What is SP+? In a single sentence, it's a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. I created the system at Football Outsiders in 2008, and as my experience with both college football and its stats has grown, I have made quite a few tweaks to the system.
SP+ is intended to be predictive and forward-facing. It is not a résumé ranking that gives credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling -- no good predictive system is. It is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you're lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you're strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise.
SP+ is intended to be predictive and forward-facing. It is not a résumé ranking that gives credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling -- no good predictive system is. It is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you're lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you're strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise.
SP+ Week 6 Rankings
| TEAM | SP+ | OFF. SP+ | DEF. SP+ | SPECIAL TEAMS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Alabama (5-0) | 31.4 | 44.5 (2) | 13.4 (2) | 0.3 (21) |
| 2. Ohio St. (5-0) | 30.6 | 47.1 (1) | 16.2 (8) | -0.2 (93) |
| 3. Georgia (5-0) | 28.4 | 42.1 (4) | 14.1 (4) | 0.4 (5) |
| 4. Michigan (5-0) | 25.4 | 41.7 (6) | 16.8 (11) | 0.4 (3) |
| 5. Texas (3-2) | 22.0 | 41.2 (7) | 19.5 (23) | 0.2 (35) |
| 6. Oklahoma (3-2) | 21.5 | 42.1 (5) | 21.0 (30) | 0.4 (8) |
| 7. Ole Miss (5-0) | 20.9 | 38.3 (14) | 17.7 (16) | 0.4 (11) |
| 8. Tennessee (4-0) | 20.8 | 44.3 (3) | 23.7 (50) | 0.2 (47) |
| 9. Utah (4-1) | 19.9 | 39.1 (11) | 19.5 (24) | 0.3 (23) |
| 10. Minnesota (4-1) | 18.7 | 32.3 (43) | 13.6 (3) | 0.0 (66) |
| 11. Miss. St. (4-1) | 17.9 | 36.3 (21) | 18.8 (21) | 0.4 (7) |
| 12. Oregon (4-1) | 17.8 | 40.7 (9) | 23.0 (45) | 0.1 (55) |
| 13. Cincinnati (4-1) | 17.6 | 35.5 (24) | 17.8 (17) | -0.1 (73) |
| 14. Penn St. (5-0) | 17.5 | 32.1 (45) | 14.6 (5) | 0.0 (68) |
| 15. Kentucky (4-1) | 17.2 | 32.7 (38) | 15.8 (7) | 0.3 (27) |
| 16. UCLA (5-0) | 17.2 | 40.7 (8) | 23.4 (48) | -0.1 (75) |
| 17. Oklahoma St. (4-0) | 16.8 | 38.2 (15) | 21.7 (33) | 0.3 (15) |
| 18. Clemson (5-0) | 16.6 | 35.1 (25) | 18.6 (19) | 0.1 (60) |
| 19. LSU (4-1) | 16.4 | 33.8 (30) | 17.1 (13) | -0.3 (106) |
| 20. Baylor (3-2) | 16.1 | 33.1 (36) | 17.0 (12) | 0.0 (67) |
| 21. TCU (4-0) | 15.8 | 40.2 (10) | 24.1 (53) | -0.2 (94) |
| 22. Kansas St. (4-1) | 14.8 | 32.3 (41) | 17.4 (15) | -0.1 (74) |
| 23. Texas A&M (3-2) | 14.6 | 29.6 (63) | 14.9 (6) | -0.1 (82) |
| 24. Maryland (4-1) | 14.2 | 38.1 (17) | 24.3 (54) | 0.4 (6) |
| 25. Purdue (3-2) | 14.2 | 33.2 (34) | 18.7 (20) | -0.3 (104) |
