| Oklahoma St | #32 | #19 | 9-3 | - Against TCU (Harbin #19, the spot the committee gives Oklahoma St), Oklahoma St's beaten opponents earned 217.5 Level 1 points in all (279.0 for TCU's), a Level 2 term of 14.9 to 19.4. Oklahoma St beat 5 teams with losing records (Baylor 1-11, Kansas 1-11, Tulsa 2-10, South Alabama 4-8 and 1 more), which add little to Level 2; TCU beat 1 team with 9+ wins (Oklahoma St 9-3). This accounts for 4.24 points, more than the whole 2.86-point rating gap; other factors pull the other way.
- Oklahoma St lost 3 of its 12 games (TCU 10-3, Oklahoma 12-1 and Kansas St 7-5), and every loss is a game worth 0 points in the Level 1 average: 9 of its 12 games earn points, against 10 of 12 for TCU (lost to Iowa State 7-5 and Oklahoma 12-1). This accounts for 0.51 of the 2.86-point rating gap (18%).
- Oklahoma St has no win over a Harbin top-25 team (best win: Iowa State #34).
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| Boise St | #17 | #25 | 10-3 | - Against Toledo (Harbin #25, the spot the committee gives Boise St), Boise St beat 3 teams with 9+ wins (San Diego St 10-2, Troy 10-2 and Fresno St 9-4), so its beaten opponents earned 308.0 Level 1 points in all (266.5 for Toledo's), a Level 2 term of 19.4 to 17.0; Toledo beat 5 teams with losing records (Ball State 2-10, Bowling Green 2-10, Tulsa 2-10, Nevada 3-9 and 1 more) and FCS Elon, which add little to Level 2. This accounts for 2.63 points, more than the whole 2.17-point rating gap; other factors pull the other way.
- Boise St beat 2 Harbin top-25 teams (San Diego St #22 and Troy #24) and 1 more in the top 50 (Fresno St #43).
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| FAU | #18 | - | 10-3 | - Against NC State (Harbin #26, the first spot outside the committee's top 25), FAU beat 1 team with 9+ wins (North Texas 9-4), so its beaten opponents earned 295.5 Level 1 points in all (241.0 for NC State's), a Level 2 term of 18.7 to 16.7; NC State beat 3 teams with losing records (North Carolina 3-9, Syracuse 4-8 and Pitt 5-7) and FCS Furman, which add little to Level 2. This accounts for 3.62 points, more than the whole 1.74-point rating gap; other factors pull the other way.
- FAU lost 3 of its 13 games (Navy 6-5, Wisconsin 12-1 and Buffalo 6-6), against 4 of 12 for NC State (lost to South Carolina 8-4, Notre Dame 9-3, Clemson 12-1 and Wake Forest 7-5), and every loss is a game worth 0 points in the Level 1 average. This accounts for 0.55 of the 1.74-point rating gap (31%).
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| Memphis | #28 | #20 | 10-2 | - Against Virginia Tech (Harbin #20, the spot the committee gives Memphis), Memphis lost the AAC title game to UCF (12-0): it was its 12th game and earned 0 points, so its Level 1 average fell from 4.50 to 4.13 and UCF's 12 games went into its divisor with nothing earned; without that game Memphis would rate 22.19 instead of 20.32. This accounts for 1.87 points, more than the whole 1.53-point rating gap; other factors pull the other way.
- Memphis's beaten opponents earned 230.0 Level 1 points in all (250.5 for Virginia Tech's), a Level 2 term of 17.7 to 17.5. Memphis beat 5 teams with losing records (Tulsa 2-10, East Carolina 3-9, UConn 3-9, UL Monroe 4-8 and 1 more) and FCS S Illinois, which add little to Level 2; Virginia Tech beat no team with 9+ wins. This accounts for 1.51 of the 1.53-point rating gap (98%).
- Memphis's wins earn less: 4.95 Level 1 points per win, against 5.78 for Virginia Tech. 9 of its 10 wins came over teams worth less than a top-tier win (6.5): 8 over other FBS teams (5.0 each: UL Monroe, UConn, Navy, Houston and 4 more) and FCS S Illinois (3.0); Virginia Tech had 3 (2 over other FBS teams (5.0 each: East Carolina and Old Dominion) and FCS Delaware (3.0)). This accounts for 0.69 of the 1.53-point rating gap (45%).
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| Mississippi St | #31 | #23 | 8-4 | - Against LSU (Harbin #23, the spot the committee gives Mississippi St), Mississippi St's beaten opponents earned 231.5 Level 1 points in all (241.5 for LSU's), a Level 2 term of 15.9 to 16.8. Mississippi St beat 3 teams with losing records (Arkansas 4-8, BYU 4-9 and UMass 4-8) and FCS Charleston So, which add little to Level 2; LSU beat 1 team with 9+ wins (Auburn 10-3). This accounts for 0.69 of the 1.71-point rating gap (40%).
- Mississippi St lost 4 of its 12 games (Georgia 12-1, Auburn 10-3, Alabama 11-1 and Ole Miss 6-6), 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 LSU (lost to Mississippi St 8-4, Troy 10-2 and Alabama 11-1). This accounts for 0.48 of the 1.71-point rating gap (28%).
- Mississippi St's wins earn less: 5.50 Level 1 points per win, against 5.94 for LSU. 4 of its 8 wins came over teams worth less than a top-tier win (6.5): 3 over other FBS teams (5.0 each: Louisiana Tech, BYU and UMass) and FCS Charleston So (3.0); LSU had 2 (1 over other FBS teams (5.0 each: BYU) and FCS Chattanooga (3.0)). This accounts for 0.31 of the 1.71-point rating gap (18%).
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| UCF | #5 | #12 | 12-0 | - Auburn (Harbin #12, the spot the committee gives UCF) lost the SEC title game to Georgia (12-1): it was its 13th game and earned 0 points, so its Level 1 average fell from 4.88 to 4.50 and Georgia's 13 games went into its divisor with nothing earned; without that game Auburn would rate 29.50 instead of 27.09. This accounts for 2.40 of the 3.39-point rating gap (71%).
- UCF won all 12 of its games, against 2 of 12 for Auburn (lost to Clemson 12-1 and LSU 9-3), and every loss is a game worth 0 points in the Level 1 average. This accounts for 0.90 of the 3.39-point rating gap (27%).
- UCF beat 2 teams with 9+ wins (Memphis 10-2 and South Florida 9-2), so its beaten opponents earned 365.0 Level 1 points in all (357.0 for Auburn's), a Level 2 term of 25.5 to 24.6; Auburn beat 3 teams with losing records (GA Southern 2-10, Arkansas 4-8 and UL Monroe 4-8) and FCS Mercer, which add little to Level 2. This accounts for 0.56 of the 3.39-point rating gap (16%).
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| LSU | #23 | #17 | 9-3 | - Against Boise St (Harbin #17, the spot the committee gives LSU), LSU's beaten opponents earned 241.5 Level 1 points in all (308.0 for Boise St's), a Level 2 term of 16.8 to 19.4. LSU beat 5 teams with losing records (Arkansas 4-8, BYU 4-9, Florida 4-7, Syracuse 4-8 and 1 more) and FCS Chattanooga, which add little to Level 2; Boise St beat 3 teams with 9+ wins (San Diego St 10-2, Troy 10-2 and Fresno St 9-4). This accounts for 4.40 points, more than the whole 1.99-point rating gap; other factors pull the other way.
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