Recruiting vs. Ranking College Football Team Performance: Top 20 Overachieving Teams

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 Switch Years: 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005

Caveats:

  • Each year's recruiting rating is an average of the rank order ratings from two major recruiting services.
  • The Recruiting Rating Average is weighted to give the most weight for 3rd and 4th year student-athletes, and the least for 1st year student-athletes.
  • The Recruiting Rating Averages are rank ordered to assign each team a Recruiting Ranting Ranking for the team's recruiting rating average.
  • The Post-Bowl Ranking is an average of 20+ ranking services. It is not simply the AP, Coaches, or BCS ratings.
  • Read the full explanation on the index page.

Index | Top 20 Overachieving Teams
ACC | Big 12 | Big East | Big Ten | Conference USA | Independents | MAC | Mountain West | Pac-10 | SEC | Sun Belt | WAC

Updated 21 July 2009: 2008 post-bowl rankings have now been included and the differences between those rankings and the recruiting ratings have been calculated.

(The bottom 5 teams are noted below.)

School Conference 2008 Rating 2007 Rating 2006 Rating 2005 Rating 2004 Rating 2008 Recruiting Rating Avg 2008 Recruiting Rating Ranking 2008 Pre-Bowl Ranking Average 2008 Pre-Bowl Difference 2008 Post-Bowl Ranking Average 2008 Post-Bowl Difference Missing Ratings?
1 Rice Con USA 105.5 95 88 105 113 98.21 104 51 53 33 71 2002S
2 Air Force MWC 89.5 59 75.5 69 86 71.67 114 40 74 46 68 2002S
3 Cincinnati Big East 59 84.5 88 84.5 77.5 83.94 81 14 67 16 65
4 Ball State MAC 101.5 83.5 79 106 101 91.91 93 25 68 30 63
5 Utah MWC 62.5 68.5 57.5 65.5 64.5 63.24 62 8 54 2 60
6 Navy I 115.5 103 91 108.5 108.5 101.91 118 38 80 59 59
7t Boise State WAC 76.5 62.5 74 68.5 79 70.49 67 9 58 10 57
7t Buffalo MAC 110 115 97 103 110.5 104.45 112 55 57 55 57 2002S
7t TCU MWC 105 76.5 67 58.5 62.5 67.17 64 11 53 7 57
10 Florida Atlantic Sun Belt 105 113 117 118 118 116.15 119 89 30 64 55 2002S, 2003S, 2004S, 2005S, 2006R
11 Western Michigan MAC 83 94.5 84.5 101 105 93.94 101 49 52 48 53
12 Nevada WAC 94 94 87 98.5 100 93.78 98 54 44 49 49
13 Tulsa Con USA 80.5 95 87 71.5 72 81.73 80 47 33 34 46
14 Central Michigan MAC 93 102.5 101 93.5 98.5 98.26 105 59 46 61 44
15 Louisiana Tech WAC 46.5 94.5 84 93.5 90 88.34 92 77 15 51 41 2002S
16 Brigham Young MWC 70 49 56.5 58 67 57.09 59 22 37 20 39
17 San Jose St. WAC 59 71 87.5 83.5 110.5 93.1 109 86 14 72 37
18 Houston Con USA 88.5 75 80 83.5 74.5 79.95 78 60 18 42 36
19 East Carolina Con USA 87 71 66.5 95 77 78.68 76 46 30 41 35
20 Northwestern Big 10 71 54.5 76 51.5 74.5 63.27 63 32 31 31 32

Bottom 5 (Worst is last)


5. UCLA (-63)
4. Tennessee (-64)
3. Texas A&M (-69)
2. Washington (-76)
1. Michigan (-87)
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