How the ELO System Works

What is ELO?

ELO is a rating system originally developed for chess that measures the relative skill level of teams. In college football, it provides a more accurate ranking than traditional polls by empirically considering strength of schedule.

How Teams Gain/Lose ELO

Starting Values

Teams start each season with ELO ratings based on their previous year's final ELO ratings, regressed 5% towards the mean of 1500. New teams or teams without history start at 1500.

Predictions

Ten rating points are one point of spread on a neutral field: a team rated 30 points higher is a 3-point favourite, and playing at home is worth another 3.3. The ratings include our adjustment for how each team has been running against the betting market, so the gap is the spread the model actually predicts.

EHAM College Football ELO Rankings

Current Rankings Weekly View ELO Chart Upcoming Games Opening Lines Tracker
Model
Lattice Elo
RankTeamELO
1 Ohio State 1927
2 Notre Dame 1925
3 Georgia 1923
4 Alabama 1904
5 Miami 1896
6 Indiana 1894
7 Texas 1848
8 LSU 1838
9 Oregon 1837
10 Utah 1834
11 Texas Tech 1804
12 Missouri 1798
13 UCLA 1797
14 Ole Miss 1795
15 BYU 1783
16 Nebraska 1778
17 Tennessee 1772
18 Oklahoma 1770
19 Houston 1768
20 USC 1764
21 Iowa 1753
22 Wake Forest 1750
23 Florida 1746
24 Arizona 1743
25 Louisville 1742
26 Wisconsin 1737
27 South Carolina 1734
28 Northwestern 1732
29 Michigan 1732
30 Texas A&M 1731
31 Mississippi State 1730
32 Penn State 1728
33 Boise State 1725
34 Kentucky 1725
35 Auburn 1723
36 Baylor 1716
37 Washington 1699
38 Oklahoma State 1697
39 Kansas State 1690
40 Oregon State 1689
41 SMU 1688
42 Kansas 1683
43 Pittsburgh 1681
44 TCU 1679
45 North Carolina 1677
46 Virginia Tech 1672
47 Florida State 1672
48 Iowa State 1671
49 Duke 1666
50 Illinois 1659
51 Purdue 1653
52 Virginia 1652
53 James Madison 1652
54 New Mexico 1647
55 Clemson 1642
56 Memphis 1633
57 UCF 1626
58 Minnesota 1624
59 NC State 1617
60 Cincinnati 1616
61 Texas State 1616
62 Arizona State 1614
63 West Virginia 1609
64 Vanderbilt 1608
65 Arkansas 1608
66 Michigan State 1604
67 UTSA 1599
68 North Dakota State 1598
69 Syracuse 1598
70 North Texas 1598
71 Fresno State 1595
72 Liberty 1592
73 Maryland 1586
74 Georgia Tech 1585
75 Army 1584
76 Colorado 1580
77 UNLV 1574
78 South Florida 1566
79 California 1563
80 Tulane 1563
81 Rutgers 1551
82 UConn 1548
83 Air Force 1547
84 Georgia State 1542
85 Georgia Southern 1540
86 Western Michigan 1538
87 East Carolina 1537
88 Utah State 1534
89 Florida Atlantic 1530
90 Temple 1529
91 Washington State 1529
92 Louisiana Tech 1527
93 Navy 1527
94 Toledo 1525
95 Louisiana 1525
96 Troy 1523
97 Boston College 1516
98 Tulsa 1516
99 Virginia Union 1500
100 Hofstra 1500
101 WVU Tech 1500
102 Northeastern 1500
103 Northwestern (OK) 1500
104 App State 1496
105 South Alabama 1494
106 Yale 1492
107 Savannah St 1483
108 Jacksonville State 1482
109 Miami (OH) 1481
110 Florida International 1478
111 Old Dominion 1476
112 Ohio 1475
113 Colorado State 1475
114 Arkansas State 1473
115 San Diego State 1469
116 Nevada 1463
117 Stanford 1460
118 Idaho State 1456
119 Montana State 1456
120 Rice 1454
121 Marshall 1450
122 UAB 1450
123 Drake 1444
124 Coastal Carolina 1442
125 Western Kentucky 1441
126 Central Michigan 1441
127 San José State 1441
128 San Diego 1440
129 Morehead State 1440
130 South Dakota State 1440
131 North Dakota 1430
132 Presbyterian 1429
133 Buffalo 1429
134 Kennesaw State 1427
135 Eastern Michigan 1427
136 Wyoming 1425
137 South Dakota 1424
138 Bowling Green 1423
139 Hawai'i 1421
140 Delaware 1418
141 New Mexico State 1407
142 Southern Miss 1406
143 Northern Arizona 1400
144 Massachusetts 1396
145 Illinois State 1393
146 Abilene Christian 1391
147 Missouri State 1391
148 Idaho 1390
149 Tarleton State 1390
150 Gardner-Webb 1389
151 Austin Peay 1389
152 Northern Illinois 1382
153 Middle Tennessee 1376
154 Sam Houston 1372
155 Kent State 1368
156 Valparaiso 1360
157 Youngstown State 1359
158 Northern Colorado 1358
159 Montana 1351
160 Ball State 1350
161 Akron 1343
162 Southern Illinois 1342
163 UAlbany 1341
164 Eastern Washington 1338
165 Cal Poly 1332
166 Central Arkansas 1328
167 Weber State 1327
168 UL Monroe 1324
169 UT Rio Grande Valley 1323
170 Indiana State 1322
171 Elon 1316
172 UTEP 1308
173 North Alabama 1308
174 Towson 1306
175 Colgate 1304
176 Southeast Missouri State 1301
177 Lehigh 1300
178 The Citadel 1299
179 Western Illinois 1297
180 UC Davis 1293
181 Northern Iowa 1293
182 Villanova 1287
183 Charlotte 1287
184 Rhode Island 1286
185 Samford 1281
186 Chattanooga 1277
187 Furman 1277
188 Monmouth 1271
189 Utah Tech 1271
190 East Tennessee State 1268
191 Stephen F. Austin 1267
192 Southern Utah 1265
193 SE Louisiana 1264
194 Mercer 1260
195 Holy Cross 1258
196 Tennessee Tech 1258
197 Maine 1253
198 Tennessee State 1250
199 UT Martin 1247
200 Sacramento State 1247
201 Alabama State 1245
202 Charleston Southern 1244
203 Wofford 1236
204 William & Mary 1234
205 McNeese 1233
206 Campbell 1230
207 Lamar 1223
208 Eastern Kentucky 1220
209 Long Island University 1218
210 Lafayette 1216
211 South Carolina State 1215
212 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 1215
213 Stony Brook 1215
214 Western Carolina 1213
215 Bucknell 1207
216 Stonehill 1204
217 Prairie View A&M 1202
218 Eastern Illinois 1199
219 Merrimack 1198
220 Fordham 1196
221 Robert Morris 1194
222 Bryant 1193
223 Jackson State 1193
224 Sacred Heart 1193
225 North Carolina Central 1191
226 Murray State 1190
227 Portland State 1182
228 New Hampshire 1180
229 North Carolina A&T 1179
230 East Texas A&M 1178
231 Lindenwood 1178
232 Hampton 1177
233 Incarnate Word 1173
234 Delaware State 1172
235 Houston Christian 1166
236 Alabama A&M 1166
237 Howard 1165
238 Florida A&M 1157
239 Norfolk State 1156
240 Richmond 1155
241 St. Francis (PA) 1152
242 VMI 1146
243 Grambling 1137
244 Duquesne 1132
245 Morgan State 1120
246 Bethune-Cookman 1113
247 Southern 1110
248 Central Connecticut 1095
249 Alcorn State 1083
250 Nicholls 1075
251 Wagner 1052
252 Mississippi Valley State 1051
253 Texas Southern 1021
254 Northwestern State 1020
255 Mercyhurst 991
256 West Georgia 968