Scoring Defense rankings (adjusted for opposition) for games through 12/02.
Rating represents expected score yielded (excluding overtime) against the average FBS (I-A) offense.
raw adj Team rec Offense Defense
2 1. Ohio State 11-1 37.38 [ 12] 7.45 [ 1]
1 2. Michigan 13-0 41.22 [ 8] 9.46 [ 2]
3 3. Penn State 10-2 38.86 [ 11] 9.96 [ 3]
4 4. Iowa 10-3 19.56 [115] 11.86 [ 4]
11 5. Oregon 11-2 45.29 [ 4] 11.89 [ 5]
13 6. Texas 12-1 40.34 [ 9] 12.37 [ 6]
25 7. Utah 8-4 28.43 [ 54] 13.08 [ 7]
18 8. Alabama 12-1 36.32 [ 19] 13.19 [ 8]
6 9. Florida St 13-0 37.20 [ 14] 13.60 [ 9]
9 10. Georgia 12-1 39.59 [ 10] 14.70 [ 10]
16 11. UCLA 7-5 25.60 [ 76] 14.73 [ 11]
19 12. Clemson 8-4 29.80 [ 48] 15.21 [ 12]
10 13. Troy 11-2 27.00 [ 64] 16.30 [ 13]
8 14. Notre Dame 9-3 41.96 [ 6] 16.57 [ 14]
23 15. Arizona 9-3 36.82 [ 17] 17.06 [ 15]
33 16. Oregon St 8-4 37.36 [ 13] 17.24 [ 16]
44 17. Missouri 10-2 35.58 [ 21] 17.29 [ 17]
14 18. Nebraska 5-7 19.82 [113] 17.38 [ 18]
35 19. Iowa St 7-5 31.56 [ 40] 17.43 [ 19]
52 20. Washington 13-0 41.69 [ 7] 17.44 [ 20]
38 21. Auburn 6-6 27.61 [ 60] 17.52 [ 21]
30 22. Kansas St 8-4 42.73 [ 5] 17.57 [ 22]
24 23. Louisville 10-3 32.59 [ 35] 17.66 [ 23]
42 24. Oklahoma 10-2 45.90 [ 2] 17.71 [ 24]
21 25. Duke 7-5 29.94 [ 46] 17.72 [ 25]
26 26. North Carolina St 9-3 28.52 [ 53] 18.95 [ 26]
32 27. Texas A&M 7-5 35.86 [ 20] 19.40 [ 27]
20 28. Wisconsin 7-5 25.03 [ 80] 19.49 [ 28]
41 29. Tennessee 8-4 34.39 [ 26] 19.58 [ 29]
43 30. Mississippi 10-2 34.17 [ 27] 20.13 [ 30]
22 31. Tulane 11-2 22.63 [ 97] 20.26 [ 31]
12 32. SMU 11-2 35.55 [ 22] 20.50 [ 32]
34 33. Miami FL 7-5 31.82 [ 39] 20.64 [ 33]
17 34. James Madison 11-1 32.60 [ 34] 20.71 [ 34]
31 35. Rutgers 6-6 26.72 [ 66] 21.14 [ 35]
66 36. Kansas 8-4 36.47 [ 18] 21.28 [ 36]
69 37. Texas Tech 6-6 29.82 [ 47] 21.30 [ 37]
7 38. Miami OH 11-2 19.73 [114] 21.60 [ 38]
37 39. Wyoming 8-4 22.41 [100] 21.87 [ 39]
62 40. Central Florida 6-6 32.75 [ 33] 21.87 [ 40]
15 41. Air Force 8-4 25.50 [ 77] 22.33 [ 41]
72 42. South Carolina 5-7 28.33 [ 55] 22.41 [ 42]
5 43. Ohio U. 9-3 19.28 [116] 22.94 [ 43]
85 44. TCU 5-7 34.82 [ 25] 22.98 [ 44]
74 45. Mississippi St 5-7 21.99 [102] 23.01 [ 45]
40 46. Army 5-6 15.80 [123] 23.24 [ 46]
86 47. Washington St 5-7 33.93 [ 29] 23.42 [ 47]
61 48. Boise St 8-5 31.92 [ 38] 23.68 [ 48]
36 49. New Mexico St 10-4 22.48 [ 98] 23.81 [ 49]
49 50. Maryland 7-5 34.10 [ 28] 23.85 [ 50]
77 51. Florida 5-7 30.81 [ 43] 23.88 [ 51]
51 52. Northwestern 7-5 26.18 [ 70] 24.01 [ 52]
93 53. Oklahoma St 9-4 33.68 [ 30] 24.06 [ 53]
96 54. Brigham Young 5-7 26.09 [ 71] 24.11 [ 54]
55 55. Virginia Tech 6-6 30.82 [ 42] 24.16 [ 55]
39 56. South Alabama 6-6 27.24 [ 62] 24.22 [ 56]
60 57. Kentucky 7-5 30.69 [ 44] 24.52 [ 57]
53 58. Syracuse 6-6 22.96 [ 94] 24.56 [ 58]
81 59. West Virginia 8-4 32.55 [ 36] 24.57 [ 59]
111 60. Arizona St 3-9 21.68 [105] 24.83 [ 60]
47 61. Navy 5-6 12.99 [131] 24.93 [ 61]
79 62. Pittsburgh 3-9 22.04 [101] 25.03 [ 62]
45 63. East Carolina 2-10 16.05 [122] 25.07 [ 63]
76 64. Wake Forest 4-8 23.04 [ 93] 25.20 [ 64]
67 65. San Jose St 7-5 29.69 [ 49] 25.50 [ 65]
27 66. Jacksonville St 8-4 25.10 [ 79] 25.71 [ 66]
102 67. Houston 4-8 24.55 [ 82] 25.84 [ 67]
82 68. Arkansas 4-8 25.89 [ 74] 26.10 [ 68]
68 69. North Carolina 8-4 35.19 [ 23] 26.16 [ 69]
73 70. Minnesota 5-7 24.41 [ 84] 26.41 [ 70]
54 71. Fresno St 8-4 26.34 [ 69] 26.43 [ 71]
91 72. Michigan St 4-8 20.89 [109] 26.52 [ 72]
84 73. LSU 9-3 49.90 [ 1] 26.60 [ 73]
64 74. San Diego St 4-8 17.65 [118] 26.66 [ 74]
59 75. Coastal Carolina 7-5 24.32 [ 86] 26.84 [ 75]
71 76. Old Dominion 6-6 21.71 [104] 26.96 [ 76]
58 77. Sam Houston St 3-9 17.28 [119] 27.15 [ 77]
50 78. Bowling Green 7-5 23.70 [ 89] 27.23 [ 78]
114 79. California 6-6 36.98 [ 16] 27.23 [ 79]
100 80. Cincinnati 3-9 25.71 [ 75] 27.29 [ 80]
28 81. Toledo 11-2 27.73 [ 58] 27.35 [ 81]
57 82. Texas-San Antonio 8-4 27.67 [ 59] 27.43 [ 82]
95 83. Indiana 3-9 24.35 [ 85] 27.84 [ 83]
46 84. Liberty 13-0 37.05 [ 15] 28.05 [ 84]
131 85. Stanford 3-9 24.42 [ 83] 28.25 [ 85]
120 86. Colorado 4-8 32.22 [ 37] 28.74 [ 86]
56 87. Ball St 4-8 13.65 [129] 28.74 [ 87]
99 88. Illinois 5-7 28.09 [ 56] 28.80 [ 88]
123 89. Southern Cal 7-5 45.56 [ 3] 28.98 [ 89]
29 90. Northern Illinois 6-6 21.81 [103] 29.07 [ 90]
63 91. Florida Atlantic 4-8 20.09 [112] 29.08 [ 91]
48 92. Eastern Michigan 6-6 13.19 [130] 29.53 [ 92]
115 93. Baylor 3-9 26.02 [ 72] 29.59 [ 93]
89 94. Marshall 6-6 22.81 [ 95] 29.60 [ 94]
105 95. Georgia Tech 6-6 33.51 [ 31] 29.69 [ 95]
75 96. UNLV 9-4 32.89 [ 32] 29.71 [ 96]
98 97. Boston College 6-6 26.34 [ 68] 29.78 [ 97]
92 98. Colorado St 5-7 22.69 [ 96] 29.79 [ 98]
116 99. Virginia 3-9 26.73 [ 65] 29.87 [ 99]
65 100. Rice 6-6 25.30 [ 78] 29.93 [100]
104 101. Purdue 4-8 29.65 [ 51] 30.05 [101]
106 102. Georgia St 6-6 23.08 [ 91] 30.10 [102]
94 103. UTEP 3-9 17.88 [117] 30.23 [103]
87 104. Middle Tennessee St 4-8 22.44 [ 99] 30.36 [104]
90 105. Western Kentucky 7-5 27.25 [ 61] 30.39 [105]
78 106. Appalachian St 8-5 31.43 [ 41] 30.52 [106]
88 107. UNC-Charlotte 3-9 14.31 [128] 30.87 [107]
80 108. Buffalo 3-9 17.03 [120] 31.35 [108]
97 109. Memphis 9-3 34.84 [ 24] 31.62 [109]
103 110. Connecticut 3-9 15.79 [124] 31.81 [110]
83 111. Louisiana-Lafayette 6-6 26.60 [ 67] 32.12 [111]
119 112. Nevada 2-10 15.20 [127] 32.71 [112]
108 113. Arkansas St 6-6 24.14 [ 87] 32.78 [113]
70 114. Akron 2-10 10.63 [133] 32.83 [114]
129 115. Vanderbilt 2-10 24.69 [ 81] 34.04 [115]
112 116. Hawai`i 5-8 20.80 [110] 34.42 [116]
101 117. Georgia Southern 6-6 27.74 [ 57] 34.67 [117]
107 118. Central Michigan 5-7 20.12 [111] 34.76 [118]
113 119. Utah St 6-6 29.67 [ 50] 35.42 [119]
109 120. Florida Int'l 4-8 16.31 [121] 35.47 [120]
117 121. Tulsa 4-8 21.33 [108] 35.97 [121]
126 122. Louisiana-Monroe 2-10 15.45 [125] 36.01 [122]
121 123. New Mexico 4-8 21.41 [106] 36.07 [123]
122 124. Texas St-San Marcos 7-5 28.92 [ 52] 36.42 [124]
118 125. Louisiana Tech 3-9 23.07 [ 92] 36.54 [125]
127 126. Southern Miss 3-9 21.34 [107] 38.09 [126]
128 127. Temple 3-9 15.41 [126] 38.94 [127]
110 128. Western Michigan 4-8 24.07 [ 88] 39.01 [128]
125 129. South Florida 6-6 27.03 [ 63] 39.13 [129]
132 130. North Texas 5-7 30.01 [ 45] 39.38 [130]
130 131. Alabama-Birmingham 4-8 25.97 [ 73] 40.34 [131]
133 132. Massachusetts 3-9 23.29 [ 90] 41.42 [132]
124 133. Kent St 1-11 12.43 [132] 42.71 [133]