The 2003 Daniel Ratings for College Football

These ratings are based on Relative Transitivity. The basic idea is that beating a team who beats, for example, Florida State, is impressive; however, it is not as impressive as beating Florida State directly. Thus, teams get rating points for every team they beat, directly or indirectly. However, the more indirect the "victory," the fewer rating points the team gets for it. Teams will also lose rating points for direct and indirect defeats.

It is important to keep in mind that this system is a performance index, not a power index. It measures how well a team has performed, not how good a team is. It's purpose is not to predict wins.

Note that this system does have some logistical and mathematical flaws in it, and therefore should not be taken seriously.

• Here is a detailed explanation of how the ratings are calculated.
• Here is a discussion of the flaws of this rating system, including my ideas on how to remedy them.
• Here are some miscellaneous facts about the Daniel Ratings.
• Here are the game results, and the Python script used to calculate the ratings.

Daniel Ratings through the games of January 4, 2004:

   1.  LSU                             (13-1)   3227
   2.  Ohio State                      (11-2)   3172
   3.  Miami OH                        (13-1)   3145
   4.  Southern California             (12-1)   3116
   5.  Georgia                         (11-3)   3102
   6.  Oklahoma                        (12-2)   2895
   7.  Florida State                   (10-3)   2735
   8.  Iowa                            (10-3)   2678
   9.  Tennessee                       (10-3)   2602
  10.  Boise State                     (13-1)   2599
  11.  Michigan                        (10-3)   2492
  12.  Miami FL                        (11-2)   2416
  13.  Bowling Green                   (11-3)   2330
  14.  Minnesota                       (10-3)   2293
  15.  Purdue                           (9-4)   2277
  16.  Nebraska                        (10-3)   2235
  17.  Utah                            (10-2)   2207
  18.  Texas                           (10-3)   2026
  19.  Clemson                          (9-4)   1826
  20.  Mississippi                     (10-3)   1803
  21.  Arkansas                         (9-4)   1803
  22.  Washington State                (10-3)   1744
  23.  Kansas State                    (11-4)   1733
  24.  TCU                             (11-2)   1681
  25.  Oklahoma State                   (9-4)   1557
  26.  Maryland                        (10-3)   1527
  27.  North Carolina State             (8-5)   1522
  28.  Auburn                           (8-5)   1506
  29.  Oregon                           (8-5)   1496
  30.  Virginia                         (8-5)   1471
  31.  Florida                          (8-5)   1367
  32.  Northern Illinois               (10-2)   1319
  33.  Texas Tech                       (8-5)   1229
  34.  Michigan State                   (8-5)   1181
  35.  California                       (8-6)   1170
  36.  Boston College                   (8-5)   1164
  37.  Louisville                       (9-4)   1091
  38.  Oregon State                     (8-5)   1083
  39.  Wisconsin                        (7-6)   1044
  40.  UNLV                             (6-6)    971
  41.  Georgia Tech                     (7-6)    940
  42.  Missouri                         (8-5)    856
  43.  Memphis                          (9-4)    828
  44.  Air Force                        (7-5)    709
  45.  Northwestern                     (6-7)    686
  46.  Notre Dame                       (5-7)    680
  47.  Virginia Tech                    (8-5)    679
  48.  Connecticut                      (9-3)    666
  49.  Colorado State                   (7-6)    629
  50.  South Carolina                   (5-7)    604
  51.  Wake Forest                      (5-7)    534
  52.  Southern Mississippi             (9-4)    516
  53.  Pittsburgh                       (8-5)    464
  54.  West Virginia                    (8-5)    421
  55.  Syracuse                         (6-6)    406
  56.  New Mexico                       (8-5)    343
  57.  Fresno State                     (9-5)    312
  58.  Navy                             (8-5)    309
  59.  UCLA                             (6-7)    275
  60.  Washington                       (6-6)    253
  61.  Hawaii                           (9-5)    236
  62.  Arizona State                    (5-7)    214
  63.  Toledo                           (8-4)    174
  64.  Colorado                         (5-7)    168
  65.  Marshall                         (8-4)     97
  66.  BYU                              (4-8)     40
  67.  Texas A&M                        (4-8)    -11
  68.  Kansas                           (6-7)    -29
  69.  San Diego State                  (6-6)    -89
  70.  Louisiana Tech                   (5-7)   -118
  71.  South Florida                    (7-4)   -131
  72.  Stanford                         (4-7)   -194
  73.  Tulsa                            (8-5)   -242
  74.  Duke                             (4-8)   -263
  75.  Rutgers                          (5-7)   -265
  76.  Houston                          (7-6)   -279
  77.  North Texas                      (9-4)   -312
  78.  Wyoming                          (4-8)   -427
  79.  Nevada                           (6-6)   -464
  80.  Alabama-Birmingham               (5-7)   -692
  81.  Cincinnati                       (5-7)   -762
  82.  Alabama                          (4-9)   -807
  83.  Troy State                       (6-6)   -868
  84.  Arizona                         (2-10)  -1166
  85.  Tulane                           (5-7)  -1251
  86.  Rice                             (5-7)  -1311
  87.  Ball State                       (4-8)  -1414
  88.  Mississippi State               (2-10)  -1446
  89.  Kentucky                         (4-8)  -1465
  90.  Akron                            (7-5)  -1543
  91.  North Carolina                  (2-10)  -1579
  92.  Baylor                           (3-9)  -1605
  93.  Western Michigan                 (5-7)  -1807
  94.  Penn State                       (3-9)  -1969
  95.  Eastern Michigan                 (3-9)  -2087
  96.  Kent State                       (5-7)  -2176
  97.  Temple                          (1-11)  -2489
  98.  Vanderbilt                      (2-10)  -2505
  99.  Iowa State                      (2-10)  -2517
 100.  Middle Tennessee                 (4-8)  -2559
 101.  Utah State                       (3-9)  -2572
 102.  Louisiana-Lafayette              (4-8)  -2649
 103.  Central Florida                  (3-9)  -2785
 104.  Central Michigan                 (3-9)  -2821
 105.  San Jose State                   (3-8)  -2865
 106.  Idaho                            (3-9)  -2927
 107.  Buffalo                         (1-11)  -2955
 108.  Louisiana-Monroe                (1-11)  -3083
 109.  Arkansas State                   (5-7)  -3136
 110.  New Mexico State                 (3-9)  -3164
 111.  Ohio                            (2-10)  -3248
 112.  Indiana                         (2-10)  -3300
 113.  East Carolina                   (1-11)  -3482
 114.  Illinois                        (1-11)  -3496
 115.  Texas-El Paso                   (2-11)  -3589
 116.  SMU                             (0-12)  -3943
 117.  Army                            (0-13)  -4015