Top 2 5 10 15 20
Avg. 1.0 1.4 1.8 3.33 3.9
"=" 1 3 5 6 7
OBO 0 0 0 0 0

(The top 25 column is excluded here since the UPI poll does not list any teams outside of the top 20.)
 

 


Table Legend

Rewards standings before the bowl games and after them.

Commentary: The Rewards system didn't think too highly of undefeated BYU's lackluster schedule of opponents, and had them ranked as only #5 before their win over Michigan in the Holiday Bowl, and only as #3 thereafter. Washington moved up to #2 after defeating Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, but still trailed Florida (who was on probation, and was therefore ineligible for any postseason contests), a team that finished #3 in the AP, and #7 in the UPI, respectively. (The Gators final Rewards rating - 6.4431- is one of the lowest totals of any team to be ranked #1 by the Rewards system.) Even though 7 teams in the top 20 had "exactly" the same ranking in the polls as was determined by the Rewards technique, none of the other 13 teams were closer than two away from their final position in the polls. Rewards ranked Kentucky highly (#11) though they were only #19 in the polls. In the other direction, Ohio State and Auburn were ranked #20 and #21 by Rewards, but fared better in the polls, finishing as #13/#12 and #14. (Auburn completed a stronger schedule than Kentucky, but they lost four games, as opposed to three by Kentucky and Ohio State; the latter's overall schedule was mathematically not as challenging as Kentucky's in regards to who they defeated and to whom they lost.)

(This page last modified July 02, 2007 .)