We've got only two more Saturdays until the Big Ten begins its late-fall football campaign, and only two more after than until the entire Power Five is involved and active. With so many top teams having yet to kick off -- eight of the current SP+ top 16, in fact -- it's hard to see much movement atop the rankings just yet.
Clemson and Alabama are doing a little dance for the No. 2 spot, however.
Bama started second, fell to third after falling asleep in the second half against Missouri and jumped back to second after a dominant win over A&M. But while Bama was giving up record points and yards in a shootout win over Ole Miss, Clemson looked phenomenal in a 42-17 win over Miami. That was enough to push the Tigers back to second.
(Ohio State, meanwhile, remains first. Sorry, unbeaten Ohio State remains first. That sounds better.)
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. Clemson (4-0) 27.8 43.1 (3) 15.4 (4) 0.1 (19) 3. Alabama (3-0) 26.3 46.0 (1) 19.8 (22) 0.1 (15) 4. Georgia (3-0) 24.2 31.0 (42) 7.1 (1) 0.4 (3) 5. Penn St. (0-0) 22.3 39.4 (7) 17.1 (9) N/A 6. Wisconsin (0-0) 21.7 36.0 (14) 14.3 (3) N/A 7. Notre Dame (3-0) 21.7 38.8 (9) 17.1 (8) -0.1 (52) 8. Florida (2-1) 19.5 38.5 (11) 19.4 (20) 0.3 (4) 9. N. Carolina (3-0) 17.4 40.7 (5) 23.3 (42) 0.0 (49) 10. Oklahoma (2-2) 17.3 42.6 (4) 25.3 (48) 0.0 (47) 11. Oregon (0-0) 16.3 32.7 (30) 16.3 (6) N/A 12. USC (0-0) 15.8 39.5 (6) 23.7 (43) N/A 13. Washington (0-0) 15.3 32.5 (32) 17.2 (11) N/A 14. Auburn (2-1) 14.5 32.5 (33) 18.0 (18) 0.1 (26) 15. Minnesota (0-0) 14.3 38.8 (10) 24.5 (45) N/A 16. Michigan (0-0) 14.0 31.9 (36) 17.8 (16) N/A 17. Miami (3-1) 14.0 31.2 (40) 17.7 (14) 0.4 (1) 18. LSU (1-2) 13.4 35.7 (16) 22.5 (37) 0.2 (8) 19. Oklahoma St. (3-0) 13.1 33.3 (27) 20.4 (24) N/A 20. Texas (2-2) 13.0 38.9 (8) 26.0 (55) 0.0 (42) 21. BYU (4-0) 12.8 34.6 (20) 22.1 (33) 0.3 (7) 22. Texas A&M (2-1) 12.6 34.4 (21) 21.6 (29) -0.2 (65) 23. Utah (0-0) 11.9 36.1 (13) 24.3 (44) N/A 24. Tennessee (2-1) 11.6 29.0 (56) 17.3 (13) 0.0 (48) 25. Va. Tech (2-1) 11.4 32.9 (28) 21.6 (30) 0.1 (18) 26. Iowa (0-0) 11.3 28.4 (60) 17.0 (7) N/A 27. Iowa St. (3-1) 11.3 31.7 (38) 20.4 (25) 0.0 (35) 28. UCF (2-1) 10.9 34.0 (23) 23.1 (41) N/A 29. Cincinnati (3-0) 10.3 28.2 (61) 18.0 (17) N/A 30. Nebraska (0-0) 9.9 35.6 (17) 25.7 (52) N/A 31. Indiana (0-0) 9.9 32.1 (35) 22.2 (36) N/A 32. Pittsburgh (3-2) 9.0 26.0 (87) 17.2 (12) 0.2 (12) 33. Kentucky (1-2) 8.9 30.1 (52) 21.2 (28) 0.0 (32) 34. App. St. (2-1) 8.6 34.4 (22) 25.4 (50) -0.3 (74) 35. Boise St. (0-0) 8.5 31.4 (39) 22.9 (40) N/A 36. Memphis (1-1) 8.3 35.2 (19) 26.9 (60) 0.0 (43) 37. Baylor (1-1) 7.9 30.7 (47) 22.7 (39) -0.1 (56) 38. Arizona St. (0-0) 7.3 26.8 (79) 19.5 (21) N/A 39. Virginia (1-2) 6.6 28.7 (58) 22.1 (34) -0.1 (51) 40. SMU (4-0) 6.4 35.3 (18) 28.9 (78) 0.1 (28) 41. Louisville (1-3) 6.3 38.4 (12) 32.1 (96) 0.0 (41) 42. S. Carolina (1-2) 6.1 26.0 (89) 19.9 (23) 0.0 (45) 43. Louisiana (3-0) 5.6 33.8 (25) 28.1 (70) -0.1 (55) 44. Ole Miss (1-2) 5.5 33.5 (26) 27.7 (65) -0.2 (62) 45. Houston (1-0) 5.5 32.5 (31) 27.0 (61) 0.0 (46) 46. TCU (1-2) 5.5 25.9 (91) 20.5 (26) 0.1 (24) 47. Florida St. (1-3) 5.0 30.0 (53) 25.0 (46) 0.0 (36) 48. Ga. Tech (2-2) 4.8 27.2 (74) 22.1 (35) -0.3 (72) 49. Stanford (0-0) 4.3 30.9 (43) 26.6 (59) N/A 50. Purdue (0-0) 4.2 32.9 (29) 28.7 (76) N/A 51. Michigan St. (0-0) 4.0 21.8 (112) 17.8 (15) N/A 52. Boston Coll. (3-1) 3.9 31.8 (37) 28.0 (69) N/A 53. Marshall (3-0) 3.9 25.5 (92) 21.7 (31) 0.1 (16) 54. Miss. St. (1-2) 3.5 31.1 (41) 27.9 (67) 0.2 (9) 55. UAB (3-1) 3.2 22.1 (110) 18.8 (19) -0.2 (67) 56. Northwestern (0-0) 3.1 19.4 (117) 16.3 (5) N/A 57. California (0-0) 2.4 30.6 (49) 28.2 (71) N/A 58. Army (4-1) 2.3 28.1 (63) 26.1 (56) 0.3 (5) 59. Wash. St. (0-0) 2.3 35.8 (15) 33.5 (106) N/A 60. Missouri (1-2) 2.3 22.5 (107) 20.5 (27) 0.3 (6) 61. W. Virginia (2-1) 2.2 27.9 (69) 25.5 (51) -0.2 (69) 62. Air Force (1-0) 1.7 27.1 (75) 25.4 (49) 0.0 (37) 63. NC St. (3-1) 1.1 28.5 (59) 27.5 (62) N/A 64. UCLA (0-0) 0.9 30.8 (46) 29.9 (83) N/A 65. Illinois (0-0) 0.7 26.4 (84) 25.7 (53) N/A 66. WKU (1-3) 0.6 22.3 (108) 21.8 (32) 0.1 (23) 67. Kansas St. (3-1) 0.3 28.1 (62) 27.9 (68) 0.0 (29) 68. Troy (2-1) -0.3 30.5 (50) 30.7 (88) N/A 69. Tulsa (1-1) -0.9 26.9 (78) 27.6 (64) -0.2 (60) 70. Ohio (0-0) -1.0 32.1 (34) 33.1 (103) N/A 71. Georgia St. (1-1) -1.4 30.8 (45) 32.1 (95) -0.2 (61) 72. Arkansas (1-2) -1.6 24.9 (94) 26.3 (58) -0.2 (63) 73. Tulane (2-2) -1.8 28.0 (68) 29.8 (82) N/A 74. Duke (1-4) -1.8 20.7 (114) 22.6 (38) 0.1 (20) 75. Oregon St. (0-0) -2.0 28.0 (66) 30.0 (84) N/A 76. Wake Forest (1-2) -2.1 24.0 (98) 25.9 (54) -0.2 (66) 77. Liberty (4-0) -2.2 28.8 (57) 30.9 (89) 0.0 (50) 78. San Diego St. (0-0) -2.3 14.9 (123) 17.2 (10) N/A 79. FAU (1-0) -2.4 26.0 (88) 28.5 (73) 0.0 (31) 80. Buffalo (0-0) -2.6 24.9 (95) 27.5 (63) N/A 81. Arkansas St. (2-2) -3.0 33.8 (24) 36.5 (116) -0.2 (68) 82. Coastal Caro. (3-0) -3.0 29.7 (54) 32.8 (100) 0.2 (13) 83. La. Tech (3-1) -3.5 27.4 (72) 31.0 (90) 0.1 (25) 84. Colorado St. (0-0) -4.1 25.9 (90) 30.1 (87) N/A 85. Ga. Southern (2-1) -4.2 25.3 (93) 29.4 (81) -0.1 (54) 86. Texas Tech (1-3) -4.2 29.1 (55) 32.9 (101) -0.4 (75) 87. Maryland (0-0) -4.2 24.0 (97) 28.2 (72) N/A 88. Ball St. (0-0) -4.3 27.4 (73) 31.6 (92) N/A 89. Charlotte (1-2) -4.3 30.8 (44) 35.1 (112) 0.0 (38) 90. Temple (0-1) -4.8 23.8 (100) 28.7 (75) 0.0 (34) 91. Syracuse (1-3) -5.0 23.6 (102) 28.7 (77) 0.1 (17) 92. So. Miss (1-3) -5.1 26.5 (81) 31.5 (91) -0.1 (53) 93. WMU (0-0) -5.1 28.0 (67) 33.2 (104) N/A 94. Wyoming (0-0) -5.3 19.7 (116) 25.1 (47) N/A 95. Colorado (0-0) -5.8 26.9 (77) 32.7 (99) N/A 96. Navy (2-2) -5.8 26.5 (82) 32.5 (97) 0.2 (11) 97. CMU (0-0) -5.8 24.3 (96) 30.1 (86) N/A 98. FIU (0-2) -5.9 23.5 (103) 29.3 (80) 0.0 (39) 99. Toledo (0-0) -6.4 28.1 (64) 34.5 (108) N/A 100. Hawaii (0-0) -6.8 30.5 (51) 37.3 (120) N/A 101. Arizona (0-0) -7.4 30.6 (48) 38.0 (122) N/A 102. MTSU (1-4) -7.6 27.0 (76) 34.7 (109) 0.0 (40) 103. USF (1-3) -7.6 19.1 (118) 26.3 (57) -0.4 (76) 104. Fresno St. (0-0) -8.0 28.1 (65) 36.1 (114) N/A 105. Utah St. (0-0) -8.1 23.9 (99) 31.9 (94) N/A 106. N. Texas (1-3) -8.9 26.1 (86) 34.8 (110) -0.1 (58) 107. San Jose St. (0-0) -9.1 27.8 (71) 36.9 (117) N/A 108. UTSA (3-2) -9.3 26.2 (85) 35.9 (113) 0.4 (2) 109. Nevada (0-0) -9.7 20.3 (115) 30.0 (85) N/A 110. Rutgers (0-0) -10.2 18.8 (119) 29.0 (79) N/A 111. ECU (1-2) -10.5 26.5 (83) 37.2 (119) 0.1 (14) 112. Texas St. (1-4) -10.6 23.6 (101) 34.0 (107) -0.3 (73) 113. Miami-OH (0-0) -11.1 20.8 (113) 31.9 (93) N/A 114. S. Alabama (1-2) -11.4 21.8 (111) 33.0 (102) -0.2 (64) 115. Kent St. (0-0) -12.3 26.6 (80) 38.9 (123) N/A 116. EMU (0-0) -12.5 27.8 (70) 40.3 (126) N/A 117. Vanderbilt (0-3) -14.0 14.1 (126) 27.8 (66) -0.3 (71) 118. Rice (0-0) -14.2 14.3 (125) 28.5 (74) N/A 119. Kansas (0-3) -14.3 22.2 (109) 36.5 (115) 0.0 (44) 120. ULM (0-5) -14.6 22.6 (106) 37.0 (118) -0.3 (70) 121. NIU (0-0) -14.6 18.1 (120) 32.7 (98) N/A 122. New Mexico (0-0) -17.3 22.9 (105) 40.2 (124) N/A 123. UNLV (0-0) -17.3 23.0 (104) 40.3 (125) N/A 124. UTEP (3-2) -17.5 17.7 (121) 35.0 (111) -0.1 (57) 125. Akron (0-0) -21.0 12.5 (127) 33.5 (105) N/A 126. BGSU (0-0) -23.1 14.5 (124) 37.5 (121) N/A 127. UMass (0-0) -30.5 17.3 (122) 47.7 (127) N/A