History Repeats: Georgia, SEC again dominate T-U college football power rankings
With Tennessee unexpectedly rising up last season to challenge Georgia and Alabama as the Southeastern Conference twin juggernauts, the gap between college football’s standard bearer league and the other Power 5 conferences only widened in 2022.
Georgia, threatening to become the dynasty that ‘Bama had been for over a decade, made sure the SEC reigned atop the Times-Union's 32nd annual College Football Power Rankings for the 14th time in the last 16 years by accumulating a record rating of +154.
Though Michigan was upended by TCU in the College Football Playoff semifinals, the Wolverines finished a distant second behind Georgia at +100. Michigan finished ahead of Tennessee (+83), TCU (+79), USC (+71) and Ohio State (+71), largely on the strength of throttling the Buckeyes 45-23. It was the only road victory by any school against a team finishing in the top-5 of the final Associated Press poll.
Georgia created a huge separation by going a perfect 15-0 and beating seven final top-25 teams along the way, including three top-10 opponents in Tennessee, Ohio State and TCU. The only other school to post four wins over top-25 teams was USC, which also lost three games to top-10 opponents Utah (twice) and Tulane.
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Rounding out the top-10 were Alabama (+68), Penn State (+68), Tulane (65) and Washington (+59). Tulane, the American Athletic Conference champion, improved from 2-10 last year to 13-1 and also made the largest jump in T-U power ranking history by moving up 97 spots from No. 106 to No. 9.
Nothing changed atop the conference rankings as the SEC achieved an average ranking of +13.07, winning by a fairly comfortable margin over the Pac-12 at +4.25, followed by the Big 12 (-7.3), Big Ten (-11.64) and ACC (-27.3).
The AAC had the highest ranking of the non-Power 5 leagues at –44.81, which edged out the Sun Belt at 45.35, then the MAC (-63.41), Mountain West (-68.16) and Conference USA (-74.18).
One of the big separators for the SEC was its 10-6 record against non-conference top-25 teams. The record for the other Power 5 conferences in that scenario was a combined 7-27.
With Texas and Oklahoma set to join the SEC in 2024, while Georgia and Alabama continue to dominate on the recruiting trail, the odds are getting tougher for any league outside the SEC to regain supremacy any time soon.
Three pertinent questions about the T-U power poll
Q: Why did Florida State, which finished 11th in the final Associated Press college football poll, fare no higher than 19th in the T-U power rankings?
A: The Seminoles were penalized severely for a schedule that didn't turn out to be nearly as good as it looked on paper. Their wins over Miami, Florida and Oklahoma were against teams that finished with a combined record of 17-21. Nearly all of the schools ranked above FSU had multiple wins over final top-25 teams, while the only opponent the 'Noles beat that finished ranked was No. 16 LSU. Just winning at home against unranked Wake Forest and on the road against unranked North Carolina State would have elevated FSU into a tie for 10th.
Q: How can the Big Ten Conference put two teams in the College Football Playoff, and though losing both semifinal games, only finish fourth in the league rankings?
A: The Big Ten has a pretty big gap between its top teams of Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and the rest of the league. With only three teams finishing in the AP Top 25, it was impossible to challenge the SEC or the Pac-12 that had twice as many schools with top-25 rankings. Michigan State falling from a top-10 ranking last year to No. 57 in 2022 didn't help matters. Except for Ohio State's season-opening home win over Notre Dame and Penn State's Rose Bowl win over Utah, the Big Ten never beat an opponent outside its league that finished in the top 25.
Q: Despite getting annihilated in the CFP national championship by Georgia, how was TCU able to elevate from a 5-7 record and No. 75 finish in the T-U power rankings to being one victory away from winning it all?
A: Besides quarterback Max Duggan having a fantastic senior season, the Horned Frogs also benefitted from several Big 12 teams experiencing down years. Oklahoma, Baylor and Oklahoma State all hovered around or below .500 most of the season after being top-10 teams in last year's power rankings. TCU took advantage of not having to contend with a Lincoln Riley-coached Oklahoma program and managed to pull out a lot of close games.
CONFERENCE RANKINGS
Conference | Teams | Avg. rating |
SEC | 14 | +13.07 |
Pac-12 | 12 | +4.25 |
Big 12 | 10 | -7.3 |
Big Ten | 14 | -11.64 |
ACC | 14 | -27.3 |
American | 11 | -44.81 |
Sun Belt | 14 | -45.35 |
MAC | 12 | -63.41 |
Mountain West | 12 | -68.16 |
C-USA | 11 | -74.18 |
Times-Union Power Rankings
Rank | Team | Conference | Record | Rating |
1 | Georgia | SEC | 15-0 | +154 |
2 | Michigan | Big Ten | 13-1 | +100 |
3 | Tennessee | SEC | 11-2 | +83 |
4 | TCU | Big 12 | 12-2 | +79 |
5 | Ohio State | Big Ten | 11-2 | +71 |
5 | USC | Pac-12 | 11-3 | +71 |
7 | Alabama | SEC | 11-2 | +68 |
7 | Penn State | Big Ten | 11-2 | +68 |
9 | Tulane | American | 13-1 | +65 |
10 | Washington | Pac-12 | 11-2 | +59 |
11 | Kansas State | Big 12 | 10-4 | +53 |
12 | Oregon | Pac-12 | 10-3 | +50 |
13 | Notre Dame | Independent | 9-4 | +49 |
14 | Utah | Pac-12 | 10-4 | +47 |
15 | LSU | SEC | 10-4 | +45 |
16 | Oregon State | Pac-12 | 10-3 | +42 |
16 | UCLA | Pac-12 | 9-4 | +42 |
18 | Clemson | ACC | 10-3 | +40 |
19 | FSU | ACC | 10-3 | +25 |
20 | Texas | Big 12 | 8-5 | +21 |
21 | Troy | Sun Belt | 12-2 | +19 |
21 | Miss State | SEC | 9-4 | +19 |
23 | UTSA | C-USA | 11-3 | +18 |
24 | Fresno State | Mt. West | 10-4 | +13 |
24 | South Alabama | Sun Belt | 10-3 | +13 |
Rank | Team | Conference | Record | Rating |
26 | Pitt | ACC | 9-4 | +12 |
27 | Maryland | Big Ten | 8-5 | +10 |
28 | Marshall | Sun Belt | 9-5 | +6 |
28 | N. Carolina | ACC | 9-5 | +6 |
30 | Ole Miss | SEC | 8-5 | +4 |
31 | UCF | American | 9-5 | +2 |
32 | S. Carolina | SEC | 8-5 | +1 |
33 | Iowa | Big Ten | 8-5 | -1 |
34 | Boise St. | Mt. West | 10-4 | -2 |
34 | Illinois | Big Ten | 8-5 | -2 |
36 | Louisville | ACC | 8-5 | -3 |
37 | Texas Tech | Big 12 | 8-5 | -4 |
38 | Cincinnati | American | 9-4 | -6 |
38 | Minnesota | Big Ten | 9-4 | -6 |
40 | Air Force | Mt. West | 10-3 | -7 |
40 | BYU | Independent | 8-5 | -7 |
40 | Wash. St. | Pac-12 | 7-6 | -7 |
40 | Florida | SEC | 6-7 | -7 |
44 | Ohio | MAC | 10-4 | -8 |
44 | N.C. St. | ACC | 8-5 | -8 |
46 | Kentucky | SEC | 7-6 | -12 |
47 | Wake Forest | ACC | 8-5 | -13 |
48 | Arkansas | SEC | 7-6 | -15 |
49 | Houston | American | 8-5 | -16 |
49 | J. Madison | Sun Belt | 8-3 | -16 |
Rank | Team | Conference | Record | Rating |
51 | Duke | ACC | 9-4 | -17 |
52 | SMU | American | 7-6 | -19 |
52 | Baylor | Big 12 | 6-7 | -19 |
54 | Purdue | Big Ten | 8-6 | -21 |
55 | Toledo | MAC | 9-4 | -22 |
55 | S. Miss | Sun Belt | 7-6 | -22 |
57 | Coastal Carolina | Sun Belt | 9-4 | -24 |
57 | Western Ky. | C-USA | 9-5 | -24 |
57 | Syracuse | ACC | 7-6 | -24 |
57 | Mich. St. | Big Ten | 5-7 | -24 |
61 | Oklahoma St. | Big 12 | 7-6 | -26 |
61 | Auburn | SEC | 5-7 | -26 |
63 | Memphis | American | 7-6 | -27 |
64 | E. Mich | MAC | 9-4 | -30 |
65 | Texas A&M | SEC | 5-7 | -33 |
66 | Missouri | SEC | 6-7 | -34 |
67 | E. Carolina | American | 8-5 | -35 |
67 | Oklahoma | Big 12 | 6-7 | -35 |
67 | West Va. | Big 12 | 5-7 | -35 |
67 | Arizona | Pac-12 | 5-7 | -35 |
71 | Wisconsin | Big Ten | 7-6 | -37 |
72 | Kansas | Big 12 | 6-7 | -41 |
73 | San Jose St. | Mt. West | 7-5 | -44 |
74 | San Diego St. | Mt. West | 7-6 | -45 |
74 | Louisiana | Sun Belt | 6-7 | -45 |
Rank | Team | Conference | Record | Rating |
76 | UAB | C-USA | 7-6 | -46 |
77 | Liberty | Ind. | 8-5 | -47 |
78 | Middle Tenn. | C-USA | 8-5 | -50 |
78 | Buffalo | MAC | 7-6 | -50 |
80 | Cal | Pac-12 | 4-8 | -51 |
81 | App. St. | Sun Belt | 6-6 | -54 |
81 | Ga. Tech | ACC | 5-7 | -54 |
83 | Bowling Gr. | MAC | 6-7 | -55 |
84 | Army | Ind. | 6-6 | -60 |
85 | Ball St. | MAC | 5-7 | -61 |
86 | Vanderbilt | SEC | 5-7 | -62 |
87 | Wyoming | Mt. West | 7-6 | -64 |
87 | W. Mich | MAC | 5-7 | -64 |
87 | Indiana | Big Ten | 4-8 | -64 |
90 | Utah St. | Mt. West | 6-7 | -65 |
91 | Kent St. | MAC | 5-7 | -66 |
91 | Iowa St. | Big 12 | 4-8 | -66 |
91 | Arizona St. | Pac-12 | 3-9 | -66 |
91 | Tulsa | American | 5-7 | -66 |
95 | UL-Monroe | Sun Belt | 4-8 | -67 |
96 | Nebraska | Big Ten | 4-8 | -68 |
97 | Stanford | Pac-12 | 3-9 | -69 |
98 | Miami | ACC | 6-7 | -70 |
98 | Rutgers | Big Ten | 4-8 | -70 |
100 | Ga. Southern | Sun Belt | 6-7 | -71 |
Rank | Team | Conference | Record | Rating |
101 | UConn | Ind. | 6-7 | -72 |
102 | N. Texas | C-USA | 7-7 | -74 |
103 | Miami (Ohio) | MAC | 6-7 | -76 |
104 | UTEP | C-USA | 5-7 | -77 |
105 | C. Mich | MAC | 4-8 | -78 |
106 | N. Mexico St. | Ind. | 7-6 | -79 |
106 | UNLV | Mt. West | 5-7 | -79 |
108 | Ga. State | Sun Belt | 4-8 | -81 |
109 | Navy | American | 4-8 | -83 |
109 | Virginia | ACC | 3-7 | -83 |
111 | FAU | C-USA | 5-7 | -87 |
112 | Ark. St.; | Sun Belt | 3-9 | -94 |
113 | Texas St. | Sun Belt | 4-8 | -96 |
113 | Va. Tech | ACC | 3-8 | -96 |
115 | Boston College | ACC | 3-9 | -97 |
116 | Rice | C-USA | 5-8 | -100 |
117 | Col. St. | Mt. West | 3-9 | -110 |
118 | La. Tech | C-USA | 3-9 | -111 |
118 | Old Dominion | Sun Belt | 3-9 | -111 |
120 | N. Illinois | MAC | 3-9 | -121 |
121 | Charlotte | C-USA | 3-9 | -126 |
122 | Hawaii | Mt. West | 3-10 | -129 |
122 | Northwestern | Big Ten | 1-11 | -129 |
124 | Akron | MAC | 2-10 | -130 |
125 | Colorado | Pac-12 | 1-11 | -132 |
Rank | Team | Conference | Record | Rating |
126 | Temple | American | 3-9 | -133 |
127 | New Mexico | Mt. West | 2-10 | -135 |
128 | FIU | C-USA | 4-8 | -139 |
129 | Nevada | Mt. West | 2-10 | -151 |
130 | USF | American | 1-11 | -155 |
131 | UMass | Ind. | 1-11 | -178 |
POINTS SYSTEM
+22 – Road win over final AP top-5 team;
+20 – Neutral-site win over top-5 team;
+18 – Home win over top-5 team;
+16 – Road win over top 6-10 team;
+14 – Neutral-site win over top 6-10 team;
+12 – Home win over top 6-10 team;
+10 – Road win over top 11-25 team;
+9 – Neutral-site win over top 11-25 team;
+8 – Home win over top 11-25 team;
+7 – Road win over unranked team;
+6 – Neutral-site win over unranked team;
+5 – Home win over unranked team;
0 – Win over non-FBS team;
-1 – Road loss to top-5 team;
-2 – Neutral-site loss to top-5 team;
-3 – Home loss to top-5 team;
-4 – Road loss to top 6-10 team;
-5 – Neutral-site loss to top 6-10 team;
-6 – Home loss to top 6-10 team;
-7 – Road loss to top 11-25 team;
-8 – Neutral-site loss to top 11-25 team;
-9 – Home loss to top 11-25 team;
-10 – Road loss to unranked team;
-11 – Neutral-site loss to unranked team;
-12 – Home loss to unranked team;
-15 – Loss to non-FBS team;
BONUS POINTS
+15 – Three wins over top-5 teams;
+12 – Four wins over top-10 teams or six wins over top-25;
+10 – Two wins over top-5 teams;
+10 – Schedule has six or more top-25 teams;
+9 – Three wins over top-10 teams over 5 wins over top-25;
+8 – Schedule has five top-25 teams;
+7 – Four wins over top-25 teams;
+6 – Two wins over top-10 teams;
+5 – Schedule has four top-25 teams;
+5 – Three wins over top-25 teams;
+3 – Two wins over top-25 teams;
PENALTIES
-25 – Regular-season schedule with no top-25 teams;
-15 – Regular-season schedule with one top-25 team;
-10 – Loss by 35+ at home, 40+ neutral site, +45 on road;
-5 – Loss by 20+ at home, 22+ neutral site, 25+ on road;
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: History Repeats: Georgia, SEC stay atop T-U college football power rankings
