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UCF Rankings: BYU’s Victory Vaults Them to #2

Bama, BYU, Clemson, Coastal and Cincy round out the top five heading into New Year’s

RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl - BYU v Central Florida Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images

As we head into the meat of bowl season with the New Year’s bowl games and College Football Playoff semifinals happening this week, let’s check in on the Uncomplicated College Football (UCF) Rankings as of Monday, December 28.

As always, for an explanation of the formula we use, visit this link:

Remember that, unlike other ranking systems, this formula treats all FBS teams on a level playing field. Its purpose is to figure out which team is the best based on its entire season, not how teams are playing as of right now.

Here are the most recent rankings:

UCF Rankings: December 29, 2020

Rk Team W L W% OppW% SOS Rating Conf
Rk Team W L W% OppW% SOS Rating Conf
1 Alabama 11 0 1.000 .522 18.463 .9740 SEC
2 BYU 11 1 .917 .463 19.601 .8424 Ind
3 Clemson 10 1 .909 .507 18.383 .8352 ACC
4 Coastal Carolina 11 1 .917 .506 20.335 .5500 SBC
5 Cincinnati 9 0 1.000 .494 13.070 .5068 AAC
6 Oklahoma 8 2 .800 .444 14.738 .4269 Big 12
7 Louisiana 10 1 .909 .523 18.948 .4139 SBC
8 North Carolina 8 3 .727 .461 17.277 .4129 ACC
9 Appalachian State 9 3 .750 .457 19.651 .4079 SBC
10 Notre Dame 10 1 .909 .456 18.145 .4061 ACC
11 Florida 8 3 .727 .483 17.517 .4061 SEC
12 Iowa 6 2 .750 .421 11.186 .3969 B1G
13 Buffalo 6 1 .857 .449 9.572 .3343 MAC
14 Ohio State 6 0 1.000 .508 8.392 .3331 B1G
15 Liberty 10 1 .909 .269 13.868 .3254 Ind
16 Iowa State 8 3 .727 .547 18.433 .3189 Big 12
17 Georgia 7 2 .778 .481 14.197 .3186 SEC
18 San Jose State 7 0 1.000 .476 9.851 .2826 MWC
19 Texas A&M 8 1 .889 .436 13.832 .2723 SEC
20 Indiana 6 1 .857 .471 10.743 .2514 B1G
21 Marshall 7 3 .700 .451 14.432 .2182 CUSA
22 Tulane 6 6 .500 .516 21.212 .1955 AAC
23 UCF 6 4 .600 .516 16.439 .1954 AAC
24 Texas 6 3 .667 .527 13.780 .1939 Big 12
25 Ball State 6 1 .857 .527 10.638 .1934 MAC
26 UAB 6 3 .667 .522 14.492 .1821 CUSA
27 Georgia Southern 8 5 .615 .466 22.381 .1697 SBC
28 USC 5 1 .833 .408 8.031 .1575 Pac-12
29 Tulsa 6 2 .750 .526 13.107 .1535 AAC
30 TCU 6 4 .600 .494 15.437 .1415 Big 12
31 Toledo 4 2 .667 .393 7.956 .1398 MAC
32 Oregon 4 2 .667 .452 8.026 .1239 Pac-12
33 Rice 2 3 .400 .480 6.636 .1223 CUSA
34 Nevada 7 2 .778 .427 13.309 .1195 MWC
35 Arizona State 2 2 .500 .387 4.919 .1039 Pac-12
36 Georgia State 6 4 .600 .512 15.940 .0967 SBC
37 Utah 3 2 .600 .584 6.978 .0954 Pac-12
38 Northwestern 6 2 .750 .487 11.954 .0867 B1G
39 Boise State 5 2 .714 .532 10.438 .0848 MWC
40 Air Force 3 3 .500 .547 8.934 .0837 MWC
41 Ohio 2 1 .667 .222 2.880 .0693 MAC
42 Western Michigan 4 2 .667 .421 8.379 .0678 MAC
43 Miami 8 2 .800 .541 17.195 .0663 ACC
44 Penn State 4 5 .444 .509 13.628 .0650 B1G
45 Wyoming 2 4 .333 .431 7.837 .0585 MWC
46 Oklahoma State 6 3 .667 .488 14.097 .0517 Big 12
47 UCLA 3 4 .429 .531 10.255 .0437 Pac-12
48 Army 9 2 .818 .356 13.820 .0356 Ind
49 SMU 7 3 .700 .435 15.278 .0220 AAC
50 Colorado 4 1 .800 .439 6.609 .0192 Pac-12
51 Fresno State 3 3 .500 .339 7.638 .0184 MWC
52 Louisville 4 7 .364 .490 18.399 .0163 ACC
53 Washington 3 1 .750 .388 4.517 .0054 Pac-12
54 San Diego State 4 4 .500 .558 13.315 -.0106 MWC
55 NC State 8 3 .727 .486 17.860 -.0178 ACC
56 Minnesota 3 4 .429 .420 9.735 -.0189 B1G
57 Stanford 4 2 .667 .530 8.690 -.0196 Pac-12
58 Kent State 3 1 .750 .339 4.805 -.0201 MAC
59 Miami (OH) 2 1 .667 .627 4.332 -.0293 MAC
60 Eastern Michigan 2 4 .333 .573 8.751 -.0339 MAC
61 Central Michigan 3 3 .500 .532 8.481 -.0379 MAC
62 UTSA 7 5 .583 .497 19.487 -.0467 CUSA
63 Wisconsin 3 3 .500 .562 8.755 -.0559 B1G
64 Wake Forest 4 4 .500 .475 11.451 -.0609 ACC
65 Troy 5 6 .455 .488 18.215 -.0617 SBC
66 Purdue 2 4 .333 .481 7.550 -.0644 B1G
67 California 1 3 .250 .512 5.207 -.0780 Pac-12
68 Ole Miss 4 5 .444 .447 12.978 -.0816 SEC
69 Pittsburgh 6 5 .545 .496 19.013 -.0829 ACC
70 FAU 5 4 .556 .408 12.511 -.0928 CUSA
71 Charlotte 2 4 .333 .447 7.547 -.0986 CUSA
72 West Virginia 5 4 .556 .412 13.299 -.0992 Big-12
73 Auburn 6 4 .600 .511 16.875 -.1060 SEC
74 Hawai'i 5 4 .556 .498 14.097 -.1130 MWC
75 Memphis 8 3 .727 .425 16.126 -.1131 AAC
76 Oregon State 2 5 .286 .526 10.066 -.1215 Pac-12
77 Maryland 2 3 .400 .563 7.201 -.1218 B1G
78 Michigan 2 4 .333 .475 8.296 -.1351 B1G
79 Nebraska 3 5 .375 .536 12.344 -.1363 B1G
80 Boston College 6 5 .545 .468 18.532 -.1711 ACC
81 Virginia Tech 5 6 .455 .610 19.834 -.1857 ACC
82 Rutgers 3 6 .333 .475 13.709 -.1929 B1G
83 Colorado State 1 3 .250 .512 5.478 -.2043 MWC
84 FIU 0 5 .000 .448 5.237 -.2084 CUSA
85 Washington State 1 3 .250 .596 6.136 -.2154 Pac-12
86 Houston 3 5 .375 .589 12.986 -.2194 AAC
87 Virginia 5 5 .500 .524 15.593 -.2211 ACC
88 East Carolina 3 6 .333 .523 14.846 -.2259 AAC
89 Southern Mississippi 3 7 .300 .466 13.662 -.2262 CUSA
90 UTEP 3 5 .375 .317 9.524 -.2384 CUSA
91 New Mexico 2 5 .286 .548 10.179 -.2400 MWC
92 Northern Illinois 0 6 .000 .647 9.468 -.2460 MAC
93 LSU 5 5 .500 .496 16.854 -.2461 SEC
94 Arizona 0 5 .000 .662 7.408 -.2503 Pac-12
95 Baylor 2 7 .222 .535 15.149 -.2700 Big 12
96 Middle Tennessee 3 6 .333 .470 13.643 -.3140 CUSA
97 Kentucky 4 6 .400 .485 16.358 -.3173 SEC
98 Texas Tech 4 6 .400 .467 15.201 -.3247 Big 12
99 Kansas State 4 6 .400 .500 16.541 -.3309 Big 12
100 Mississippi State 3 7 .300 .541 16.881 -.3392 SEC
101 Missouri 5 5 .500 .451 15.334 -.3633 SEC
102 Illinois 2 6 .250 .489 12.407 -.3671 B1G
103 Arkansas State 4 7 .364 .483 17.781 -.3831 SBC
104 Western Kentucky 5 7 .417 .476 18.524 -.3960 CUSA
105 UMass 0 4 .000 .695 6.295 -.3970 Ind
106 Florida State 3 6 .333 .509 14.038 -.4044 ACC
107 Michigan State 2 5 .286 .638 11.303 -.4135 B1G
108 Utah State 1 5 .167 .546 8.358 -.4144 MWC
109 UNLV 0 6 .000 .611 9.100 -.4188 MWC
110 Arkansas 3 7 .300 .604 17.963 -.4260 SEC
111 North Texas 4 6 .400 .430 13.395 -.4292 CUSA
112 Louisiana Tech 5 5 .500 .518 15.808 -.4321 CUSA
113 Akron 1 5 .167 .601 8.944 -.4450 MAC
114 Bowling Green 0 5 .000 .621 6.878 -.4482 MAC
115 Temple 1 6 .143 .467 10.241 -.4497 AAC
116 Georgia Tech 3 7 .300 .521 16.399 -.4594 ACC
117 Navy 3 7 .300 .576 17.399 -.4713 AAC
118 Tennessee 3 7 .300 .539 16.664 -.4776 SEC
119 South Alabama 4 7 .364 .499 19.127 -.5157 SBC
120 Vanderbilt 0 9 .000 .473 13.366 -.5511 SEC
121 Duke 2 9 .182 .520 18.574 -.6022 ACC
122 South Florida 1 8 .111 .541 14.629 -.6034 AAC
123 South Carolina 2 8 .200 .514 16.156 -.6108 SEC
124 Texas State 2 10 .167 .593 22.737 -.6477 SBC
125 Kansas 0 9 .000 .588 15.207 -.8172 Big 12
126 Syracuse 1 10 .091 .602 20.043 -.8333 ACC
127 Louisiana Monroe 0 10 .000 .587 17.105 -.9305 SBC

Some notes:

  • #2 BYU’s resounding victory over #23 UCF moved them up above Clemson. UCF dropped 12 spots.
  • #4 Coastal Carolina’s overtime loss to #15 Liberty didn’t hurt the Chanticleers very much, since it was an OT game and Liberty is pretty good despite their horrendous strength of schedule.
  • Notre Dame’s blowout loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship dropped them six spots.
  • #5 Cincinnati moved up a spot after winning the AAC over #28 Tulsa. Tulsa dropped only two spots because the game was close and on the road.
  • Ohio State jumped up four spots, from #18 to #14, after winning the Big Ten. They’re the lowest-ranked of the CFP participants.

What do you think? Send your thoughts to @Jeff_Sharon on Twitter or leave them in the comments below.