| Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley | | | | Following the first week of college |
| While betting on sports is only legal in | | | | football action, here are some facts |
| a few places in the United States, such | | | | that interested me about Sagarin's |
| as Las Vegas, millions of office workers | | | | first-week ratings: |
| are involved in sports pools every week | | | | 1) Washington, one of the poor to |
| now that the football season has | | | | mediocre teams in the country the last |
| arrived. | | | | several years, was rated No. 31 after |
| When you know that more than $700 | | | | hammering Syracuse 42-14 in its home |
| million can be bet on one game—the | | | | opener. |
| Super Bowl—in only Las Vegas, then | | | | 2) Michigan State, another short end of |
| you understand that billions were bet | | | | the stick team for far too long, was |
| illegally on the Super Bowl last year in | | | | rated No. 36 after steamrolling over UAB |
| the United States and in offshore sports | | | | 55-18 in its home opener. |
| books around the world. | | | | 3) Appalachian State, a AA school, was |
| Folks in the gaming business know that | | | | rated No. 38 following its upset of |
| more than a billion dollars is wagered | | | | mighty Michigan 34-32 on Michigan's home |
| on every Monday Night Football game | | | | field. The win was the biggest upset in |
| during the season. | | | | college football history as no AA team |
| For those who wager, it may be helpful | | | | had ever beaten a ranked team. |
| to put some science on your side when | | | | Michigan was ranked No. 5 by both the AP |
| you wager, and one of the best places to | | | | Poll and Coaches Poll going into the |
| do that is with the Sagarin College | | | | game. Following its horrendous loss, |
| Football Ratings. | | | | Michigan ended up being ranked No. 40 by |
| Created by Jeff Sagarin, a 1970 MIT | | | | Sagarin. |
| mathematics graduate, these computer | | | | 4) Wyoming, a small school and never |
| ratings are for Division I-A (what the | | | | among the nation's top teams, was ranked |
| NCAA now calls the Football Bowl (FB) | | | | No. 41 by Sagarin following its 23-3 |
| Subdivision) and Division I-AA (what the | | | | home victory over Virginia. |
| NCAA now calls the Football Championship | | | | 5) Notre Dame, beaten badly (33-3) by |
| (FC) Subdivision) teams. | | | | Georgia Tech, was rated No. 57 after the |
| You will have to forgive the NCAA for | | | | loss. Georgia Tech was rated No. 2. The |
| taking titles that have been used for | | | | Irish failed to score a touchdown for |
| years and are perfectly clear, then | | | | the first time ever in their home |
| renaming them and creating confusion in | | | | opener. |
| the process. | | | | 6) Temple (ranked No. 143 after its |
| If there is a way for the NCAA to assert | | | | opening loss) and Buffalo (ranked No. |
| its superior power, it does so by making | | | | 145 after its opening loss) face off in |
| everything more difficult and confusing, | | | | week two. Both teams are among the 7 |
| similar to your United States government | | | | worst Division I-A teams in the country, |
| and its IRS tax code which could reduce | | | | joining Louisiana-Monroe, Rice, Duke, |
| a sane person to tears just reading it. | | | | Utah State and Florida International. |
| Anyway, the Sagarin rating is a | | | | 7) A total of 242 teams, 119 A schools |
| numerical measure of a team's strength. | | | | and 123 AA schools, make up the Sagarin |
| A hypothetical victory margin is | | | | College Football Ratings. The |
| determined by comparing the rating of | | | | worst-rated A school is Florida |
| the two teams after adding 2.93 points | | | | International at No. 174 (56 AA teams |
| to the home team. The home edge will | | | | are rated better), and their play |
| vary during the season. | | | | reflects their rating. The worst-rated |
| Only Division I (both A and AA) are | | | | AA school is the No. 242 La Salle |
| counted for rating and schedule strength | | | | Explorers. La Salle is a Catholic |
| during the season. | | | | university located in Philadelphia. |
| A diminishing-returns principle exists | | | | La Salle lost its home opener to Ursinus |
| to prevent teams from building up | | | | 28-0. Ursinus is not a planet but a real |
| ratings by running up large victory | | | | liberal arts college in Pennsylvania. |
| margins against weak teams. Instead, it | | | | Ursinus College is not a Division 1 |
| rewards teams that do well against good | | | | school (which includes the 242 teams |
| opponents. | | | | with La Salle), not a Division II team |
| The BCS (Bowl Championship Series) does | | | | (which includes another 157 teams), but |
| not factor in scoring margin. For | | | | a Division III team. Now you can better |
| Sagarin ratings and more detailed | | | | understand why La Salle College is |
| information go to: | | | | ranked last among 242 Division I |
| USA Today, the largest circulation | | | | schools. |
| newspaper in the United States, is the | | | | The first job for La Salle this year |
| nation's daily newspaper and carries the | | | | will be to score a touchdown, or any |
| Sagarin College Football Ratings. The | | | | points, including a field goal or |
| ratings are updated following each | | | | touchback. The Explorers next job will |
| week's games and published in USA Today | | | | be to actually win a game. Good luck, La |
| on Wednesdays. | | | | Salle, and God speed. |