Evan Abrams, Betting Close Production Researcher for ESPN Stats & Info Contributes to ESPN Chalk section Worked in sports information analytics for the past decade Welcome to Week 1 of the College Football Vegas Rankings. Following the initial set of games, the No. 1 team in college football, according to our panel of handicappers, is Ohio State by a margin of 1.5 points over Alabama. The top 10 teams comprise two Big Ten teams, two Big 12 teams, three SEC teams and three Pac-12 teams. After Ohio State, Alabama and TCU, the margin of points is very minimal, as the difference between No. 4 Baylor and No. 13 LSU is just three points. The CFB Vegas Rankings are the composite power ratings of a panel of professional handicappers and college football statisticians, including fellow Insider Phil Steele, Brian Edwards and Bruce Marshall of The Gold Sheet. The ratings are intended to weigh the relative strength of the teams if they met on a neutral field and to be compared to the point spread on a given game. For example, if Alabama and UCLA were to play on a neutral field this week, the Crimson Tide would be considered a 4.5-point favorite by our ratings. Here’s a look at the 25 best teams in college football right now, according to our panel. 1. …
Continue Reading: Ohio State atop Week 1 Vegas Ranks
