2006 season

BCS era

Latest update: 2026-10-18 5:01 am ET | Week 16 status: COMPLETE

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2006 Harbin Rankings

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2006 season summary

Harbin's top two are Ohio State and Florida; the title game was Ohio State vs Florida, so Harbin got 2 of 2 right; across the whole BCS lineup (title game and four bowls), run by that year's rules, Harbin matches 8 of 10 teams.

Among games between teams the BCS standings ranked, Harbin put the loser above the winner in 14 of 38 (the BCS standings: 13), and picked 6 of 8 postseason games (the BCS standings: 6), behind the BCS standings overall.

It flags no team that looks out of place.

Measure	Harbin	BCS standings (2006-12-03)
Results contradicted (fewer is better)	14 of 38 (37%)	13 of 38 (34%)
Postseason picks right	6 of 8 (75%)	6 of 8 (75%)
Playoff field matched	8 of 10 (80%)	n/a

Field changes

Title game: Harbin Ohio State vs Florida; real Ohio State vs Florida.

Teams Harbin would add to, or drop from, the real field (the title game and the four BCS bowls).

Harbin adds

Team	Harbin	BCS standings	Why
Auburn	#6	#9	Against Notre Dame (the team it displaces), Auburn beat 2 teams with 9+ wins (Florida 12-1 and LSU 10-2), so its beaten opponents earned 340.0 Level 1 points in all (314.5 for Notre Dame's), a Level 2 term of 23.3 to 21.5; Notre Dame beat 5 teams with losing records (Stanford 1-11, Army 3-9, North Carolina 3-9, Air Force 4-8 and 1 more), which add little to Level 2. This accounts for 1.75 of the 1.75-point rating gap (100%). Harbin ranks Auburn #6 and it has 10 wins, so it is eligible (9+ wins, top 14) and the best available at-large pick; the real Sugar Bowl had Notre Dame (Harbin #12) instead. Auburn beat 2 Harbin top-25 teams (Florida #2 and LSU #8) and 2 more in the top 50 (South Carolina #37 and Washington St #45); Notre Dame, the team it displaces, has 1 top-25 win and 2 more in the top 50.
Rutgers	#10	#16	The real Sugar Bowl took LSU (at-large (#4; replaced SEC champion Florida)). Harbin ranks LSU #8, but SEC already has two teams in Harbin's lineup, the most the rules allow. Harbin's lineup has Rutgers (#10) there instead. Rutgers beat 3 teams with 9+ wins (Louisville 11-1, Navy 9-3 and Ohio 9-4), so its Level 2 term (22.3) ranks #8 in FBS; LSU's is 22.3 (#9). Rutgers (27.20) and LSU (27.30) are only 0.10 points apart: a narrow call.

Harbin drops

Team	Harbin	BCS standings	Why
LSU	#8	#4	The real Sugar Bowl took LSU (at-large (#4; replaced SEC champion Florida)). Harbin ranks LSU #8, but SEC already has two teams in Harbin's lineup, the most the rules allow. Harbin's lineup has Rutgers (#10) there instead. LSU is 10-2: its best wins are Tennessee #19 and Arkansas #20, and it lost to Auburn #6 and Florida #2. LSU (27.30) and Rutgers (27.20) are only 0.10 points apart: a narrow call.
Notre Dame	#12	#11	Against Auburn (the team that takes its place), Notre Dame's beaten opponents earned 314.5 Level 1 points in all (340.0 for Auburn's), a Level 2 term of 21.5 to 23.3. Notre Dame beat 5 teams with losing records (Stanford 1-11, Army 3-9, North Carolina 3-9, Air Force 4-8 and 1 more), which add little to Level 2; Auburn beat 2 teams with 9+ wins (Florida 12-1 and LSU 10-2). This accounts for 1.75 of the 1.75-point rating gap (100%). The real Sugar Bowl took Notre Dame (at-large (#11)). Harbin ranks Notre Dame #12 (10 wins), and its at-large berths go to better-ranked eligible teams. Harbin's lineup has Auburn (#6) there instead.

Biggest disagreements

Team	Harbin	BCS standings	W-L	Why
Wisconsin	#17	#7	11-1	Against Oklahoma (Harbin #7, the spot the BCS standings gives Wisconsin), Wisconsin's beaten opponents earned 278.0 Level 1 points in all (352.0 for Oklahoma's), a Level 2 term of 19.3 to 22.4. Wisconsin beat 6 teams with losing records (Buffalo 2-10, Illinois 2-10, San Diego St 3-9, Bowling Green 4-8 and 2 more) and FCS W Illinois, which add little to Level 2; Oklahoma beat 2 teams with 9+ wins (Nebraska 9-4 and Texas A&M 9-3). This accounts for 4.93 points, more than the whole 3.09-point rating gap; other factors pull the other way. Wisconsin has no win over a Harbin top-25 team (best win: Penn State #36).
Boston College	#15	#24	9-3	Against BYU (Harbin #24, the spot the BCS standings gives Boston College), Boston College beat 3 teams with 9+ wins (BYU 10-2, Virginia Tech 10-2 and C Michigan 9-4), so its beaten opponents earned 307.5 Level 1 points in all (249.5 for BYU's), a Level 2 term of 21.1 to 17.4; BYU beat 5 teams with losing records (Utah State 1-11, UNLV 2-9, San Diego St 3-9, Air Force 4-8 and 1 more), which add little to Level 2. This accounts for 4.01 points, more than the whole 3.66-point rating gap; other factors pull the other way. Boston College beat 2 Harbin top-25 teams (Virginia Tech #11 and BYU #24) and 4 more in the top 50 (Clemson #28, Maryland #33, C Michigan #40 and Florida St #49). Boston College's loss to 3-9 NC State counts no more in Harbin than a loss to a top-10 team; it is #24 in the BCS standings.
Arkansas	#20	#12	10-3	Against Notre Dame (Harbin #12, the spot the BCS standings gives Arkansas), Arkansas's beaten opponents earned 278.0 Level 1 points in all (314.5 for Notre Dame's), a Level 2 term of 19.4 to 21.5. Arkansas beat 5 teams with losing records (Utah State 1-11, Mississippi St 3-9, Ole Miss 4-8, UL Monroe 4-8 and 1 more) and FCS SE Missouri, which add little to Level 2; Notre Dame beat 2 teams with 9+ wins (Georgia Tech 9-4 and Navy 9-3). This accounts for 2.53 of the 4.26-point rating gap (59%). Arkansas lost the SEC title game to Florida (12-1): it was its 13th game and earned 0 points, so its Level 1 average fell from 4.88 to 4.50 and Florida's 13 games went into its divisor with nothing earned; without that game Arkansas would rate 24.32 instead of 22.32. This accounts for 2.00 of the 4.26-point rating gap (47%).
Rutgers	#10	#16	10-2	Against Texas (Harbin #16, the spot the BCS standings gives Rutgers), Rutgers beat 3 teams with 9+ wins (Louisville 11-1, Navy 9-3 and Ohio 9-4), so its beaten opponents earned 321.5 Level 1 points in all (300.5 for Texas's), a Level 2 term of 22.3 to 20.7; Texas beat 3 teams with losing records (North Texas 3-9, Baylor 4-8 and Iowa State 4-8) and FCS Sam Houston, which add little to Level 2. This accounts for 1.45 of the 2.14-point rating gap (68%). Rutgers lost 2 of its 12 games (Cincinnati 7-5 and West Virginia 10-2), against 3 of 12 for Texas (lost to Ohio State 12-0, Kansas St 7-5 and Texas A&M 9-3), and every loss is a game worth 0 points in the Level 1 average. This accounts for 0.48 of the 2.14-point rating gap (23%). Rutgers beat 1 Harbin top-25 team (Louisville #5) and 2 more in the top 50 (South Florida #38 and Ohio #46).

Compared with BCS standings of 2006-12-03. Written 2026-10-17 from games through 2006-12-03.