How the NFL Pro Football Computer Rankings Work

Created by Jeff Sagarin who received a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from the acclaimed Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), his NFL Pro Football computer rankings are perhaps the most trusted rankings out there. They have been a mainstay in the USA Today sports section since 1985.

Teams are ranked according to schedule difficulty, and the schedule difficulty of a particular game factor in the location of the game and the rating of the opponent. The home team is then given an additional three points. So for example, a home team with a rating of 30 would be favored by 8 points over a visiting team with a rating of 25.