New college football power ranking marred by major flaw

Kelley Ford has been power-rating college football teams since 2019, with a blend of analytics and football insight that stays free of the SEC tilt of ESPN's FPI or Mark Schlabach's Way-Too-Early Top 25.

Ford has Texas and Georgia at No. 1 and No. 2, but he includes nine Big Ten teams in his Top 30, Ohio State at No. 3, Penn State and Oregon at No. 5 and No. 6.

Michigan comes next at 14, USC at 21, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska in a group from 25-30. As expected, the league is likely to have an elite three with a balanced, competitive middle.

Ford isn't infallible; last season he had three teams in his top 10 that wound up unranked, and like most of the college football punditry he missed on four teams that made the College Football Playoff: Arizona State, Boise State, Clemson, and Indiana were all outside his initial Top 30.

The ranking pinpoints Oregon right about where they should be. It's been pretty consistent around college football, the Ducks in the six--to-nine range.

Like many analysts he expects the Trojans and Cornhuskers to make a leap in development in Year Three of Lincoln Riley and Matt Rhule. There's optimism among both fanbases with an experienced young quarterback entering their second season as starters, Jayden Maiava at SC, Dylan Raiola for Big Red.

Stock remains high on the Wolverines, who should get more productive quarterback play from Bryce Underwood. He'll be tested early as Go Blue travels to Oklahoma and Nebraska in September, and they're at USC on October 11, three tough road games early.

They host Washington October 18, a 6-7 squad a year ago that's hopeful of improvement after returning their offensive trio of quarterback Demond Williams Jr., 1,000-yard rusher Jonah Coleman and big-play receiver Denzel Boston, 834 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024.

That brings up the flaw in the Ford ratings. Washington is way too high.

The Huskies were 0-5 on the road last season and brought in 18 new offensive linemen and two new coordinators to spring practice. This year's schedule is favorable with road games at Washington State (gutted by the portal,) Maryland, Michigan, Wisconsin and UCLA.

They face five teams coming off bye weeks. Last season the special teams ranked 110th in the country and the defense ranked 15th in the Big Ten against the run, giving up 4.6 yards a carry and 162 yards a game.

Expectations are higher because of that offensive threesome but the offensive line has to gel to experience any significant improvement. FanDuel places the win total at 7.5.

Fisch lost 32 players to the transfer portal and brought in 18, a drastic overhaul of the roster in the second year. Three additions from Arizona should help the defense, cornerback Tacario Davis, defensive lineman Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei, and linebacker Jacob Manu.

Right tackle Carver Willis comes over from Kansas State, a senior from Durango, Colorado. Linebacker/safety hybrid Alex McLaughlin and Xe'ree Alexander will be counted on to make most of the tackles.

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