The Tom Bowl

Tom Bowl Formula breakdown

The Tom Bowl has decided to institute the Tom Bowl Formula for selecting the teams to invite to Tom Bowl XVII

Step 1

Begin with the top 16 teams in the nation. This selection is based on the premise that if a playoff was instituted it would be a four round process comprised of 16 teams.

Step 2 

Cross Reference the top 16 with the computer top 16. Did the team beat a team that appears in the computer composite top 16. This is based on the computer knowing something the rest of us don't.

Step 3 

Did the team beat at least three teams that were ranked when you played them minus the games lost against unranked teams. Important to note: This is whether the team beaten was ranked or unranked at the time the teams played not an end result at the completion of the year.

For example: Notre Dame defeated #23 Pittsburgh, #3 Michigan, #22 Purdue lost to unranked Michigan State. 3-1=2. Does not qualify.

This is based on the premise that there was a reason a team was ranked so high when the team played them. The pressure and expectation is higher and the fact the team beat them contributed to the other team dropping in the polls. In addition, injuries and other factors may contribute to why a team declined later in the year. Losing to an unranked team is also embarrassing and that loss, their victory, is what pulled them into the polls. Makes sense if you don't think about it.

Step 4 

Did team lose to any team remaining eligible in head to head match up.

This has to be in here somewhere. If a team loses to some other team after all that they shouldn't be here.

Step 5

Did team lose to any team remaining in the pool of eliminated teams.

It's not exactly fair to let some team stick around here and become Tom Bowl eligible if a team that was also part of the process beat them earlier.