3.1	23.8 (100)	26.8 (60)	-0.2 (64)
81. Liberty (3-0)	-3.5	29.5 (56)	32.8 (99)	-0.2 (62)
82. Arkansas St. (1-2)	-3.5	33.8 (23)	37.0 (115)	-0.2 (69)
83. Ga. Southern (2-1)	-3.6	25.9 (85)	29.4 (78)	-0.1 (51)
84. Colorado St. (0-0)	-4.1	25.9 (84)	30.1 (86)	N/A
85. Maryland (0-0)	-4.2	24.0 (96)	28.2 (71)	N/A
86. Syracuse (1-2)	-4.2	23.7 (102)	28.0 (69)	0.1 (22)
87. Ball St. (0-0)	-4.3	27.4 (74)	31.6 (90)	N/A
88. Duke (0-4)	-4.4	19.0 (117)	23.4 (40)	0.0 (34)
89. WMU (0-0)	-5.1	28.0 (67)	33.2 (103)	N/A
90. Wyoming (0-0)	-5.3	19.7 (115)	25.1 (50)	N/A
91. FAU (1-0)	-5.5	24.4 (94)	29.9 (81)	0.0 (26)
92. Colorado (0-0)	-5.8	26.9 (76)	32.7 (98)	N/A
93. CMU (0-0)	-5.8	24.3 (95)	30.1 (85)	N/A
94. La. Tech (2-1)	-6.0	27.1 (75)	33.2 (104)	0.0 (30)
95. Toledo (0-0)	-6.4	28.1 (64)	34.5 (108)	N/A
96. Hawaii (0-0)	-6.8	30.5 (49)	37.3 (117)	N/A
97. Navy (1-2)	-6.9	25.2 (86)	32.2 (95)	0.1 (20)
98. So. Miss (1-3)	-7.0	26.1 (83)	33.1 (101)	-0.1 (49)
99. Arizona (0-0)	-7.4	30.6 (46)	38.0 (120)	N/A
100. FIU (0-1)	-7.4	22.8 (107)	30.2 (87)	0.0 (40)
101. USF (1-2)	-7.7	18.0 (120)	25.2 (52)	-0.4 (74)
102. Fresno St. (0-0)	-8.0	28.1 (65)	36.1 (111)	N/A
103. Utah St. (0-0)	-8.1	23.9 (99)	31.9 (92)	N/A
104. Charlotte (0-2)	-8.5	27.4 (73)	36.0 (110)	0.0 (32)
105. Texas St. (1-3)	-9.0	24.7 (89)	33.6 (107)	-0.2 (65)
106. San Jose St. (0-0)	-9.1	27.8 (70)	36.9 (114)	N/A
107. N. Texas (1-2)	-9.6	24.7 (90)	34.5 (109)	0.2 (6)
108. Nevada (0-0)	-9.7	20.3 (114)	30.0 (84)	N/A
109. S. Alabama (1-2)	-10.1	23.0 (104)	32.9 (100)	-0.2 (63)
110. Rutgers (0-0)	-10.2	18.8 (118)	29.0 (76)	N/A
111. Miami-OH (0-0)	-11.1	20.8 (112)	31.9 (91)	N/A
112. Kent St. (0-0)	-12.3	26.6 (79)	38.9 (122)	N/A
113. MTSU (0-4)	-12.3	24.4 (93)	36.7 (112)	-0.1 (56)
114. EMU (0-0)	-12.5	27.8 (69)	40.3 (126)	N/A
115. Vanderbilt (0-2)	-12.7	14.7 (124)	27.3 (63)	-0.1 (55)
116. UTSA (3-1)	-13.0	23.9 (98)	37.2 (116)	0.3 (2)
117. Rice (0-0)	-14.2	14.3 (126)	28.5 (73)	N/A
118. NIU (0-0)	-14.6	18.1 (119)	32.7 (97)	N/A
119. ECU (0-2)	-15.3	23.7 (101)	39.1 (123)	0.1 (16)
120. ULM (0-4)	-15.6	23.0 (103)	38.4 (121)	-0.2 (67)
121. Kansas (0-3)	-15.9	20.9 (110)	36.8 (113)	0.0 (44)
122. New Mexico (0-0)	-17.3	22.9 (106)	40.2 (124)	N/A
123. UNLV (0-0)	-17.3	23.0 (105)	40.3 (125)	N/A
124. Akron (0-0)	-21.0	12.5 (127)	33.5 (105)	N/A
125. UTEP (3-1)	-21.3	16.3 (122)	37.5 (118)	0.0 (45)
126. BGSU (0-0)	-23.1	14.5 (125)	37.5 (119)	N/A
127. UMass (0-0)	-30.5	17.3 (121)	47.7 (127)	N/A