Momentum Control Rankings — 2017 College Football | Punt & Rally
2017 Momentum Control Rankings

Opponent-adjusted Consecutive Scoring Sequences — 130 FBS teams — 2017 season

85.6%
Win Rate — CSS Leader
74.1%
Win Rate — TO Leader
92.9%
Win Rate — Lead Both
58.2%
Win Rate — TO Only
Momentum Control measures consecutive scoring sequences (CSS) — when a team scores, forces a stop, then scores again — opponent-adjusted for schedule strength. Teams that win the Momentum Control battle win 85.6% of FBS games (2016–2025, 5,485 games). That makes it the single most predictive game-outcome metric in college football. CSS Off measures sequences created. CSS Def measures sequences allowed (lower is better). CSS Net is the difference — the primary ranking metric.
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# Team Conf G Opponent-Adjusted Raw CSS Win%
CSS Off CSS Def ↓ CSS Net ▼ Off/G Def/G ↓
1 UCF B12 13 2.21 0.74 +1.47 2.23 0.39 100%
2 Ohio MAC 11 2.1 0.72 +1.38 2.18 0.82 87.5%
3 Penn State B1G 13 1.66 0.43 +1.23 2 0.39 88.9%
4 Ohio State B1G 14 1.66 0.61 +1.05 2.43 0.43 100%
5 Georgia SEC 14 1.73 0.72 +1.01 2 0.5 100%
6 Auburn SEC 13 1.73 0.78 +0.95 1.62 0.62 83.3%
7 Oklahoma SEC 14 1.75 0.82 +0.93 2 0.79 100%
8 Oklahoma State B12 13 1.65 0.79 +0.86 2.46 0.46 88.9%
9 Alabama SEC 13 1.39 0.54 +0.85 2.08 0.46 100%
10 Stanford ACC 14 1.05 0.23 +0.82 1.29 0.21 83.3%
11 Wisconsin B1G 14 1.32 0.53 +0.8 1.57 0.43 100%
12 Mississippi State SEC 13 1.09 0.31 +0.78 1.08 0.23 71.4%
13 South Florida AAC 11 1.61 0.85 +0.76 2.09 0.55 100%
14 Duke ACC 12 1.08 0.37 +0.71 1.08 0.42 100%
15 Clemson ACC 13 1.14 0.43 +0.71 1.46 0.39 100%
16 Washington B1G 12 1.55 0.93 +0.61 2 0.75 100%
17 Notre Dame Ind 13 1.04 0.45 +0.59 1.31 0.39 100%
18 Iowa B1G 13 1.01 0.57 +0.44 0.92 0.54 100%
19 Louisville ACC 13 1.26 0.88 +0.38 1.77 0.62 85.7%
20 Boise State PAC 14 0.68 0.31 +0.37 0.93 0.29 83.3%
21 Memphis AAC 12 1.73 1.36 +0.37 2.17 0.92 100%
22 Wake Forest ACC 13 1.32 0.96 +0.37 1.69 0.85 83.3%
23 Iowa State B12 12 1.22 0.9 +0.32 1.17 0.67 75%
24 Florida Atlantic AAC 13 1.22 0.91 +0.31 1.77 0.69 100%
25 TCU B12 13 0.89 0.62 +0.27 1.15 0.54 100%
26 Buffalo MAC 11 1.02 0.77 +0.25 0.91 0.64 75%
27 Virginia Tech ACC 12 0.56 0.33 +0.22 1.25 0.25 100%
28 Oregon B1G 12 1.26 1.1 +0.16 1.83 0.92 100%
29 UTSA AAC 10 0.77 0.63 +0.14 0.8 0.6 100%
30 South Carolina SEC 12 0.89 0.79 +0.11 0.92 0.75 100%
31 Utah B12 12 1.06 0.96 +0.1 1.42 0.92 100%
32 Marshall SBC 13 0.73 0.64 +0.1 0.69 0.39 100%
33 USC B1G 14 0.71 0.63 +0.08 1 0.57 83.3%
34 NC State ACC 12 0.75 0.68 +0.08 0.83 0.58 100%
35 Northwestern B1G 13 0.87 0.82 +0.05 1.31 0.69 100%
36 Arkansas State SBC 11 0.74 0.71 +0.03 1.46 0.46 83.3%
37 Eastern Michigan MAC 12 0.5 0.48 +0.02 0.75 0.58 50%
38 Central Michigan MAC 12 0.95 0.94 +0.01 1.25 0.83 100%
39 Arizona State B12 13 0.99 0.98 +0.01 1.23 1.08 100%
40 San Diego State PAC 12 0.55 0.58 -0.03 1.08 0.5 100%
41 Fresno State PAC 13 0.84 0.88 -0.04 1 0.54 100%
42 Florida State ACC 12 0.63 0.71 -0.08 1 0.67 75%
43 Navy AAC 12 0.97 1.07 -0.11 1.42 1 80%
44 Toledo MAC 13 1.92 2.06 -0.13 1.85 1 100%
45 Georgia State SBC 10 0.05 0.2 -0.15 0.2 0.1 100%
46 App State SBC 12 1.15 1.33 -0.18 1.83 0.92 100%
47 Wyoming MWC 13 0.57 0.76 -0.19 1 0.39 100%
48 Miami ACC 12 0.98 1.17 -0.19 1.08 1.08 100%
49 UL Monroe SBC 12 0.72 0.93 -0.22 0.92 0.92 66.7%
50 Troy SBC 11 0.36 0.58 -0.22 1.18 0.27 100%
51 Louisiana Tech CUSA 12 0.63 0.87 -0.24 1 0.83 75%
52 Arizona B12 12 1.12 1.36 -0.24 1.25 1.08 100%
53 Georgia Tech ACC 11 0.64 0.92 -0.28 0.82 0.82 80%
54 Houston B12 12 0.7 0.99 -0.29 1.25 1.08 100%
55 Purdue B1G 12 0.74 1.03 -0.3 0.83 0.83 100%
56 Middle Tennessee CUSA 13 0.36 0.67 -0.31 0.77 0.46 100%
57 Michigan B1G 13 0.79 1.11 -0.32 1.08 0.77 100%
58 Massachusetts MAC 11 1.01 1.34 -0.34 1.09 1.09 66.7%
59 Colorado B12 11 0.74 1.1 -0.35 0.91 0.91 75%
60 Texas A&M SEC 12 0.99 1.37 -0.38 1.5 1.17 100%
61 Boston College ACC 13 0.74 1.13 -0.39 0.85 0.85 80%
62 LSU SEC 12 0.73 1.12 -0.39 0.92 0.92 80%
63 Syracuse ACC 11 0.62 1.01 -0.39 0.73 1.18 33.3%
64 SMU ACC 12 1.06 1.46 -0.4 1.08 1.33 75%
65 Minnesota B1G 12 0.65 1.05 -0.4 1.08 0.67 75%
66 Western Michigan MAC 11 0.5 0.93 -0.43 1 0.82 50%
67 Colorado State PAC 12 1.63 2.13 -0.5 1.67 1 83.3%
68 Texas SEC 13 0.4 0.94 -0.53 0.62 0.77 100%
69 Kansas State B12 12 1.09 1.66 -0.57 1.17 1.17 80%
70 Texas Tech B12 12 0.55 1.15 -0.6 1 1.33 75%
71 Air Force MWC 11 0.63 1.27 -0.63 0.73 1.27 100%
72 Army AAC 12 0.25 0.9 -0.65 0.83 0.42 100%
73 Tulane AAC 10 0.86 1.58 -0.72 1.1 0.9 50%
74 Northern Illinois MWC 13 0.5 1.23 -0.73 0.77 0.92 100%
75 Virginia ACC 12 0.35 1.08 -0.73 0.5 1.17 100%
76 North Carolina ACC 11 0.4 1.14 -0.74 0.64 1 100%
77 Coastal Carolina SBC 11 1.11 1.86 -0.75 0.73 1.27 66.7%
78 Michigan State B1G 13 0.59 1.39 -0.79 1 0.85 100%
79 Washington State PAC 12 0.84 1.64 -0.8 1.25 1.33 100%
80 Florida International CUSA 12 0.78 1.59 -0.81 1 1.33 100%
81 West Virginia B12 12 0.73 1.55 -0.83 1.42 1.5 100%
82 Kentucky SEC 13 0.75 1.66 -0.91 0.85 1.15 100%
83 Baylor B12 12 1.16 2.09 -0.94 1.08 1.5 33.3%
84 California ACC 11 0.43 1.39 -0.96 0.64 1.27 100%
85 Pittsburgh ACC 11 0.22 1.2 -0.98 0.55 1 100%
86 New Mexico State CUSA 13 0.59 1.61 -1.02 0.69 1 60%
87 Western Kentucky CUSA 13 0.24 1.29 -1.05 0.54 0.92 100%
88 Miami (OH) MAC 12 0.37 1.51 -1.14 0.5 0.58 75%
89 Cincinnati B12 12 0.17 1.33 -1.16 0.25 1.17 0%
90 Charlotte AAC 11 0.11 1.29 -1.18 0.27 1.09 100%
91 UCLA B1G 13 0.99 2.2 -1.21 1.23 1.77 75%
92 Ole Miss SEC 12 0.75 1.96 -1.21 1.92 1.33 83.3%
93 Georgia Southern SBC 11 0.35 1.62 -1.27 0.64 1.09 100%
94 UAB AAC 12 0.47 1.75 -1.27 0.75 1.08 100%
95 Missouri SEC 12 0.92 2.27 -1.35 1.67 1.42 83.3%
96 New Mexico MWC 11 0.33 1.72 -1.39 0.55 1.55 50%
97 Florida SEC 11 0.32 1.77 -1.45 0.73 1.46 50%
98 Indiana B1G 12 0.77 2.23 -1.46 1.25 1.5 100%
99 Temple AAC 12 0.65 2.13 -1.48 1.25 1.25 83.3%
100 Arkansas SEC 11 0.35 1.89 -1.53 0.73 1.73 100%
101 Nevada MWC 11 0.65 2.19 -1.54 0.73 1.55 50%
102 Tulsa AAC 12 0.65 2.2 -1.55 0.75 1.92 100%
103 BYU B12 12 0.14 1.72 -1.58 0.5 1.67 100%
104 Maryland B1G 11 0.51 2.1 -1.58 0.64 1.73 100%
105 Old Dominion SBC 11 0.4 2.01 -1.62 0.64 1.27 66.7%
106 Utah State PAC 12 0.64 2.35 -1.71 1.33 1.25 80%
107 Tennessee SEC 11 0.25 1.99 -1.74 0.36 1.46 33.3%
108 North Texas AAC 13 0.96 2.71 -1.76 1.31 1.85 100%
109 Bowling Green MAC 11 0.3 2.13 -1.83 0.73 1.55 50%
110 Illinois B1G 12 0.09 1.96 -1.86 0.17 1.42 —
111 Ball State MAC 12 0.15 2.02 -1.87 0.42 1.58 100%
112 South Alabama SBC 11 0.79 2.66 -1.87 0.64 2 100%
113 Idaho 11 0.53 2.43 -1.91 0.36 1.73 —
114 UConn Ind 11 0.35 2.27 -1.92 0.55 2 0%
115 Hawai'i MWC 11 0.09 2.01 -1.92 0.18 1.73 —
116 Nebraska B1G 12 0.81 2.76 -1.95 0.92 1.92 75%
117 Akron MAC 13 0.38 2.36 -1.99 0.31 1.54 100%
118 Oregon State PAC 11 0.24 2.25 -2.01 0.36 2.27 0%
119 Louisiana SBC 11 0.53 2.55 -2.02 0.91 1.64 75%
120 Kent State MAC 11 0.17 2.21 -2.04 0.27 1.55 50%
121 Rutgers B1G 11 0.1 2.15 -2.05 0.27 1.91 —
122 Kansas B12 12 0.54 2.64 -2.11 0.83 2.42 100%
123 UTEP MWC 12 0.21 2.38 -2.17 0.25 1.5 0%
124 Southern Miss SBC 12 0.29 2.5 -2.22 0.75 1.17 100%
125 San José State MWC 12 0.42 2.77 -2.35 0.42 2.25 0%
126 Vanderbilt SEC 11 0.53 2.98 -2.45 0.82 1.91 75%
127 UNLV MWC 11 0.53 3.12 -2.58 1.36 1.36 80%
128 East Carolina AAC 11 0.79 3.4 -2.61 1.18 2.64 100%
129 Texas State PAC 10 0 2.78 -2.78 0.3 2.2 100%
130 Rice AAC 12 0.07 3.33 -3.26 0.08 2.17 —