We’re down to less than three weeks before the first snap of the 2016 college football season. Let the official countdown begin.
MasseyRatings.com, which was created by Kenneth Massey — a sports statistician known for his development of a methodology for ranking and rating sports teams in a variety of sports — is an interesting destination where you can get a different perspective on every FBS team entering the new year. Jam-packed with data, Massey comes up with a formula to determine how each team might perform, calculating odds for wins and losses on the upcoming schedule(s).
For example, the Massey Ratings state that Alabama will finish the regular season with a 12-0 record, with a Week 3 trip to Ole Miss being the most difficult game on the schedule. (The Crimson Tide only have a 68 percent chance to win that matchup, whereas they have a 100 percent chance to beat Kent State and Chattanooga.)
More interesting, however, might be the fact that calls for five different SEC teams to finish with double-digit wins, including three from the West division.
Here’s how the formula predicts every SEC team will do in 2016:
Alabama: 12-0 (8-0 SEC)
Arkansas: 10-2 (6-2)
Auburn: 5-7 (2-6)
Florida: 7-5 (4-4)
Georgia: 10-2 (6-2)
Kentucky: 4-8 (1-7)
LSU: 9-3 (5-3)
Mississippi State: 8-4 (4-4)
Missouri: 5-7 (2-6)
Ole Miss: 11-1 (7-1)
South Carolina: 6-6 (3-5)
Tennessee: 11-1 (7-1)
Texas A&M: 5-7 (1-7)
Vanderbilt: 2-10 (0-8)
Tyler Waddell is a member of the Saturday Down South news team. He brings over five years of professional journalism experience and is closing in on a Bachelor's in sports management. Follow him on Twitter (@Tyler_Waddell).
