The rankings are based on a "veil of ignorance" entering the season that assumes that all the teams in the FBS are on equal footing: Ohio the same as Ohio State, South Alabama the same as Alabama. Therefore, there is no bias based on the conference in which a team competes.
Then teams are rated by wins and losses against other FBS teams (with bonuses or deductions for winning or losing by 9+ points), and the average number of FBS wins by their opponents.
Games against FCS (lower-division) opponents will hurt a team's rating. Not only will those victories not count, but neither will the records of those FCS teams help the strength of schedule. Teams that have played only FBS teams will get the benefit of the victories of their opponents.
1. Ohio State
2, Clemson
3, Alabama
4. LSU
5. Penn State
6. Utah
7. Oregon
8. Minnesota
9. Cincinnati
10. Memphis
11. SMU
12. Michigan
13. Baylor
14. Georgia
15. Wisconsin
On will notice that three teams from the American Athletic Conference: Cincinnati, Memphis, and SMU, are on the list. They will not be treated kindly by the Selection Committee, because they'll have a bias against the American Athletic Conference, which isn't a "Power Five" conference. But it is the "sixth" conference with several refugees from the old Big East Conference.
Undefeated Baylor will likely be ranked much higher, as will Georgia. Oklahoma will be in their ranking because it has just one loss whereas Wisconsin and Michigan have two. They're ranked because they had two of the toughest schedules.
We'll see how the coming weeks shake out, and I'll re-examine my results if a one-loss Georgia manages to win the SEC yet wouldn't be in my Top Four at the end of the season.
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