2002 season
117 teams across 5 tiers · ingest from CFBD regular season
- National champion
- USCfrom Premier
- Biggest riser (1999 tiers)
- Washington State▲ 1 tier
- Biggest faller
- Texas A&M▼ 1 tier
Regular season champions
Tier winners — the top finisher in each tier on points, before any promotion playoff or main-playoff games.
Tier standings
Final regular-season standings within each tier. Promoted rows tinted green, relegated rows tinted red, survival winners tinted amber.
Premier24 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | 13 | 0 | 45 | 379 | 159 | +220 | |
| 2 | USC | 10 | 2 | 45 | 427 | 223 | +204 | |
| 3 | Georgia | 12 | 1 | 39 | 424 | 199 | +225 | |
| 4 | Notre Dame | 10 | 2 | 36 | 284 | 189 | +95 | |
| 5 | Michigan | 9 | 3 | 36 | 323 | 235 | +88 | |
| 6 | Penn State | 9 | 3 | 32 | 437 | 214 | +223 | |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 11 | 2 | 31 | 507 | 202 | +305 | |
| 8 | Texas | 10 | 2 | 30 | 404 | 192 | +212 | |
| 9 | UCLA | 7 | 5 | 29 | 360 | 313 | +47 | |
| 10 | Florida State | 9 | 4 | 28 | 415 | 275 | +140 | |
| 11 | Washington | 7 | 5 | 26 | 374 | 308 | +66 | |
| 12 | Virginia Tech | 9 | 4 | 25 | 409 | 250 | +159 | |
| 13 | Oregon | 7 | 5 | 25 | 400 | 324 | +76 | |
| 14 | Florida | 8 | 4 | 25 | 306 | 241 | +65 | |
| 15 | Oregon State | 8 | 4 | 23 | 401 | 229 | +172 | |
| 16 | Arkansas | 9 | 4 | 23 | 356 | 248 | +108 | |
| 17 | Kansas State | 10 | 2 | 21 | 548 | 127 | +421 | |
| 18 | Tennessee | 8 | 4 | 21 | 293 | 197 | +96 | |
| 19 | Georgia Tech | 7 | 5 | 19 | 259 | 237 | +22 | |
| 20 | Nebraska | 7 | 6 | 17 | 360 | 308 | +52 | |
| 21 | BYU | 5 | 7 | 15 | 272 | 333 | -61 | Survived |
| 22 | Texas A&M | 6 | 6 | 14 | 345 | 280 | +65 | Relegated |
| 23 | Michigan State | 4 | 8 | 10 | 316 | 398 | -82 | Relegated |
| 24 | Stanford | 2 | 9 | 7 | 225 | 377 | -152 | Relegated |
Tier 224 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington State | 10 | 2 | 37 | 417 | 262 | +155 | Promoted |
| 2 | Miami (FL) | 12 | 0 | 36 | 503 | 217 | +286 | Promoted |
| 3 | Alabama | 10 | 3 | 34 | 367 | 200 | +167 | |
| 4 | Colorado State | 10 | 3 | 34 | 415 | 315 | +100 | |
| 5 | Colorado | 9 | 4 | 31 | 370 | 294 | +76 | |
| 6 | Arizona State | 8 | 5 | 30 | 425 | 373 | +52 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 7 | Texas Tech | 8 | 5 | 25 | 482 | 424 | +58 | |
| 8 | TCU | 9 | 2 | 24 | 344 | 219 | +125 | |
| 9 | Fresno State | 8 | 5 | 23 | 348 | 358 | -10 | |
| 10 | Auburn | 8 | 4 | 22 | 375 | 222 | +153 | |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 7 | 6 | 22 | 341 | 294 | +47 | |
| 12 | Air Force | 8 | 4 | 20 | 427 | 283 | +144 | |
| 13 | Virginia | 8 | 5 | 19 | 354 | 326 | +28 | |
| 14 | Marshall | 10 | 2 | 17 | 419 | 300 | +119 | |
| 15 | Purdue | 6 | 6 | 17 | 352 | 264 | +88 | |
| 16 | Southern Miss | 7 | 5 | 16 | 259 | 205 | +54 | |
| 17 | Illinois | 5 | 7 | 15 | 346 | 307 | +39 | |
| 18 | Ole Miss | 6 | 6 | 15 | 324 | 308 | +16 | |
| 19 | Miami (OH) | 7 | 5 | 14 | 384 | 325 | +59 | |
| 20 | East Carolina | 4 | 8 | 11 | 335 | 399 | -64 | |
| 21 | San Diego State | 4 | 9 | 10 | 309 | 411 | -102 | Relegated |
| 22 | Syracuse | 4 | 8 | 8 | 347 | 406 | -59 | Survived |
| 23 | Arizona | 4 | 8 | 8 | 227 | 310 | -83 | Relegated |
| 24 | Mississippi State | 3 | 9 | 3 | 227 | 339 | -112 | Relegated |
Tier 326 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boise State | 11 | 1 | 28 | 559 | 224 | +335 | Promoted |
| 2 | California | 7 | 5 | 27 | 427 | 318 | +109 | Promoted |
| 3 | Hawaii | 10 | 3 | 25 | 474 | 353 | +121 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 4 | Maryland | 10 | 3 | 23 | 421 | 225 | +196 | |
| 5 | West Virginia | 9 | 3 | 23 | 374 | 254 | +120 | |
| 6 | LSU | 8 | 4 | 23 | 303 | 203 | +100 | |
| 7 | NC State | 10 | 3 | 21 | 432 | 232 | +200 | |
| 8 | Kentucky | 7 | 5 | 21 | 385 | 301 | +84 | |
| 9 | Pittsburgh | 8 | 4 | 21 | 293 | 219 | +74 | |
| 10 | Boston College | 8 | 4 | 20 | 341 | 228 | +113 | |
| 11 | Louisville | 7 | 5 | 20 | 359 | 281 | +78 | |
| 12 | Minnesota | 7 | 5 | 17 | 347 | 305 | +42 | |
| 13 | Clemson | 7 | 5 | 16 | 315 | 294 | +21 | |
| 14 | Nevada | 5 | 7 | 16 | 331 | 371 | -40 | |
| 15 | Toledo | 9 | 4 | 14 | 470 | 327 | +143 | |
| 16 | Utah | 5 | 6 | 13 | 249 | 226 | +23 | |
| 17 | Missouri | 5 | 7 | 13 | 360 | 352 | +8 | |
| 18 | San Jose State | 6 | 7 | 13 | 376 | 467 | -91 | |
| 19 | Tulane | 7 | 5 | 12 | 325 | 254 | +71 | |
| 20 | North Carolina | 3 | 9 | 9 | 223 | 421 | -198 | |
| 21 | Rice | 4 | 7 | 7 | 253 | 296 | -43 | |
| 22 | Indiana | 3 | 9 | 6 | 258 | 445 | -187 | |
| 23 | SMU | 3 | 9 | 5 | 207 | 378 | -171 | Survived |
| 24 | Northwestern | 3 | 9 | 5 | 272 | 493 | -221 | Relegated |
| 25 | Western Michigan | 4 | 8 | 4 | 303 | 330 | -27 | Relegated |
| 26 | Idaho | 2 | 10 | 3 | 285 | 428 | -143 | Relegated |
Tier 426 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | 11 | 1 | 40 | 467 | 218 | +249 | Promoted |
| 2 | Oklahoma State | 7 | 5 | 21 | 413 | 333 | +80 | Promoted |
| 3 | Cincinnati | 7 | 6 | 18 | 390 | 305 | +85 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 4 | Wake Forest | 6 | 6 | 18 | 318 | 310 | +8 | |
| 5 | Iowa State | 7 | 6 | 17 | 388 | 362 | +26 | |
| 6 | New Mexico | 7 | 6 | 16 | 328 | 331 | -3 | |
| 7 | Bowling Green | 9 | 3 | 15 | 490 | 304 | +186 | |
| 8 | Northern Illinois | 8 | 4 | 13 | 375 | 298 | +77 | |
| 9 | UCF | 7 | 5 | 13 | 391 | 315 | +76 | |
| 10 | New Mexico State | 7 | 5 | 12 | 327 | 328 | -1 | |
| 11 | South Carolina | 5 | 7 | 12 | 225 | 262 | -37 | |
| 12 | Houston | 5 | 7 | 11 | 320 | 393 | -73 | |
| 13 | UAB | 5 | 7 | 11 | 268 | 370 | -102 | |
| 14 | North Texas | 7 | 5 | 10 | 225 | 173 | +52 | |
| 15 | Louisiana Tech | 4 | 8 | 8 | 320 | 426 | -106 | |
| 16 | Akron | 4 | 8 | 6 | 325 | 379 | -54 | |
| 17 | Memphis | 3 | 9 | 5 | 303 | 327 | -24 | |
| 18 | Central Michigan | 4 | 8 | 5 | 267 | 384 | -117 | |
| 19 | Utah State | 4 | 7 | 5 | 305 | 432 | -127 | |
| 20 | Wyoming | 2 | 10 | 4 | 288 | 432 | -144 | |
| 21 | Middle Tennessee | 4 | 8 | 3 | 297 | 332 | -35 | |
| 22 | UTEP | 2 | 10 | 3 | 220 | 511 | -291 | |
| 23 | Ohio | 4 | 8 | 2 | 299 | 374 | -75 | Survived |
| 24 | Vanderbilt | 2 | 10 | 1 | 221 | 368 | -147 | Relegated |
| 25 | Kansas | 2 | 10 | 1 | 248 | 507 | -259 | Relegated |
| 26 | Army | 1 | 11 | 0 | 226 | 491 | -265 | Relegated |
Tier 517 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Florida | 9 | 2 | 18 | 339 | 204 | +135 | Promoted |
| 2 | UNLV | 5 | 7 | 16 | 292 | 366 | -74 | Promoted |
| 3 | Ball State | 6 | 6 | 8 | 278 | 333 | -55 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 4 | UConn | 6 | 6 | 7 | 373 | 270 | +103 | |
| 5 | Arkansas State | 6 | 7 | 7 | 259 | 361 | -102 | |
| 6 | Temple | 4 | 8 | 6 | 242 | 351 | -109 | |
| 7 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 3 | 9 | 6 | 203 | 352 | -149 | |
| 8 | Duke | 2 | 10 | 5 | 227 | 353 | -126 | |
| 9 | Navy | 2 | 10 | 5 | 290 | 436 | -146 | |
| 10 | Louisiana-Monroe | 3 | 9 | 3 | 236 | 451 | -215 | |
| 11 | Baylor | 3 | 9 | 3 | 202 | 496 | -294 | |
| 12 | Tulsa | 1 | 11 | 2 | 233 | 417 | -184 | |
| 13 | Eastern Michigan | 3 | 9 | 2 | 286 | 566 | -280 | |
| 14 | Kent State | 3 | 9 | 1 | 202 | 424 | -222 | |
| 15 | Troy | 4 | 8 | 0 | 218 | 252 | -34 | |
| 16 | Rutgers | 1 | 11 | -1 | 167 | 397 | -230 | |
| 17 | Buffalo | 1 | 11 | -2 | 214 | 416 | -202 |
Main playoff
Twelve-team championship bracket: top 8 from Premier (seeds 1–8), top 2 from Tier 2 (seeds 9–10), top 2 from Tier 3 (seeds 11–12). Seeds 1–4 receive first-round byes. Champion: USC.
Promotion playoffs
Each lower tier sends two teams up automatically (ranks 1 and 2); ranks 3–6 contest a single-elimination playoff for the third promotion spot.
Tier 2→ up to Tier 1
Semifinal
Final
Tier 4→ up to Tier 3
Semifinal
Final
Tier 5→ up to Tier 4
Semifinal
Final
UConn13
Relegation playoffs
Bottom 4 of each upper tier play a survival bracket. The Survival Final winner stays up; the other three drop down.
Premierbottom 4 · survivor: BYU
Tier 2bottom 4 · survivor: Syracuse
Semifinal
Survival Final· winner stays up
Tier 3bottom 4 · survivor: SMU
Semifinal
Survival Final· winner stays up
Tier 4bottom 4 · survivor: Ohio
Semifinal
Survival Final· winner stays up
Ohio20
2003 starting tiers
Cascade from 2002: promoted teams move up, relegated teams move down, and FBS membership is reconciled against CFBD's roster for the next year.
Premier24
- Ohio State1
- USC2
- Georgia3
- Washington State4
- Miami (FL)5
- Notre Dame6
- Michigan7
- Penn State8
- Oklahoma9
- Texas10
- Arizona State11
- UCLA12
- Florida State13
- Washington14
- Virginia Tech15
- Oregon16
- Florida17
- Oregon State18
- Arkansas19
- Kansas State20
- Tennessee21
- Georgia Tech22
- Nebraska23
- BYU24
Tier 224
- Alabama1
- Colorado State2
- Colorado3
- Boise State4
- California5
- Hawaii6
- Texas Tech7
- TCU8
- Fresno State9
- Auburn10
- Wisconsin11
- Air Force12
- Virginia13
- Marshall14
- Purdue15
- Southern Miss16
- Illinois17
- Ole Miss18
- Texas A&M19
- Miami (OH)20
- East Carolina21
- Michigan State22
- Syracuse23
- Stanford24
Tier 326
- Iowa1
- Maryland2
- West Virginia3
- LSU4
- NC State5
- Kentucky6
- Oklahoma State7
- Pittsburgh8
- Boston College9
- Louisville10
- Cincinnati11
- Minnesota12
- Clemson13
- Nevada14
- Toledo15
- Utah16
- Missouri17
- San Jose State18
- Tulane19
- San Diego State20
- North Carolina21
- Arizona22
- Rice23
- Indiana24
- SMU25
- Mississippi State26
Tier 426
- South Florida1
- Wake Forest2
- Iowa State3
- New Mexico4
- UNLV5
- Bowling Green6
- Northern Illinois7
- UCF8
- New Mexico State9
- South Carolina10
- Houston11
- UAB12
- North Texas13
- Ball State14
- Louisiana Tech15
- Akron16
- Memphis17
- Central Michigan18
- Utah State19
- Northwestern20
- Western Michigan21
- Wyoming22
- Middle Tennessee23
- Idaho24
- UTEP25
- Ohio26
Tier 517
- UConn1
- Arkansas State2
- Temple3
- Louisiana-Lafayette4
- Duke5
- Navy6
- Louisiana-Monroe7
- Baylor8
- Tulsa9
- Eastern Michigan10
- Vanderbilt11
- Kent State12
- Kansas13
- Troy14
- Army15
- Rutgers16
- Buffalo17