2021 College Football Rankings: CFN Season Formula Top 5
5 Alabama Crimson Tide (13-2)
2021 CFN Season Score 24.33
CFN 2021 Preseason Ranking 1
2021 CFN Final Opinion Ranking 2
Best Win Georgia (SEC Championship) 41-24
Worst Loss at Texas A&M 41-38
2021 CFN Combined Final Ranking 3.5
2021 CFN Combined Overall Ranking 2
Remember, this is based on the overall season. The CFN Final Rankings reflect the win over Cincinnati in the CFP.
Here’s the problem – a bulk of the SEC ended up with losing seasons. Had Auburn, LSU, and Florida won their respective bowl games to finish 7-6 instead of 6-7, Alabama is No. 2 on the list with three more Quality Wins.
That’s sort of the point, though – were those wins that great if those teams couldn’t finish with winning campaigns? Even so, Alabama was a drive away – and maybe a Jameson Williams injury away – from winning the national title.
4 Oklahoma State Cowboys (12-2)
2021 CFN Season Score 24.43
CFN 2021 Preseason Ranking 22
2021 CFN Final Opinion Ranking 6
Best Win Baylor 24-14
Worst Loss at Iowa State 24-21
2021 CFN Combined Final Ranking 5
2021 CFN Combined Overall Ranking 6
The season might have ultimately been defined for coming up six inches short of winning the Big 12 Championship – and probably getting into the College Football Playoff, but an Elite Win over Baylor in the regular season, and closed out by handing Notre Dame its second loss, cranked up the Season Score to a top four spot. The Point Differential of 182 was a huge part of the puzzle.
3 Baylor Bears (12-2)
2021 CFN Season Score 24.48
CFN 2021 Preseason Ranking 50
2021 CFN Final Opinion Ranking 5
Best Win Oklahoma State (Big 12 Championship) 21-16
Worst Loss at TCU 30-28
2021 CFN Combined Final Ranking 4
2021 CFN Combined Overall Ranking 3
Considering how rough the 2020 season was, Dave Aranda and his Bears did an amazing job. There might have been a loss to a TCU team that finished with a losing season, but everything else was fantastic. The Bears closed out with five straight Quality Wins and three Elite Wins – Oklahoma, Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship, and Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl.
2 Cincinnati Bearcats (13-1)
2021 CFN Season Score 25.23
CFN 2021 Preseason Ranking 25
2021 CFN Final Opinion Ranking 7
Best Win at Notre Dame 24-13
Worst Loss Alabama (Cotton Bowl) 27-6
2021 CFN Combined Final Ranking 4.5
2021 CFN Combined Overall Ranking T4
Yeah, Cincinnati lost to Alabama, but 13 wins are 13 wins – there were more wins over teams that finished with stronger records.
The Bearcats might not have played the toughest schedule on the eye test, but there were seven Quality Wins – victories over teams that finished with a winning record – the win at Notre Dame was a big deal in the final score, and taking down a Houston team that finished 12-2 added another Elite win on the pile. Scoring 516 points certainly helped.
1 Georgia Bulldogs (14-1)
2021 CFN Season Score 29.69
CFN 2021 Preseason Ranking 4
2021 CFN Final Opinion Ranking 1
Best Win Alabama (CFP National Championship) 33-18
Worst Loss Alabama (SEC Championship) 41-24
2021 CFN Combined Final Ranking 1
2021 CFN Combined Overall Ranking 1
The Bulldogs started the season with an Elite Win over Clemson and ended it with a national championship. The overall score would’ve been through the roof if the SEC did a better job in the bowl season, but the team was still No. 1 by a mile.
CFN 2021 Rankings: Season Formula Final
101-130 | 76-100 | 51-75 | 26-50 | 11-25 | Top 10 | Top 5
Combined Opinion & Season Rankings
CFN College Football Season Formula