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2010 Football-Academic Index

We all know that Auburn won the BCS title game over Oregon and TCU capped off an undefeated season with a win in the Rose Bowl. But do you know what football program finished first in the classroom last season?

Try Notre Dame. Yep, according to the latest NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) Report, the Fighting Irish graduated 97 percent of their players and ranked first among 120 FBS teams. Other teams near the top of the list should surprise no one: Northwestern, Boston College, Duke, Rice and the three service academies.

Now, that got us thinking. What if we ranked all 120 teams according to their combined academic and football prowess, giving equal weight to each? This way, we can find out which programs have the best of both worlds, achieving success both on the football field and in the classrooms.

Using the NCAA GSR Report and Jeff Sagarin’s computer ratings (his conventional version, not the Elo-Chess model developed for the BCS), here’s our Football-Academic Index for the 2010-11 season:

(Published in conjunction with RealClearSports, with contributions from Robbie Gillies)

Rank School Conference GSR % GSR Rk Sagarin Total AP
1 Stanford University Pac-12 Conference 87 10 2 12 4
2 University of Notre Dame Independent 97 1 19 20 33
3 Texas Christian University Mountain West Conference 78 21 4 25 2
4 Virginia Polytechnic Institute Atlantic Coast Conference 79 17 13 30 16
5 Louisiana State University Southeastern Conference 77 24 8 32 8
6 University of Iowa Big Ten Conference 83 15 21 36 27
7 Boise State University Western Athletic Conference 74 35 6 41 9
8 University of Miami (Florida) Atlantic Coast Conference 88 8 40 48  
9 University of Alabama Southeastern Conference 69 44 5 49 10
10 U.S. Air Force Academy Mountain West Conference 84 14 37 51 35
10 University of Florida Southeastern Conference 76 27 24 51 31
12 Boston College Atlantic Coast Conference 93 3 49 52  
13 University of Washington Pac-12 Conference 76 27 28 55  
13 The Ohio State University Big Ten Conference 67 48 7 55 5
15 University of Central Florida Conference USA 79 17 42 59 21
15 University of Nevada Western Athletic Conference 70 43 16 59 11
17 U.S. Naval Academy Independent 91 6 54 60 36
17 Pennsylvania State University Big Ten Conference 87 10 50 60  
19 University of Wisconsin Big Ten Conference 66 51 12 63 7
20 Auburn University Southeastern Conference 63 63 1 64 1
21 Syracuse University Big East Conference 79 17 48 65  
22 University of Illinois Big Ten Conference 76 27 39 66  
22 West Virginia University Big East Conference 75 30 36 66 32
22 Oklahoma State University Big 12 Conference 65 55 11 66 13
22 University of Oregon Pac-12 Conference 63 63 3 66 3
26 University of Missouri Big 12 Conference 66 51 17 68 18
27 Northwestern University Big Ten Conference 94 2 68 70  
28 University of North Carolina Atlantic Coast Conference 75 30 41 71  
29 University of Nebraska Big 12 Conference 67 48 27 75 20
30 U.S. Military Academy Independent 88 8 69 77  
31 University of Cincinnati Big East Conference 79 17 64 81  
32 Arizona State University Pac-12 Conference 64 59 23 82  
33 Miami University (Ohio) Mid-American Conference 86 12 71 83  
33 Northern Illinois University Mid-American Conference 73 37 46 83 29
33 Mississippi State University Southeastern Conference 62 68 15 83 15
36 University of Connecticut Big East Conference 75 30 55 85 34
37 University of Southern Mississippi Conference USA 78 21 66 87  
37 University of Pittsburgh Big East Conference 65 55 32 87  
39 Texas Tech University Big 12 Conference 68 45 43 88  
40 Duke University Atlantic Coast Conference 93 3 86 89  
40 Rutgers, State Univ of New Jersey Big East Conference 89 7 82 89  
42 University of Utah Mountain West Conference 62 68 26 94 26
43 University of Michigan Big Ten Conference 71 40 57 97  
44 University of Tulsa Conference USA 63 63 35 98 24
44 University of Southern California Pac-12 Conference 61 76 22 98  
46 Michigan State University Big Ten Conference 62 68 31 99 14
47 University of Louisville Big East Conference 66 51 51 102  
48 Rice University Conference USA 93 3 101 104  
49 Texas A&M University Big 12 Conference 59 85 20 105 19
50 Wake Forest University Atlantic Coast Conference 81 16 90 106  
51 University of Georgia Southeastern Conference 65 55 53 108  
52 University of Arkansas Southeastern Conference 56 101 9 110 12
53 Oregon State University Pac-12 Conference 60 82 29 111  
54 Vanderbilt University Southeastern Conference 86 12 100 112  
55 Louisiana Tech University Western Athletic Conference 75 30 83 113  
56 Southern Methodist University Conference USA 72 39 76 115  
56 Florida State University Atlantic Coast Conference 56 101 14 115 17
58 Marshall University Conference USA 77 24 93 117  
59 Utah State University Western Athletic Conference 77 24 94 118  
60 North Carolina State University Atlantic Coast Conference 56 101 18 119 25
61 Clemson University Atlantic Coast Conference 62 68 52 120  
62 University of Idaho Western Athletic Conference 71 40 81 121  
63 Colorado State University Mountain West Conference 78 21 102 123  
63 University of Maryland Atlantic Coast Conference 59 85 38 123 23
65 University of Virginia Atlantic Coast Conference 68 45 79 124  
65 Kansas State University Big 12 Conference 62 68 56 124  
67 Iowa State University Big 12 Conference 63 63 62 125  
68 Baylor University Big 12 Conference 62 68 58 126  
68 University of Oklahoma Big 12 Conference 48 116 10 126 6
70 Troy University Sun Belt Conference 65 55 74 129  
71 Ohio University Mid-American Conference 71 40 91 131  
72 University of South Carolina Southeastern Conference 55 107 25 132 22
73 Arkansas State University Sun Belt Conference 73 37 96 133  
74 San Diego State University Mountain West Conference 56 101 34 135 28
75 University of Tennessee Southeastern Conference 61 76 60 136  
76 Indiana University Big Ten Conference 66 51 88 139  
77 California State University, Fresno Western Athletic Conference 62 68 72 140  
78 Washington State University Pac-12 Conference 62 68 73 141  
78 Brigham Young University Mountain West Conference 57 96 45 141 38
80 University of Toledo Mid-American Conference 64 59 84 143  
80 University of California, Berkeley Pac-12 Conference 54 110 33 143  
82 University of California, Los Angeles Pac-12 Conference 59 85 59 144  
83 Temple University Mid-American Conference 60 82 63 145  
84 University of Memphis Conference USA 75 30 116 146  
84 University of Kentucky Southeastern Conference 61 76 70 146  
84 University of Arizona Pac-12 Conference 48 116 30 146  
87 Bowling Green State University Mid-American Conference 74 35 113 148 30
88 Tulane University Conference USA 68 45 105 150  
88 University of Colorado Big 12 Conference 59 85 65 150  
90 University of Wyoming Mountain West Conference 64 59 92 151  
91 Kent State University Mid-American Conference 64 59 98 157  
91 University of Texas Big 12 Conference 57 96 61 157  
93 University of South Florida Big East Conference 49 115 44 159  
94 University of Hawaii Western Athletic Conference 51 113 47 160 37
95 Western Kentucky University Sun Belt Conference 67 48 114 162  
96 Western Michigan University Mid-American Conference 61 76 89 165  
97 Middle Tennessee State University Sun Belt Conference 63 63 106 169  
98 University of Minnesota Big Ten Conference 59 85 85 170  
99 East Carolina University Conference USA 58 93 78 171  
99 University of Houston Conference USA 57 96 75 171  
101 Purdue University Big Ten Conference 59 85 87 172  
102 Georgia Institute of Technology Atlantic Coast Conference 55 107 67 174  
103 University of Kansas Big 12 Conference 59 85 97 182  
104 University of North Texas Sun Belt Conference 61 76 108 184  
104 University of Texas at El Paso Conference USA 59 85 99 184  
106 University of Nevada, Las Vegas Mountain West Conference 60 82 103 185  
107 University of Mississippi Southeastern Conference 54 110 77 187  
108 University of Akron Mid-American Conference 61 76 120 196  
109 Florida International University Sun Belt Conference 43 120 80 200  
110 University of Alabama at Birmingham Conference USA 55 107 95 202  
111 Ball State University Mid-American Conference 58 93 110 203  
112 Central Michigan University Mid-American Conference 56 101 104 205  
113 University at Buffalo Mid-American Conference 58 93 118 211  
113 University of New Mexico Mountain West Conference 57 96 115 211  
115 University of Louisiana at Lafayette Sun Belt Conference 56 101 112 213  
116 New Mexico State University Western Athletic Conference 57 96 119 215  
117 University of Louisiana at Monroe Sun Belt Conference 52 112 107 219  
118 Florida Atlantic University Sun Belt Conference 48 116 109 225  
119 Eastern Michigan University Mid-American Conference 51 113 117 230  
119 San Jose State University Western Athletic Conference 44 119 111 230  

Keys: GSR % = Graduation rate for 2004 cohort in the NCAA’s GSR Report (2010-11); GSR Rk = Ranking among 120 FBS schools; Sagarin = Jeff Sagarin’s final 2010 computer ranking for all 120 FBS schools; Total = combined scores of GSR and Sagarin rankings; AP = Final ranking in the 2010 season AP Poll.

 

 

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