The Elevation Index
Elevation Index
Twenty Western teams ranked by résumé, not record. Who you played, whether you won, how close it was, and how recently. An FCS loss is the biggest penalty in the system. Every position below has a reason.
| # | Team | Rec | Move | Score | Why |
|---|
How it works
Every game gets a score. Wins earn points for opponent quality, a win bonus that scales with the opponent, and a margin bonus with diminishing returns. Losses to elite teams earn real credit if they're close — a near-upset of a ranked team is worth more than most wins over bad ones. Losses to bad teams cost more the wider they get, and a 28-point-plus loss to a non-elite team takes an extra hit. FCS wins are capped low. FCS losses start at −35 before margin. Recent games count noticeably more — last week is worth 100%, the week before 82%, and it keeps sliding — but nothing ages out. The season score is the sum, and ties break on quality wins, strength of wins, quality losses, fewer bad losses, point differential and the most recent result — never on record.