The latest SP+ rankings from ESPN are out following the second week of major college football action, and the SEC teams are represented at and near the top.
Bill Connelly explained the change from his first rankings: “The previous rank column … refers to where teams ranked in the preseason projections among only teams scheduled to play this fall at the moment. So while Alabama and UTEP were originally projected second and 128th, respectively, their previous rankings below are first and 77th because the teams above Bama and below UTEP aren’t scheduled to play.”
SP+ is off to a good start against the spread, despite all the turnover and uncertainty of the offseason, and coronavirus protocols. SP+ has started the season performing quite well. It’s 12-6 against the spread so far (67%) and 13-5 on over-unders (72%).
There are six SEC teams in the top 10, and eight in the top 20.
Here is the SEC rundown:
1. Alabama
3. Georgia
5. Florida
7. Auburn
8. Texas A&M
9. LSU
13. Tennessee
16. Kentucky
24. South Carolina
25. Ole Miss
34. Missouri
35. Mississippi State
47. Arkansas
68. Vanderbilt
This is how Bill Connelly describes his system:
What is SP+? In a single sentence, it’s a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. SP+ is intended to be predictive and forward-facing. That is important to remember. It is not a résumé ranking that gives credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling — no good predictive system is. It is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you’re lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you’re strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
