# College Football BCS question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 28, 2002, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-bcs-question/134198 "2002-10-28T03:59:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![High\_Deity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9a140/32.png) [@High\_Deity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/High_Deity)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-bcs-question/134198/1 "2002-10-28T03:59:57Z")
What are the formulas used by the computer polls to determine rankings? Are they kept secret? ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-bcs-question/134198/2 "2002-10-28T05:08:25Z")
This [link at HowStuffWorks](http://www.howstuffworks.com/question535.htm) has a helpful explanation of the entire byzantine BCS ranking system, including what factors each of the computer polls depend on, as well as links to each computer ranking. > [@](#): > > There are eight computer-generated rankings that make up this variable. The rankings are actually the output of computer programs that crunch weekly game statistics. Most of these programs were designed by people with backgrounds in math or statistics. Their formulas factor in an eclectic mix of variables, from who won to where a game was played. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-football-bcs-question/134198/3 "2002-10-28T06:44:44Z")
Some of the computer rankings are propietary, but I think that everyone has reverse engineered them (not the right use of the phrase I know).