Do Bowl Games Affect Rankings

Do Bowl Games Affect Rankings?

It’s the end of the college football season, and everyone’s talking about bowl games! These games are exciting, and they can make a big difference in how we remember a team’s season. But do they really change how teams are ranked in the polls? Let’s dive in and find out!

Understanding College Football Rankings

Before we talk about bowl games, it’s important to understand how teams get ranked in the first place. There are two main ways: the AP Poll and the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings.

The AP Poll

The AP Poll is a list of the top 25 college football teams, put together by sports writers and broadcasters. These folks watch the games and vote on who they think are the best teams. It’s like a popularity contest, but based on how well teams play. The AP poll is mostly used for bragging rights at this point and doesn’t decide who makes the college football playoffs.

The College Football Playoff (CFP) Rankings

The CFP rankings are more important because they decide which four teams get to play in the playoffs for the national championship. This committee of people who are experts in college football puts together their own ranking. They look at many things to decide who’s the best of the best, like who a team has played, how well they’ve performed in those games, and even how convincing those wins and losses were.

How Bowl Games Fit In

Bowl games happen after the regular season but before the final rankings are released. This makes their impact a bit tricky to understand. It’s not as simple as “win a bowl game, go up in the rankings.” Several things influence whether a bowl game moves a team up or down.

Timing is Key

Most bowl games happen after the final CFP rankings are set. This means they don’t directly affect who plays for the national championship. Instead, bowl games impact where a team will be placed in the final AP poll of the season, and also, in some ways, the conversation that will happen about the team going into the next season.

The Importance of Perception

While bowl games don’t change the playoff picture, they can heavily impact perception. A big win in a prestigious bowl game can leave a lasting impression on those voting in the AP poll and influence how people feel about the team.

Factors Influencing Bowl Game Impact on Rankings

A variety of factors determine how much a bowl game impacts a team’s final ranking. It’s not just about winning, it’s about how you win, who you win against, and what the overall perception of your team is.

Strength of Opponent

Beating a team that’s also highly ranked in a prestigious bowl game will impress voters more than beating a team that had a losing record. For example, if a team ranked 10 beats a team ranked 5, this is more impactful than if they beat a team that is ranked 50. The quality of the win greatly affects how the team is perceived.

Margin of Victory

Not only does who you play matter but also how well you play. A convincing win where a team looks dominant is more likely to result in a ranking boost compared to a narrow, last-minute victory. The voters like to see the team perform well and not just get lucky.

Team’s Pre-Bowl Ranking

A team’s pre-bowl ranking sets a limit on how high it can go, even if it has an impressive bowl game win. It’s unusual for a team outside the top 15 to jump into the top 5 even with a strong bowl win. A top team has more room to make significant jumps in the rankings after a bowl win.

The Bowl Game’s Prestige

The importance of a bowl game has a big influence. Winning a New Year’s Six bowl (like the Rose Bowl or Sugar Bowl) carries much more weight than winning a lower-tier bowl game. This is because New Year’s Six bowls usually feature better opponents and gain more national attention.

The Eye Test

The ‘eye test’ refers to how good a team looks when it plays. Even without looking at numbers, if a team plays with lots of speed and skill, voters are going to consider that when they are putting together their rankings. A team playing very good football will impress voters and make them want to rank that team higher.

Examples of Bowl Game Impact

Let’s look at some hypothetical examples to make this clearer.

Scenario 1: Upset Win

Let’s imagine that Team A is ranked #12 and plays Team B, who is ranked #6 in the Orange Bowl. If Team A not only wins but dominates the game, they could jump up several spots in the final AP Poll, maybe even reaching the top 8. The reason for this jump would be that Team A not only upset a higher ranked team, but they did it in convincing fashion.

Scenario 2: Close Game, Top Ranked Team

Now consider that Team C, ranked #2, wins a very close game against Team D, ranked #10, in the Peach Bowl. While they won, the narrow victory might not move them up. Also because it is a win, it will likely not move them down. It might solidify their current ranking or possibly drop them down one spot because they did not look as dominant as some would hope for a #2 team.

Scenario 3: Lower Ranked Team, Close Loss

Imagine that Team E, ranked #20, loses a close game to Team F, ranked #15, in a lower tier bowl. Even though it’s a loss, Team E doesn’t drop too far since they performed well against a higher ranked opponent. They might drop 2-3 spots but it likely won’t have a large impact on where they finish the season.

The Bowl Game Effect on Next Season

Even if bowl games don’t change who plays for the championship, they do a lot for a team’s image and can give them momentum for next season. A big bowl win can boost a team’s recruiting, boost their fans’ excitement, and help them get a good start to the next year.

Recruiting Boost

A strong performance in a high-profile bowl game can help a school attract better players in the future. Top recruits like to go to programs that are doing well, and a successful bowl game can prove that a program is growing.

Fan Engagement

Fans also respond to how their team finishes the season. Winning a bowl game can keep the fans excited for next year and even bring in new fans to the program. This energy around the program can benefit a team in many ways.

The Final Ranking Considerations

When it comes to final rankings, several elements come into play. Bowl games are just one piece of the puzzle. Here’s a quick list of what voters are thinking about:

• Overall Record: Win-loss record during the entire season.
• Strength of Schedule: Who a team played and how strong those teams were.
• Quality Wins: Beating highly-ranked teams.
• Losses: Especially losses to lower ranked teams.
• Bowl Game Performance: How a team played in its bowl game.
• Overall Team Narrative: How voters feel about the team overall.

Why Bowl Games Matter Even Without Playoff Implications

Bowl games might not decide the national champion, but they definitely matter. They give teams a chance to:

• End the season on a high note: A win is a great way to finish the year.
• Showcase their talent: A chance for players to play well on national TV.
• Build momentum: A strong finish can help the program for next season.
• Provide great entertainment: They are exciting to watch!

The Bottom Line

Do bowl games affect rankings? Absolutely, but not in a simple way. They can influence a team’s final position in the AP poll and have a big impact on next season’s outlook. While they don’t impact who plays for the national championship, bowl games add to the fun and excitement of college football.