Top 25 teams of the CFP era

[ericd7633]

Not sure if there is such a list out there, but I was curious how the teams have stacked up through the first 6 years of the CFP era. I put together a 10 metric ranking system to accomplish this. I did put added weight towards winning a CFP game, and winning the CFP title, along with the other metrics used.

Here is what the data spit out for the top 25 teams:

1. 2019 LSU
2. 2018 Clemson
3. 2018 Alabama
4. 2016 Alabama
5. 2015 Alabama
6. 2016 Clemson
7. 2017 Alabama
8. 2019 Ohio State
9. 2019 Clemson
10. 2014 Ohio State
11. 2014 Oregon
12. 2015 Clemson
13. 2017 Georgia
14. 2017 Ohio State
15. 2019 Alabama
16. 2014 TCU
17. 2014 Alabama
18. 2017 Penn State
19. 2017 Wisconsin
20. 2018 Notre Dame
21. 2015 Ohio State
22. 2017 Central Florida
23. 2017 Clemson
24. 2014 Florida State
25. 2018 Georgia

Next 5: 2017 Oklahoma, 2016 Washington, 2018 Ohio State, 2016 Michigan, 2014 Georgia.

It was interesting to me to see how many non CFP teams made the top 24. But I think that makes sense because I think most can agree a team like 2019 Bama is probably better than a team like 2015 Michigan State. Also, of note, every Bama team since the CFP era made the list and all were in the top 15. Clemson had 5 of their teams make the top 25 and Ohio State had 4 of their teams make the top 25. Conversely, Oklahoma, which has made 4 CFP's, didn't have a single team make the top 25, with 2017 Oklahoma missing by 1. The 2015 CFP was the worst CFP in this era, with only 2 teams making the top 25. 2017 was the most top heavy year with 7 teams making the top 25.

 

[Across The Field]

LOL

 

[ericd7633]

LOL

Thanks for the analysis.

 

[outofyourmind]

How can we shoot holes in it if we don't know what the "metrics" are.

 

[Across The Field]

Thanks for the analysis.

Dude your list is a joke. You're the Skip Bayless of this board.

 

[ericd7633]

Dude your list is a joke. You're the Skip Bayless of this board.

Fair enough. I'd be curious what you disagree with? I'm not of the thinking that just because you've won a title or made the CFP, you're automatically better than teams that did. Even though I did weigh in those factors.

 

[ericd7633]

How can we shoot holes in it if we don't know what the "metrics" are.

BCS methodology, efficiency, CFP appearance/CFP win/CFP title and talent.

 

[TheReal_NU]

Where’s ‘95 Nebraska???

 

[Diego Roll Tide]

Just looking at Bama, having 2018 ahead of 2016, and 2016 ahead of 2016 Clemson makes me question every bit of it.

 

[ericd7633]

Just looking at Bama, having 2018 ahead of 2016, and 2016 ahead of 2016 Clemson makes me question every bit of it.

Interesting. Going into it I thought the top 3 teams would be LSU 2019, and Bama and Clemson 2018. 2018 Bama was more dominant during the regular season IMO, and while 2016 Bama won the SECCG in blowout fashion, they didn't have to play near as good of a team as 2018 Bama did against UGA that season. I can understand why you'd question 2016 Bama ahead of 2016 Clemson since they lost in the title game, but given the totality of their respective seasons, I do think Bama performed better for all of that year. The difference in winning that one game, didn't outweigh the totality of their seasons, even though it was weighted as such.

 

[Chewbaccer]

2019 Georgia was better than 2018 and 2014

 

[Across The Field]

Fair enough. I'd be curious what you disagree with? I'm not of the thinking that just because you've won a title or made the CFP, you're automatically better than teams that did. Even though I did weigh in those factors.

You have a national champion that was absolutely stacked with NFL talent at #10. That pretty much sums it up.

 

[Diego Roll Tide]

Interesting. Going into it I thought the top 3 teams would be LSU 2019, and Bama and Clemson 2018. 2018 Bama was more dominant during the regular season IMO, and while 2016 Bama won the SECCG in blowout fashion, they didn't have to play near as good of a team as 2018 Bama did against UGA that season. I can understand why you'd question 2016 Bama ahead of 2016 Clemson since they lost in the title game, but given the totality of their respective seasons, I do think Bama performed better for all of that year. The difference in winning that one game, didn't outweigh the totality of their seasons, even though it was weighted as such.

2018 Bama played a weak schedule, and the weaknesses on defense were hidden by the offense. 2016 played USC OOC, and they ended up #3. 2018 played a terrible UL. The 2016 West was stronger than 2018, and Bama’s East opponents were better in 16. No doubt the SECCG opponent was better in 18, but was it 31 points better? No.

People got caught up in the wow factor of Tua in 18, but the overall team was better in 16. I agree CU/Bama was just one game in that season, but it was a really big one.

 

[Across The Field]

2018 Bama played a weak schedule, and the weaknesses on defense were hidden by the offense. 2016 played USC OOC, and they ended up #3. 2018 played a terrible UL. The 2016 West was stronger than 2018, and Bama’s East opponents were better in 16. No doubt the SECCG opponent was better in 18, but was it 31 points better? No.

People got caught up in the wow factor of Tua in 18, but the overall team was better in 16. I agree CU/Bama was just one game in that season, but it was a really big one.

This by no means takes away from Bama/USC in 2016, as Bama won going away, but I will always wonder what would've happened with that USC team if they would've started Darnold all season instead of Max Browne for the first few games. The talent gap between those two was so monstrous.

 

[ericd7633]

You have a national champion that was absolutely stacked with NFL talent at #10. That pretty much sums it up.

Well every team ahead of them was also stacked with NFL talent too. I'm surprised you think 2014 OSU is better than 2019 OSU? 2019 OSU was much more dominant throughout that whole season. It just happened to run into a team that was better than what 2014 OSU had to face in the CFP IMO.

 

[Diego Roll Tide]

This by no means takes away from Bama/USC in 2016, as Bama won going away, but I will always wonder what would've happened with that USC team if they would've started Darnold all season instead of Max Browne for the first few games. The talent gap between those two was so monstrous.

They were outplayed physically by Bama and Stanford. I don’t recall whether Darnold started against Utah, but that’s the one loss that definitely could’ve gone the other way.

 

[Across The Field]

Well every team ahead of them was also stacked with NFL talent too. I'm surprised you think 2014 OSU is better than 2019 OSU? 2019 OSU was much more dominant throughout that whole season. It just happened to run into a team that was better than what 2014 OSU had to face in the CFP IMO.

If Fields doesn't get hurt against PSU and again against michigan, they are probably #1 on your list, and I would say overall they were better than 2014 all things being equal. However, 2014 OSU won the NC, beat 3 of the top 5 teams in the final rankings with a 59-0 win over another top 15 team, and boasted several immediate impact elite NFL players. They are top 5, without question.

 

[Across The Field]

They were outplayed physically by Bama and Stanford. I don’t recall whether Darnold started against Utah, but that’s the one loss that definitely could’ve gone the other way.

The Bama and Stanford blowouts were both Max Browne, 2 of his 3 starts actually. The loss at Utah was Darnold's first game, and he played pretty well. Like I said, Bama still wins for sure, but giving Darnold the nod in Spring and moving through camp with him as QB1 could've changed a lot of other things for them.

 

[ericd7633]

2018 Bama played a weak schedule, and the weaknesses on defense were hidden by the offense. 2016 played USC OOC, and they ended up #3. 2018 played a terrible UL. The 2016 West was stronger than 2018, and Bama’s East opponents were better in 16. No doubt the SECCG opponent was better in 18, but was it 31 points better? No.

People got caught up in the wow factor of Tua in 18, but the overall team was better in 16. I agree CU/Bama was just one game in that season, but it was a really big one.

Those are good points. And schedule strength was certainly taken into account. That Tua offense was rated as the best unit of the CFP era. But conversely, the 2016 Bama defense was rated the best defense.

And idk that 16 UF team just wasn't all that good. That was the weakest version of the sec East during this era.

 

[We Are Decent]

Yeah this'll totally bring a happy face to all these Georgia, Oklahoma, Penn State, & Wisconsin folk seeing their teams here on a Top 25 CFP era list.