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

ELO ratings can predict game outcomes and point spreads. A team with 50 more ELO points is expected to win by about 3 points on a neutral field.

EHAM College Football ELO Rankings

Current Rankings Weekly View ELO Chart Upcoming Games Opening Lines
Model
Lattice Elo
RankTeamELO
1 Indiana 2172
2 Ohio State 2137
3 Notre Dame 2104
4 Oregon 2096
5 Georgia 2032
6 Texas Tech 2022
7 Ole Miss 2013
8 Texas A&M 1997
9 Texas 1991
10 Utah 1978
11 Miami 1975
12 Alabama 1957
13 Oklahoma 1948
14 Iowa 1947
15 Washington 1947
16 USC 1947
17 Vanderbilt 1942
18 BYU 1937
19 Penn State 1926
20 Michigan 1920
21 Tennessee 1893
22 Missouri 1887
23 SMU 1876
24 South Carolina 1874
25 Florida 1859
26 Arizona 1857
27 Kansas State 1841
28 Illinois 1831
29 LSU 1831
30 Clemson 1822
31 Auburn 1817
32 Northwestern 1815
33 Louisville 1810
34 Houston 1799
35 TCU 1798
36 Nebraska 1785
37 Minnesota 1783
38 Iowa State 1779
39 NC State 1776
40 Arkansas 1768
41 Pittsburgh 1767
42 Arizona State 1761
43 Baylor 1758
44 Florida State 1757
45 Rutgers 1754
46 Wisconsin 1752
47 Georgia Tech 1750
48 Mississippi State 1738
49 Virginia 1737
50 Kentucky 1733
51 James Madison 1731
52 Duke 1725
53 Washington State 1720
54 Kansas 1720
55 South Florida 1715
56 Boise State 1710
57 Michigan State 1700
58 UCLA 1697
59 Maryland 1694
60 Cincinnati 1693
61 San Diego State 1679
62 UTSA 1678
63 UCF 1676
64 Wake Forest 1674
65 North Texas 1667
66 Toledo 1659
67 Texas State 1658
68 Virginia Tech 1652
69 California 1647
70 Army 1645
71 Tulane 1637
72 East Carolina 1636
73 Old Dominion 1635
74 Purdue 1633
75 Navy 1630
76 Colorado 1621
77 West Virginia 1612
78 Western Michigan 1610
79 UConn 1610
80 Boston College 1610
81 Utah State 1599
82 Marshall 1593
83 Fresno State 1592
84 Memphis 1590
85 North Carolina 1586
86 Stanford 1582
87 UNLV 1574
88 Ohio 1572
89 New Mexico 1561
90 Hawai'i 1551
91 Syracuse 1550
92 Air Force 1520
93 Western Kentucky 1507
94 Louisiana 1507
95 Virginia Union 1500
96 Hofstra 1500
97 WVU Tech 1500
98 Northeastern 1500
99 Northwestern (OK) 1499
100 Oklahoma State 1499
101 Louisiana Tech 1497
102 South Alabama 1496
103 Oregon State 1488
104 Yale 1486
105 Troy 1484
106 Miami (OH) 1473
107 Savannah St 1472
108 Temple 1470
109 Southern Miss 1458
110 Jacksonville State 1454
111 Florida Atlantic 1446
112 Georgia Southern 1440
113 UAB 1439
114 Arkansas State 1437
115 Colorado State 1431
116 Wyoming 1430
117 Liberty 1413
118 Nevada 1411
119 Central Michigan 1408
120 Tulsa 1408
121 Drake 1407
122 Northern Illinois 1404
123 San Diego 1400
124 Delaware 1400
125 Morehead State 1399
126 App State 1399
127 North Dakota State 1395
128 Eastern Michigan 1391
129 Presbyterian 1382
130 Idaho 1379
131 Florida International 1374
132 Akron 1374
133 Coastal Carolina 1372
134 Missouri State 1366
135 San José State 1364
136 Sacramento State 1364
137 Rice 1362
138 Georgia State 1357
139 Kennesaw State 1357
140 Buffalo 1354
141 North Dakota 1341
142 Bowling Green 1338
143 UL Monroe 1321
144 Charlotte 1317
145 Northern Arizona 1304
146 Southern Illinois 1300
147 Montana State 1294
148 Montana 1292
149 South Dakota State 1292
150 Middle Tennessee 1290
151 New Mexico State 1285
152 Kent State 1282
153 Austin Peay 1280
154 Idaho State 1279
155 Illinois State 1273
156 Weber State 1271
157 UTEP 1270
158 Valparaiso 1267
159 South Dakota 1267
160 Northern Colorado 1262
161 Youngstown State 1258
162 Sam Houston 1255
163 Tarleton State 1243
164 Ball State 1240
165 Northern Iowa 1237
166 UC Davis 1236
167 Eastern Washington 1232
168 Holy Cross 1228
169 Abilene Christian 1224
170 Southern Utah 1209
171 Cal Poly 1203
172 UAlbany 1198
173 Elon 1194
174 Villanova 1187
175 Utah Tech 1185
176 Portland State 1185
177 Towson 1175
178 William & Mary 1174
179 Central Arkansas 1172
180 Monmouth 1172
181 Lehigh 1167
182 Indiana State 1162
183 Rhode Island 1158
184 Richmond 1156
185 Hampton 1149
186 Samford 1148
187 Eastern Kentucky 1146
188 New Hampshire 1144
189 Furman 1144
190 Murray State 1144
191 Gardner-Webb 1141
192 Western Carolina 1134
193 The Citadel 1133
194 Wofford 1129
195 Maine 1129
196 Chattanooga 1128
197 Lafayette 1127
198 Bucknell 1122
199 Bryant 1121
200 Fordham 1120
201 Mercer 1117
202 Stony Brook 1112
203 Stephen F. Austin 1112
204 Southeast Missouri State 1110
205 Nicholls 1104
206 Charleston Southern 1102
207 Tennessee Tech 1096
208 North Alabama 1096
209 Colgate 1092
210 Lindenwood 1091
211 East Tennessee State 1090
212 Incarnate Word 1090
213 UT Martin 1089
214 Tennessee State 1085
215 Merrimack 1085
216 VMI 1080
217 Eastern Illinois 1078
218 Western Illinois 1071
219 Campbell 1070
220 North Carolina A&T 1064
221 Sacred Heart 1064
222 Lamar 1050
223 East Texas A&M 1050
224 SE Louisiana 1036
225 Massachusetts 1036
226 McNeese 1029
227 South Carolina State 1026
228 Houston Christian 1011
229 Alabama State 1006
230 Morgan State 995
231 Long Island University 991
232 Jackson State 989
233 Howard 988
234 Delaware State 987
235 Mississippi Valley State 984
236 North Carolina Central 983
237 Bethune-Cookman 972
238 Florida A&M 965
239 Robert Morris 963
240 Prairie View A&M 955
241 Grambling 954
242 Norfolk State 954
243 Southern 945
244 Alabama A&M 943
245 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 942
246 St. Francis (PA) 920
247 Texas Southern 913
248 Central Connecticut 912
249 Alcorn State 905
250 Wagner 904
251 Duquesne 884
252 Northwestern State 873