First Network Rankings of the 2013 Season

by Patrick Rhamey

All FBS teams are now connected in the web of wins and losses after only three weeks (in previous iterations I've done, it took at earliest week 5 for this to happen, so we are interconnected very early this year).  The web is shown below.  As a reminder, this is not a ranking of who is "best" (which I argue is unmeasurable) but the quality of wins minus the harm of observed losses (further explanation here).  With only three games under their belt and no losses, Auburn holds the number 1 spot in these early season rankings, held aloft in large part by Washington State's defeat of USC. 

(Note: Losses to FCS teams are not contained within the network, so South Alabama, Oregon State, and many others are not receiving the negative impacts of these losses.  Teams that lose to FCS teams tend to lose to FBS teams as well, so this should sort itself out soon enough).

Top 25 (Full Rankings):

1. Auburn
2. Oklahoma
3. Louisville
4. Alabama
5. Oregon
6. Michigan
    Central Florida
8. Arizona
9. UCLA
    South Alabama
    Washington
12. Florida State
     Oklahoma State
14. LSU
     Maryland
     Miami
     Northwestern
     Ohio State
19. Ohio
     Oregon State
21. Clemson
22. Minnesota
      Ole Miss
      Northern Illinois