1930 College Football Season - Dickinson System

Dickinson System

The AP sportswriters' poll would not begin continuously until 1936. (although, the first time was a one instance publishing in 1934) Frank G. Dickinson, an economics professor at the University of Illinois, had invented the Dickinson System to rank colleges based upon their records and the strength of their opposition. Notre Dame, Washington State and Alabama, all unbeaten and untied, were ranked first, second and third by Dickinson, with the Irish getting the higher rating based on the their opposition.

The system was originally designed to rank teams in the Big Nine (later the Big Ten) conference. Chicago clothing manufacturer Jack Rissman then persuaded Dickinson to rank the nation's teams under the system, and awarded the Rissman Trophy to the winning university.

The system awarded 30 points for a win over a "strong team", and 20 for a win over a "weak team". Losses were awarded points (15 for loss to a strong team, 10 for loss to a weak team). Ties were treated as half a win and half a loss (22.5 for a tie with a strong team, 15 for a tie with a weak team). An average was then derived by dividing the points by games played.

.

Read more about this topic:  1930 College Football Season

Famous quotes containing the words dickinson and/or system:

    Apparently with no surprise
    To any happy flower,
    The frost beheads it at its play
    —Emily Dickinson (1830–1886)

    As long as learning is connected with earning, as long as certain jobs can only be reached through exams, so long must we take this examination system seriously. If another ladder to employment was contrived, much so-called education would disappear, and no one would be a penny the stupider.
    —E.M. (Edward Morgan)