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