Each week during the college football season, we'll come here to react to the new TRAM Top 25. TRAM, like most models and systems, gets better and more accurate as the season progresses.
Team | TRAM Score |
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In the morning slate on Saturday, TRAM #8 Clemson defeated TRAM #9 Syracuse, vaulting the Clemson Tigers into the top 5. With the loss, the Syracuse Orange actually went up a spot to #8. Good wins are very valuable, but quality losses are real, and Syracuse has one. If Syracuse continues on this trajectory, they will complete their greatest season and highest finish of the modern era.
After multiple TRAM upsets, there was lots of change at the top of the rankings, but a small group of contenders appear to be separating themselves from the rest of the pack. The difference between #7 Michigan and #1 Ohio State is smaller than the difference between #7 Michigan and #8 Syracuse. With at least 2, but probably 3, matchups remaining between these 7 teams, this group is certain to shrink in numbers.
The top 4 teams in the Pac-12 all appear between #15 and #9. Each team has had iffy games (USC @ Oregon State, Utah @ Florida, Oregon @ Georgia, and UCLA vs South Alabama), but each team has also had very strong games (Oregon vs UCLA, UCLA vs Utah, Utah vs USC, USC vs Washington State). Each team has shown they are capable of winning the Pac-12, but each team has also shown they are capable of losing any game. Any of these 4 teams could come out on top.