From: davem@uvmark.uucp (Dave Meeks)
Subject: Re: Bama Mich schedules: my last comment
Date: Fri, 06 Nov 92 16:31:09 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: VMARK Software, Inc.

In article <BILLMS.92Nov4200449@dip.eecs.umich.edu> billms@eecs.umich.edu (William Mangione-Smith) writes:
>Mich		Bama
>------------------------
>825 notre dame  678 tenn
>588 iu          640 miss
>581 purdue      549 smiss
>560 msu         542 ark
>548 iowa        518 s carolina
>527 houston     515 vandy
>521 okstate     440 latech
>461 minn        395 tulane

As someone pointed out earlier, you could also look at it as "who did each
team beat".  If you do that, then you lose the ND score and end up with
IU, Purdue, and MSU as the top three, as opposed to the Tennessee, Miss, and
S. Miss for  Bama.  Anyway, since you like "Computer Power Ratings"...

Gupta's Ratings
Michigan		Alabama
---------------------------
259.89 notre dame	234.98 tennessee
211.71 indiana		221.79 miss
183.19 purdue		198.76 smiss
173.52 msu		165.05 ark
179.50 iowa		176.03 s.carolina
185.81 houston		165.75 vandy
179.05 okstate		191.02 latech
136.03 minn		133.45 tulane

Michigan top three average = 218.26
Alabama  top three average = 218.51

Michigan overall team rank = 188.5875
Alabama  overall team rank = 185.85375

Depends alot on how and which computer rankings you look at. I have seen
others that are different still.  So, in this ranking, the average of
Alabama's top three is higher than Michigan's top three.. But, more important
is the fact that Alabama beat those top three.  And, for further fuel, against
those top three,  the average margin was the same for both teams.  I think
we can say, at this point, that Notre Dame is better than Tennessee.  And,
that Miss and S. Miss are better than IU and Purdue.  

This is a great example though about the disparity between computer rankings.
Louisiana Tech is 5-3, with victories over Baylor, E. Michigan, SW Louisiana,
E. Tenn. State, and Arkansas St. and loses to S. Miss (3 points at S. Miss),
Alabama (by 13 at Alabama), and at Fresno St.  Yes, in Marsee's rankings, he
has them BELOW Minnesota, who at 1-7, and whose only victory was at home, by
1 point, over Illinois.  However, in Gupta's ratings, they are above Minn
by a huge margin, and in fact, are above everyone but ND and IU in Michigan's
schedule.  
>
>Personally, I'd be inclined to listen to an argument that both teams have
>played rotten schedules.  Or that the difference between the two is pretty
>small.  Or that mich's is tougher because their #1 is much tougher than
>Bama's #1 (this I believe), and their average opponent is also tougher.  But
>if you want to argue that Bama's schedule puts it ahead of michigans, I think
>your not nearly as unbiased as you believe.

I agree that both played rotten schedules.. I can see if you use opponents
won-loss record that Bama played a better schedule (granter, we are talking
Marginally better in all instances), as well if you use certain computer 
rankings.  If you look at number of teams in the top 25, I also see Alabama
with more.  In just about all ways, I see Alabama marginally better, as far
as schedule goes, and at worst, even with Michigan.  And, again, the bottom
line is that Alabama has won it's 8 games, Michigan failed to win one...
>
>Bama may in fact be the better team, we probably will have a pretty good idea
>by the end of the year.  I have no idea, I haven't seen them at all.  But
>their schedule doesn't prove it, and neither team's fans are in much of a
>position to throw stones at the other.

I have no clue which is the better team, and would not state that Alabama
would beat Michigan.   I think they deserve to be RANKED higher, because they
have done better with an equal or better schedule.  
-- 
David T. Meeks            || "New shadows tugging at the corner of his eye
VMark Software, Inc.      ||  Jostling for attention as the sunlight flares
uvmark!davem@merk.com     ||  Through a curtains tear, shuffling its beams
davem%uvmark@merk.com     ||  As if in nervous anticipation of another day"
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