The Associated Press started ranking college football teams in 1936, leading to the sport’s unrivaled infatuation with pecking orders over the next 90 years. Each preseason, the AP poll kicks things off until it’s overshadowed by the College Football Playoff rankings come November. That leads to conversations about who’s placed where and why — an endless dialogue that often eclipses coverage of actual games played on Saturdays. That is, unless it’s pushed aside by palace intrigue for the upcoming coaching carousel. Having Nos. 1 through 25 beside a program’s name is a goal, but obviously doesn’t tell the whole story. A ratio or formula of how a program...
