1998 Week 9 College Football Team Rankings
1998 rankings calculated with the Classic formula (Ken's 2016-based hybrid, applied retroactively); records, NOW and game results come from James Howell's historical college football score archive.
| Rank | Change | Rating | Team | Conf | Record | Win % | Place | NOW | Game Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0.582 |  UCLA |  PAC | 6–0 | 1.000 | 1 | +27 | Beat California 28–16 |
| 2 | -1 | 0.711 |  Ohio State (OHIO STATE) |  B10 | 7–0 | 1.000 | 1 | +27 | Beat Northwestern 36–10 |
| 3 | 0 | 0.719 |  Tennessee (TENNESSEE) |  SEC | 6–0 | 1.000 | 1 | +24 | Beat Alabama 35–18 |
| 4 | 0 | 0.862 |  Kansas State (KANSAS STATE) |  B12 | 7–0 | 1.000 | 1 | +20 | Beat Iowa State 52–7 |
| 5 | 0 | 0.986 |  Nebraska (NEBRASKA) | B12 | 7–1 | 0.875 | 9 | +25 | Beat Missouri 20–13 |
| 6 | 0 | 1.023 |  Florida State (FLORIDA STATE) |  ACC | 7–1 | 0.875 | 9 | +26 | Beat Georgia Tech 34–7 |
| 7 | 0 | 1.122 |  Texas A&M (TEXAS A & M) | B12 | 7–1 | 0.875 | 9 | +27 | Beat Texas Tech 17–10 |
| 8 | 4 | 1.149 |  Tulane (TULANE) |  USA | 6–0 | 1.000 | 1 | +17 | Beat Rutgers 52–24 |
| 9 | -1 | 1.240 |  Wisconsin (WISCONSIN) | B10 | 8–0 | 1.000 | 1 | +20 | Beat Iowa 31–0 |
| 10 | -1 | 1.304 |  Arkansas (ARKANSAS) | SEC | 6–0 | 1.000 | 1 | +15 | BYE |
| 11 | 0 | 1.350 |  Florida (FLORIDA) | SEC | 6–1 | 0.857 | 13 | +17 | BYE |
| 12 | 1 | 1.355 |  Oregon (OREGON) | PAC | 6–1 | 0.857 | 13 | +17 | Beat USC 17–13 |
| 13 | 4 | 1.367 |  Penn State (PENN STATE) | B10 | 5–1 | 0.833 | 22 | +16 | BYE |
| 14 | 1 | 1.408 |  Arizona (ARIZONA) | PAC | 7–1 | 0.875 | 9 | +19 | Beat UL Monroe 45–7 |
| 15 | 3 | 1.436 |  Air Force (AIR FORCE) | IND WAC | 6–1 | 0.857 | 13 | +15 | Beat Tulsa 42–21 |
| 16 | 5 | 1.472 |  Georgia (GEORGIA) | SEC | 6–1 | 0.857 | 13 | +17 | Beat Kentucky 28–26 |
| 17 | -1 | 1.503 |  Marshall (MARSHALL) |  MAC | 8–0 | 1.000 | 1 | +15 | Beat Ball State 42–10 |
| 18 | -8 | 1.564 |  Georgia Tech (GEORGIA TECH) | ACC | 5–2 | 0.714 | 27 | +15 | Lost to Florida State 7–34 |
| 19 | 3 | 1.603 |  Virginia (VIRGINIA) | ACC | 6–1 | 0.857 | 13 | +15 | Beat NC State 23–13 |
| 20 | 0 | 1.684 |  Virginia Tech (VIRGINIA TECH) | IND BE | 6–1 | 0.857 | 13 | +11 | Beat UAB 41–0 |
| 21 | 5 | 1.706 |  Miami (OH) (MIAMI (OH)) | MAC | 6–1 | 0.857 | 13 | +13 | Beat Cincinnati 41–0 |
| 22 | 11 | 1.796 |  Washington (WASHINGTON) | PAC | 5–2 | 0.714 | 27 | +15 | Beat Oregon State 35–34 |
| 23 | 12 | 1.840 |  UCF (CENTRAL FLORIDA) | IND FBSI | 6–1 | 0.857 | 13 | +10 | Beat Louisiana 42–10 |
| 24 | 4 | 1.857 |  Wyoming (WYOMING) | IND WAC | 6–1 | 0.857 | 13 | +12 | Beat Rice 34–24 |
| 25 | 7 | 1.882 |  Notre Dame (NOTRE DAME) | IND FBSI | 5–1 | 0.833 | 22 | +11 | Beat Army 20–17 |
| 26 | 5 | 1.886 |  Colorado State (COLORADO STATE) | IND WAC | 7–2 | 0.778 | 24 | +14 | Beat TCU 42–21 |
| 27 | -3 | 1.935 |  Syracuse (SYRACUSE) | IND BE | 4–2 | 0.667 | 34 | +8 | BYE |
| 28 | -5 | 1.951 |  USC | PAC | 5–3 | 0.625 | 37 | +13 | Lost to Oregon 13–17 |
| 29 | -2 | 1.952 |  Texas (TEXAS) | B12 | 5–2 | 0.714 | 27 | +11 | Beat Baylor 30–20 |
| 30 | 10 | 2.006 |  LSU | SEC | 4–3 | 0.571 | 43 | +10 | Beat Mississippi State 41–6 |
| 31 | -6 | 2.018 |  Alabama (ALABAMA) | SEC | 4–3 | 0.571 | 43 | +14 | Lost to Tennessee 18–35 |
| 32 | -18 | 2.041 |  Colorado (COLORADO) | B12 | 6–2 | 0.750 | 25 | +15 | Lost to Kansas 17–33 |
| 33 | -14 | 2.053 |  Texas Tech (TEXAS TECH) | B12 | 6–2 | 0.750 | 25 | +10 | Lost to Texas A&M 10–17 |
| 34 | 10 | 2.159 |  Miami (MIAMI) | IND BE | 4–2 | 0.667 | 34 | +5 | Beat West Virginia 34–31 |
| 35 | -6 | 2.176 |  Missouri (MISSOURI) | B12 | 5–2 | 0.714 | 27 | +8 | Lost to Nebraska 13–20 |
| 36 | 7 | 2.206 |  Southern Miss (SOUTHERN MISS) | USA | 4–3 | 0.571 | 43 | +9 | Beat East Carolina 41–7 |
| 37 | -3 | 2.254 |  Kentucky (KENTUCKY) | SEC | 5–3 | 0.625 | 37 | +10 | Lost to Georgia 26–28 |
| 38 | 0 | 2.312 |  Michigan (MICHIGAN) | B10 | 5–2 | 0.714 | 27 | +10 | Beat Indiana 21–10 |
| 39 | -9 | 2.324 |  West Virginia (WEST VIRGINIA) | IND BE | 4–2 | 0.667 | 34 | +6 | Lost to Miami 31–34 |
| 40 | -4 | 2.398 |  NC State (NORTH CAROLINA STATE) | ACC | 4–3 | 0.571 | 43 | +9 | Lost to Virginia 13–23 |
| 41 | -4 | 2.439 |  California (CALIFORNIA) | PAC | 4–3 | 0.571 | 43 | +9 | Lost to UCLA 16–28 |
| 42 | 7 | 2.517 |  Toledo (TOLEDO) | MAC | 5–3 | 0.625 | 37 | +9 | Beat Akron 24–17 |
| 43 | 2 | 2.523 |  Purdue (PURDUE) | B10 | 4–4 | 0.500 | 54 | +9 | Beat Illinois 42–9 |
| 44 | 10 | 2.770 |  San Diego State (SAN DIEGO STATE) | IND WAC | 4–3 | 0.571 | 43 | +5 | Beat Utah 21–20 |
| 45 | -6 | 2.802 |  Michigan State (MICHIGAN STATE) | B10 | 3–4 | 0.429 | 61 | +4 | Lost to Minnesota 18–19 |
| 46 | 11 | 2.944 |  Ole Miss (MISSISSIPPI) | SEC | 5–2 | 0.714 | 27 | +1 | Beat Arkansas State 30–17 |
| 47 | -6 | 2.952 |  Mississippi State (MISSISSIPPI STATE) | SEC | 5–2 | 0.714 | 27 | -2 | Lost to LSU 6–41 |
| 48 | 12 | 3.053 |  Minnesota (MINNESOTA) | B10 | 4–3 | 0.571 | 43 | +4 | Beat Michigan State 19–18 |
| 49 | -2 | 3.106 |  Utah (UTAH) | IND WAC | 4–3 | 0.571 | 43 | 0 | Lost to San Diego State 20–21 |
| 50 | 13 | 3.254 |  BYU | IND WAC | 5–3 | 0.625 | 37 | -4 | Beat San José State 46–43 |
| 51 | -9 | 3.266 |  Louisiana Tech (LOUISIANA TECH) | IND FBSI | 4–5 | 0.444 | 60 | +1 | Lost to Auburn 17–32 |
| 52 | 1 | 3.270 |  Washington State (WASHINGTON STATE) | PAC | 3–4 | 0.429 | 61 | +5 | BYE |
| 53 | 6 | 3.314 |  Oklahoma State (OKLAHOMA STATE) | B12 | 3–4 | 0.429 | 61 | +2 | Beat Oklahoma 41–26 |
| 54 | -8 | 3.322 |  East Carolina (EAST CAROLINA) | USA | 4–3 | 0.571 | 43 | -1 | Lost to Southern Miss 7–41 |
| 55 | -3 | 3.325 |  TCU | IND WAC | 4–3 | 0.571 | 43 | -1 | Lost to Colorado State 21–42 |
| 56 | -8 | 3.471 |  Idaho (IDAHO) | IND BW | 5–3 | 0.625 | 37 | -4 | Lost to Nevada 23–58 |
| 57 | 18 | 3.581 |  Auburn (AUBURN) | SEC | 2–5 | 0.286 | 80 | +2 | Beat Louisiana Tech 32–17 |
| 58 | -8 | 3.609 |  Indiana (INDIANA) | B10 | 3–4 | 0.429 | 61 | -2 | Lost to Michigan 10–21 |
| 59 | -4 | 3.640 |  Oregon State (OREGON STATE) | PAC | 4–4 | 0.500 | 54 | -3 | Lost to Washington 34–35 |
| 60 | 1 | 3.640 |  Duke (DUKE) | ACC | 4–4 | 0.500 | 54 | 0 | Beat Clemson 28–23 |
| 61 | -10 | 3.662 |  Boston College (BOSTON COLLEGE) | IND BE | 3–4 | 0.429 | 61 | -2 | Lost to Navy 31–32 |
| 62 | 0 | 3.704 |  Louisville (LOUISVILLE) | USA | 4–4 | 0.500 | 54 | -3 | Beat Memphis 35–32 |
| 63 | 5 | 3.719 |  Arizona State (ARIZONA STATE) | PAC | 3–4 | 0.429 | 61 | -2 | Beat Stanford 44–38 |
| 64 | 12 | 3.763 |  North Carolina (NORTH CAROLINA) | ACC | 3–3 | 0.500 | 54 | -2 | Beat Wake Forest 38–31 |
| 65 | 2 | 3.787 |  Boise State (BOISE STATE) | IND BW | 5–3 | 0.625 | 37 | -9 | Beat Utah State 30–16 |
| 66 | 3 | 4.021 |  New Mexico State (NEW MEXICO STATE) | IND BW | 3–4 | 0.429 | 61 | -3 | BYE |
| 67 | 7 | 4.075 |  SMU | IND WAC | 3–5 | 0.375 | 73 | -4 | Beat UNLV 10–7 |
| 68 | 14 | 4.138 |  Central Michigan (CENTRAL MICHIGAN) | MAC | 4–3 | 0.571 | 43 | -8 | Beat Western Michigan 26–24 |
| 69 | -13 | 4.149 |  Baylor (BAYLOR) | B12 | 2–5 | 0.286 | 80 | -4 | Lost to Texas 20–30 |
| 70 | 11 | 4.172 |  Navy (NAVY) | IND FBSI | 3–4 | 0.429 | 61 | -4 | Beat Boston College 32–31 |
| 71 | -7 | 4.230 |  Western Michigan (WESTERN MICHIGAN) | MAC | 4–4 | 0.500 | 54 | -8 | Lost to Central Michigan 24–26 |
| 72 | 17 | 4.251 |  Kansas (KANSAS) | B12 | 3–5 | 0.375 | 73 | -5 | Beat Colorado 33–17 |
| 73 | -8 | 4.321 |  Iowa (IOWA) | B10 | 3–5 | 0.375 | 73 | -4 | Lost to Wisconsin 0–31 |
| 74 | 20 | 4.400 |  Nevada (NEVADA) | IND BW | 3–4 | 0.429 | 61 | -8 | Beat Idaho 58–23 |
| 75 | -5 | 4.474 |  Rutgers (RUTGERS) | IND BE | 3–4 | 0.429 | 61 | -4 | Lost to Tulane 24–52 |
| 76 | 8 | 4.519 |  Fresno State (FRESNO STATE) | IND WAC | 2–5 | 0.286 | 80 | -7 | Beat UTEP 32–6 |
| 77 | -11 | 4.565 |  Iowa State (IOWA STATE) | B12 | 2–5 | 0.286 | 80 | -5 | Lost to Kansas State 7–52 |
| 78 | 0 | 4.567 |  Ohio (OHIO) | MAC | 2–5 | 0.286 | 80 | -4 | BYE |
| 79 | -21 | 4.592 |  Oklahoma (OKLAHOMA) | B12 | 2–5 | 0.286 | 80 | -7 | Lost to Oklahoma State 26–41 |
| 80 | 10 | 4.622 |  Bowling Green (BOWLING GREEN) | MAC | 2–5 | 0.286 | 80 | -6 | Beat Kent State 42–21 |
| 81 | -8 | 4.623 |  Wake Forest (WAKE FOREST) | ACC | 3–4 | 0.429 | 61 | -1 | Lost to North Carolina 31–38 |
| 82 | -11 | 4.632 |  San José State (SAN JOSE STATE) | IND WAC | 3–5 | 0.375 | 73 | -7 | Lost to BYU 43–46 |
| 83 | -4 | 4.768 |  Pittsburgh (PITTSBURGH) | IND BE | 2–4 | 0.333 | 79 | -6 | BYE |
| 84 | -7 | 4.782 |  Akron (AKRON) | MAC | 3–4 | 0.429 | 61 | -10 | Lost to Toledo 17–24 |
| 85 | 13 | 4.925 |  Houston (HOUSTON) | USA | 2–5 | 0.286 | 80 | -8 | Beat North Texas 31–9 |
| 86 | -3 | 5.051 |  Army (ARMY) | USA | 2–5 | 0.286 | 80 | -10 | Lost to Notre Dame 17–20 |
| 87 | -15 | 5.099 |  UTEP | IND WAC | 2–5 | 0.286 | 80 | -8 | Lost to Fresno State 6–32 |
| 88 | -1 | 5.120 |  Tulsa (TULSA) | IND WAC | 2–5 | 0.286 | 80 | -10 | Lost to Air Force 21–42 |
| 89 | -3 | 5.276 |  Arkansas State (ARKANSAS STATE) | IND FBSI | 3–5 | 0.375 | 73 | -14 | Lost to Ole Miss 17–30 |
| 90 | -10 | 5.337 |  North Texas (NORTH TEXAS) | IND BW | 2–5 | 0.286 | 80 | -9 | Lost to Houston 9–31 |
| 91 | -6 | 5.427 |  UL Monroe (LOUISIANA MONROE) | IND FBSI | 2–5 | 0.286 | 80 | -11 | Lost to Arizona 7–45 |
| 92 | 9 | 5.559 |  New Mexico (NEW MEXICO) | IND WAC | 3–5 | 0.375 | 73 | -17 | Beat Hawai'i 30–20 |
| 93 | -2 | 5.607 |  Clemson (CLEMSON) | ACC | 2–6 | 0.250 | 97 | -12 | Lost to Duke 23–28 |
| 94 | -1 | 5.633 |  Rice (RICE) | IND WAC | 2–5 | 0.286 | 80 | -13 | Lost to Wyoming 24–34 |
| 95 | -3 | 5.685 |  UAB | IND FBSI | 2–5 | 0.286 | 80 | -14 | Lost to Virginia Tech 0–41 |
| 96 | 0 | 5.738 |  Maryland (MARYLAND) | ACC | 2–5 | 0.286 | 80 | -13 | BYE |
| 97 | 8 | 5.941 |  Northern Illinois (NORTHERN ILLINOIS) | MAC | 2–5 | 0.286 | 80 | -6 | Beat Eastern Michigan 26–14 |
| 98 | 1 | 5.995 |  Northwestern (NORTHWESTERN) | B10 | 2–6 | 0.250 | 97 | -15 | Lost to Ohio State 10–36 |
| 99 | -11 | 6.022 |  South Carolina (SOUTH CAROLINA) | SEC | 1–7 | 0.125 | 106 | -13 | Lost to Vanderbilt 14–17 |
| 100 | -5 | 6.129 |  Stanford (STANFORD) | PAC | 1–6 | 0.143 | 101 | -13 | Lost to Arizona State 38–44 |
| 101 | -4 | 6.376 |  Illinois (ILLINOIS) | B10 | 2–6 | 0.250 | 97 | -15 | Lost to Purdue 9–42 |
| 102 | 2 | 6.507 |  Vanderbilt (VANDERBILT) | SEC | 1–6 | 0.143 | 101 | -14 | Beat South Carolina 17–14 |
| 103 | -1 | 6.574 |  Memphis (MEMPHIS) | USA | 1–6 | 0.143 | 101 | -16 | Lost to Louisville 32–35 |
| 104 | -4 | 6.733 |  Eastern Michigan (EASTERN MICHIGAN) | MAC | 2–6 | 0.250 | 97 | -13 | Lost to Northern Illinois 14–26 |
| 105 | -2 | 6.969 |  Utah State (UTAH STATE) | IND BW | 1–7 | 0.125 | 106 | -22 | Lost to Boise State 16–30 |
| 106 | 0 | 7.316 |  Temple (TEMPLE) | IND BE | 1–6 | 0.143 | 101 | -12 | BYE |
| 107 | 0 | 7.598 |  Louisiana (LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE) | IND FBSI | 1–6 | 0.143 | 101 | -11 | Lost to UCF 10–42 |
| 108 | 0 | 7.819 |  UNLV | IND WAC | 0–8 | 0.000 | 109 | -22 | Lost to SMU 7–10 |
| 109 | 0 | 8.012 |  Ball State (BALL STATE) | MAC | 1–7 | 0.125 | 106 | -24 | Lost to Marshall 10–42 |
| 110 | 0 | 8.516 |  Hawai'i (HAWAII) | IND WAC | 0–7 | 0.000 | 109 | -25 | Lost to New Mexico 20–30 |
| 111 | 0 | 8.738 |  Cincinnati (CINCINNATI) | USA | 0–8 | 0.000 | 109 | -24 | Lost to Miami (OH) 0–41 |
| 112 | 0 | 9.572 |  Kent State (KENT STATE) | MAC | 0–8 | 0.000 | 109 | -23 | Lost to Bowling Green 21–42 |