| Auburn | #32 | #14 | 8-4 | - Against Boise St (Harbin #14, the spot the committee gives Auburn), Auburn's beaten opponents earned 230.5 Level 1 points in all (291.5 for Boise St's), a Level 2 term of 16.0 to 20.0. Auburn beat 3 teams with losing records (UL Monroe 4-8, Mississippi St 5-7 and Ole Miss 5-7) and FCS Alabama A&M, which add little to Level 2; Boise St beat no team with 9+ wins. This accounts for 4.21 of the 4.58-point rating gap (92%).
- Auburn lost 4 of its 12 games (Clemson 12-1, Texas A&M 8-4, Georgia 7-5 and Alabama 13-0), and every loss is a game worth 0 points in the Level 1 average: 8 of its 12 games earn points, against 10 of 12 for Boise St (lost to Wyoming 8-5 and Air Force 9-3). This accounts for 0.92 of the 4.58-point rating gap (20%).
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| Utah | #36 | #19 | 8-4 | - Against Stanford (Harbin #19, the spot the committee gives Utah), Utah's beaten opponents earned 223.0 Level 1 points in all (253.5 for Stanford's), a Level 2 term of 15.4 to 17.4. Utah beat 5 teams with losing records (Arizona 3-9, Oregon St 4-8, San José St 4-8, UCLA 4-8 and 1 more) and FCS Southern Utah, which add little to Level 2; Stanford beat 1 team with 9+ wins (USC 9-3). This accounts for 2.10 of the 2.94-point rating gap (71%).
- Utah lost 4 of its 12 games (California 5-7, Washington 12-1, Oregon 4-8 and Colorado 10-3), and every loss is a game worth 0 points in the Level 1 average: 8 of its 12 games earn points, against 9 of 12 for Stanford (lost to Washington 12-1, Washington St 8-4 and Colorado 10-3). This accounts for 0.50 of the 2.94-point rating gap (17%).
- Utah's wins earn less: 5.69 Level 1 points per win, against 6.33 for Stanford. 3 of its 8 wins came over teams worth less than a top-tier win (6.5): 2 over other FBS teams (5.0 each: BYU and San José St) and FCS Southern Utah (3.0); Stanford had 1 (1 over other FBS teams (5.0 each: Rice)). This accounts for 0.46 of the 2.94-point rating gap (16%).
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| Boise St | #14 | - | 10-2 | - Against Florida (Harbin #26, the first spot outside the committee's top 25), Boise St beat no team with 9+ wins, so its beaten opponents earned 291.5 Level 1 points in all (238.5 for Florida's), a Level 2 term of 20.0 to 18.2; Florida beat 3 teams with losing records (UMass 2-10, Missouri 4-8 and North Texas 5-7), which add little to Level 2. This accounts for 3.84 points, more than the whole 3.74-point rating gap; other factors pull the other way.
- Florida lost the SEC title game to Alabama (13-0): it was its 12th game and earned 0 points, so its Level 1 average fell from 4.45 to 4.08 and Alabama's 13 games went into its divisor with nothing earned; without that game Florida would rate 22.66 instead of 20.65. This accounts for 2.01 of the 3.74-point rating gap (54%).
- Boise St lost 2 of its 12 games (Wyoming 8-5 and Air Force 9-3), against 3 of 11 for Florida (lost to Tennessee 8-4, Arkansas 7-5 and Florida St 9-3), and every loss is a game worth 0 points in the Level 1 average. This accounts for 0.61 of the 3.74-point rating gap (16%).
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| Louisville | #24 | #13 | 9-3 | - Against Tennessee (Harbin #13, the spot the committee gives Louisville), Louisville's beaten opponents earned 237.0 Level 1 points in all (304.0 for Tennessee's), a Level 2 term of 16.3 to 20.8. Louisville beat 5 teams with losing records (Virginia 2-10, Marshall 3-9, Charlotte 4-8, Duke 4-8 and 1 more), which add little to Level 2; Tennessee beat 2 teams with 9+ wins (App State 9-3 and Virginia Tech 9-4). This accounts for 4.60 points, more than the whole 3.64-point rating gap; other factors pull the other way.
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| Temple | #35 | #24 | 10-3 | - Against Louisville (Harbin #24, the spot the committee gives Temple), The teams Temple played had 157 games on their schedules in all, against 145 for Louisville's, and Level 2 is divided by that total, so each team Temple beat adds less. This accounts for 1.27 of the 1.70-point rating gap (74%).
- Temple's wins earn less: 4.80 Level 1 points per win, against 6.17 for Louisville. 10 of its 10 wins came over teams worth less than a top-tier win (6.5): 9 over other FBS teams (5.0 each: Charlotte, SMU, UCF, South Florida and 5 more) and FCS Stony Brook (3.0); Louisville had 2 (2 over other FBS teams (5.0 each: Charlotte and Marshall)). This accounts for 1.04 of the 1.70-point rating gap (61%).
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| North Carolina | #17 | - | 8-4 | - Against Florida (Harbin #26, the first spot outside the committee's top 25), North Carolina beat 1 team with 9+ wins (Florida St 9-3), so its beaten opponents earned 279.0 Level 1 points in all (238.5 for Florida's), a Level 2 term of 19.5 to 18.2; Florida beat 3 teams with losing records (UMass 2-10, Missouri 4-8 and North Texas 5-7), which add little to Level 2. This accounts for 2.96 points, more than the whole 2.61-point rating gap; other factors pull the other way.
- Florida lost the SEC title game to Alabama (13-0): it was its 12th game and earned 0 points, so its Level 1 average fell from 4.45 to 4.08 and Alabama's 13 games went into its divisor with nothing earned; without that game Florida would rate 22.66 instead of 20.65. This accounts for 2.01 of the 2.61-point rating gap (77%).
- North Carolina beat 2 Harbin top-25 teams (Florida St #9 and Pitt #18) and 2 more in the top 50 (Georgia Tech #30 and Miami #31).
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| Florida | #26 | #17 | 8-4 | - Against North Carolina (Harbin #17, the spot the committee gives Florida), Florida's beaten opponents earned 238.5 Level 1 points in all (279.0 for North Carolina's), a Level 2 term of 18.2 to 19.5. Florida beat 3 teams with losing records (UMass 2-10, Missouri 4-8 and North Texas 5-7), which add little to Level 2; North Carolina beat 1 team with 9+ wins (Florida St 9-3). This accounts for 2.96 points, more than the whole 2.61-point rating gap; other factors pull the other way.
- Florida lost the SEC title game to Alabama (13-0): it was its 12th game and earned 0 points, so its Level 1 average fell from 4.45 to 4.08 and Alabama's 13 games went into its divisor with nothing earned; without that game Florida would rate 22.66 instead of 20.65. This accounts for 2.01 of the 2.61-point rating gap (77%).
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| LSU | #29 | #20 | 7-4 | - Against Houston (Harbin #20, the spot the committee gives LSU), LSU's beaten opponents earned 217.0 Level 1 points in all (259.0 for Houston's), a Level 2 term of 16.3 to 18.0. LSU beat 3 teams with losing records (Missouri 4-8, Mississippi St 5-7 and Ole Miss 5-7) and FCS Jax State, which add little to Level 2; Houston beat 3 teams with 9+ wins (Oklahoma 10-2, Louisville 9-3 and Tulsa 9-3). This accounts for 3.04 points, more than the whole 1.82-point rating gap; other factors pull the other way.
- LSU lost 4 of its 11 games (Wisconsin 10-3, Auburn 8-4, Alabama 13-0 and Florida 8-4), and every loss is a game worth 0 points in the Level 1 average: 7 of its 11 games earn points, against 9 of 12 for Houston (lost to Navy 9-3, SMU 5-7 and Memphis 8-4). This accounts for 0.62 of the 1.82-point rating gap (34%).
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| Tennessee | #13 | #21 | 8-4 | - Against Nebraska (Harbin #21, the spot the committee gives Tennessee), Tennessee beat 2 teams with 9+ wins (App State 9-3 and Virginia Tech 9-4), so its beaten opponents earned 304.0 Level 1 points in all (248.5 for Nebraska's), a Level 2 term of 20.8 to 17.0; Nebraska beat 4 teams with losing records (Fresno St 1-11, Illinois 3-9, Purdue 3-9 and Oregon 4-8), which add little to Level 2. This accounts for 3.80 points, more than the whole 2.97-point rating gap; other factors pull the other way.
- Tennessee beat no Harbin top-25 team but 4 more in the top 50 (Florida #26, Virginia Tech #27, Georgia #34 and App State #39).
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| Navy | #33 | #25 | 9-3 | - Against South Florida (Harbin #25, the spot the committee gives Navy), Navy lost the AAC title game to Temple (10-3): it was its 12th game and earned 0 points, so its Level 1 average fell from 4.05 to 3.71 and Temple's 13 games went into its divisor with nothing earned; without that game Navy would rate 21.11 instead of 19.35. This accounts for 1.76 points, more than the whole 1.43-point rating gap; other factors pull the other way.
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| W Michigan | #8 | #15 | 13-0 | - Against USC (Harbin #15, the spot the committee gives W Michigan), W Michigan beat 1 team with 9+ wins (Toledo 9-3), so its beaten opponents earned 337.5 Level 1 points in all (287.5 for USC's), a Level 2 term of 21.6 to 19.6; USC beat 7 teams with losing records (Arizona 3-9, Utah State 3-9, Notre Dame 4-8, Oregon 4-8 and 3 more), which add little to Level 2. This accounts for 3.30 points, more than the whole 2.40-point rating gap; other factors pull the other way.
- W Michigan won all 13 of its games, against 3 of 12 for USC (lost to Alabama 13-0, Stanford 9-3 and Utah 8-4), and every loss is a game worth 0 points in the Level 1 average. This accounts for 1.43 of the 2.40-point rating gap (59%).
- W Michigan's Level 2 term (21.6) ranks #9 in FBS: Harbin rewards beating teams that won a lot.
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| USC | #15 | #9 | 9-3 | - Against Florida St (Harbin #9, the spot the committee gives USC), USC's beaten opponents earned 287.5 Level 1 points in all (309.5 for Florida St's), a Level 2 term of 19.6 to 21.6. USC beat 7 teams with losing records (Arizona 3-9, Utah State 3-9, Notre Dame 4-8, Oregon 4-8 and 3 more), which add little to Level 2; Florida St beat 1 team with 9+ wins (South Florida 10-2). This accounts for 1.52 of the 1.79-point rating gap (85%).
- The teams USC played had 147 games on their schedules in all, against 143 for Florida St's, and Level 2 is divided by that total, so each team USC beat adds less. This accounts for 0.57 of the 1.79-point rating gap (32%).
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| Colorado | #16 | #10 | 10-3 | - Against Oklahoma St (Harbin #10, the spot the committee gives Colorado), Colorado lost the Pac-12 title game to Washington (12-1): it was its 13th game and earned 0 points, so its Level 1 average fell from 5.00 to 4.62 and Washington's 13 games went into its divisor with nothing earned; without that game Colorado would rate 26.01 instead of 23.88. This accounts for 2.14 points, more than the whole 1.33-point rating gap; other factors pull the other way.
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| Houston | #20 | - | 9-3 | - Florida (Harbin #26, the first spot outside the committee's top 25) lost the SEC title game to Alabama (13-0): it was its 12th game and earned 0 points, so its Level 1 average fell from 4.45 to 4.08 and Alabama's 13 games went into its divisor with nothing earned; without that game Florida would rate 22.66 instead of 20.65. This accounts for 2.01 points, more than the whole 1.17-point rating gap; other factors pull the other way.
- Houston beat 3 teams with 9+ wins (Oklahoma 10-2, Louisville 9-3 and Tulsa 9-3), so its beaten opponents earned 259.0 Level 1 points in all (238.5 for Florida's), a Level 2 term of 18.0 to 18.2; Florida beat 3 teams with losing records (UMass 2-10, Missouri 4-8 and North Texas 5-7), which add little to Level 2. This accounts for 1.49 points, more than the whole 1.17-point rating gap; other factors pull the other way.
- Houston's loss to 5-7 SMU counts no more in Harbin than a loss to a top-10 team; it is unranked in the committee ranking.
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