Congratulations to Notre Dame Football! Ranked Number 1 in Final Postseason Poll:

Congratulations are in order to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for finish the season Ranked Number 1 in the final  Colley Matrix Computer Poll.  The Colley's Bias Free Matrix Rankings is one of Six Computer Polls used in the BCS Championship Polls ranking system.  This is at least the 9th National Championship for Notre Dame's Football program, tying them with the most All Time!

 Colley's matrix method for ranking college football teams based on very simple statistical principles, and uses only wins and losses as input—margin of victory does not matter. The scheme adjusts effectively for strength of schedule, in a way that is free of bias toward conference, tradition, or region. Comparison of rankings produced by this method to those produced by the press polls shows that despite its simplicity, the scheme produces common sense results.

This method focuses more on "deservedness" to play in the national championship game than it does predictiveness, per se, which may be of more interest to some fans and bookmakers, who often consider margin of victory, injuries and other factors in assessing the possible outcome of a particular game.

The Coley Matrix homepage is here.

Final Coley Matrix College Football Rankings:

Rank  School / Rating / Record / SOS Rank / Top Win

1. Notre Dame 0.9739    12-1 0.623842: 8 3 6   W: #6 Stanford 

2. Alabama 0.9611          13-1 0.598445: 21 4 6  W: #1 Notre Dame
3. Ohio St 0.9424            12-0 0.516158: 60 2 6  W: #15 Nebraska 
4. Florida 0.9335             11-2 0.654082: 2 5 6    W: #7 South Carolina
5. Oregon 0.9274            12-1 0.570152: 37 3 6  W: #10 Kansas St
6. Stanford 0.9230           12-2 0.626290: 7 3 8   W: #5 Oregon
7. S. Carolina 0.8925       11-2 0.606771: 14 4 4  W: #9 Georgia
8. Texas AandM 0.8920   11-2 0.606266: 15 2 5  W: #2 Alabama
9. Georgia 0.8875            12-2 0.585806: 27 3 4   W: #4 Florida 
10. Kansas St 0.8742       11-2 0.585659: 28 2 5   W: #12 Oklahoma 
11. LSU 0.8263                  10-3 0.607287: 13 2 4  W: #7 South Carolina 
12. Oklahoma 0.8254       10-3 0.606237: 16 1 4  W: #19 Texas 
13. Clemson 0.8251         11-2 0.529070: 53 1 2   W: #11 LSU 
14. Florida St 0.8036       12-2 0.489854: 71 2 3   W: #13 Clemson 
15. Nebraska 0.7720       10-4 0.596678: 23 3 6   W: #20 Northwestern 
16. San Jose St 0.7644    11-2 0.458950: 88 0 1   W: #36 Louisiana Tech 
17. Louisville 0.7565       11-2 0.449849: 95 1 4    W: #4 Florida 
18. Oregon St 0.7479         9-4 0.593747: 24 0 4   W: #27 UCLA 
19. Texas 0.7390                 9-4 0.583562: 30 1 5   W: #18 Oregon St 
20. Northwestern 0.7375  10-3 0.504847: 64 1 4   W: #23 Vanderbilt 
21. N. Illinois 0.7171          12-2 0.391030: 126 0 3 W: #34 Kent St 
22. Utah St 0.715156          11-2 0.402103: 122 1 3 W: #16 San Jose St 
23. Vanderbilt 0.70693         9-4 0.546465: 45 0 1   W: #46 Mississippi 
24. Arkansas St 0.7067      10-3 0.469328: 82 0 2   W: #34 Kent St 
25. Michigan 0.7013             8-5 0.616994: 9 1 2     W: #20 Northwestern 


The Colley Matrix method is explained in detail here. 

Colley’s Bias Free College Football Ranking Method, based on solution of the Colley Matrix, has been developed with several salient features, desirable in any computer poll that claims to be unbiased.

1. It has no bias toward conference, tradition, history, or prognostication.
2. It is reproducible; one can check the results.
3. It uses a minimum of assumptions.
4. It uses no ad hoc adjustments.
5. It nonetheless adjusts for strength of schedule.
6. It ignores runaway scores.
7. It produces common sense results that compare well to the press polls.
This information, the weekly poll updates, as well as useful college football links may be found on the Internet home for Colley’s Rankings:  http://www.colleyrankings.com/.