ESPN computer rankings

[ProudUte]

Have the Utes as the highest-rated team in the west.  Utah is at 15th and Oregon at 22.  No other western team is in the top 25.  I am not saying I agree with it, it’s just interesting.

ESPN Rankings

[PlainsUte]

This is a Power Rating which attempts to rank teams on “how they are playing today”, so these types of rankings are going to weight recent success highly and put the Ute’s early losses in the rearview mirror versus others that are looking at the season as a complete resume’.  Both have merit depending on what you are trying to do with it.  The power ranking aims to be more predictive of the next week(s) contests, though, so that is good.

[Charlie]

I know that from a coach’s perspective, in the second half of the season, the best measure of a team is their last 3 or 4 games. They know that teams fade and come on often in a way that defies the overall record. Injuries figure in, key players have lights switch on, momentum from a big or key game can explode. What happened in September was a long time ago. In basketball, it is even more pronounced.