How are the power ratings calculated during the season?
Throughout the season the power ratings are calculated by a formula based on strength of opposition and margin of victory weighted toward more recent performances. My rule is that the power ratings be “100% politically correct” through completion of the first three weeks of the season. This means that no team should be rated lower than any team it has defeated in the first three weeks of the regular season. The rationale for the power ratings being politically correct through completion of Week 3 is that it is too early in the season to confidently label any game’s outcome as a genuine upset, i.e., more unlikely than likely to be repeated if a rematch were played in the current week. Beginning with the completion of Week 4, the “100% politically correct rule” is no longer totally appropriate. That’s because some teams have improved more than others due to a variety of reasons- lineup adjustments, recovery from injury, the differing maturity rates of their young student-athletes, etc. B
