IllinoisFootballRatings.com
IllinoisFootballRatings.com uses a computer model to provide an objective comparison of the high school
football teams and conferences in Illinois. To create our lists, we use software that was originally developed as
an alternative to the NCAA Bowl Championship Series methods, and we apply it to all 560 high school football
programs in Illinois. On these pages, you can find single-season and multiple-season ratings. We recommend,
however, that you look at the multiple season ratings (called "Best of the 2000s") first. This computer model is
at its best when dealing with broader trends involving many seasons. The more data it has, the better it
performs.
This site grew out of a simple question: Was the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) justified in its use of the
so-called "multiplier" on private schools, thereby pushing them against their will into larger state football
classifications? Are they really that much better? To find out, we wanted to use an unbiased mathematical
method to compare private schools and private conferences to their public counterparts. For that, we chose
the Wilson Performance Ratings, developed by David L. Wilson, a mathematician at the University of
Wisconsin. Wilson's method provides a simple and mathematically sound way to quantify the toughness of a
school's schedule and its propensity for winning.
The numbers on the following pages reinforce what the state already knew: that private schools, particularly at
the highest levels, are disproportionately out-performing most of the corresponding public-school conferences.
We invite you to take a look at the numbers and decide for yourself. If you have questions, criticisms, or find an
error in our data, please e-mail us at numbersguy@illinoisfootballratings.com.
Best of the 2000's
2011 Ratings
2010 Ratings
Past Single-Season Ratings
How The Ratings Work
IllinoisFootballRatings.com uses a computer model to provide an objective comparison of the high school
football teams and conferences in Illinois. To create our lists, we use software that was originally developed as
an alternative to the NCAA Bowl Championship Series methods, and we apply it to all 560 high school football
programs in Illinois. On these pages, you can find single-season and multiple-season ratings. We recommend,
however, that you look at the multiple season ratings (called "Best of the 2000s") first. This computer model is
at its best when dealing with broader trends involving many seasons. The more data it has, the better it
performs.
This site grew out of a simple question: Was the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) justified in its use of the
so-called "multiplier" on private schools, thereby pushing them against their will into larger state football
classifications? Are they really that much better? To find out, we wanted to use an unbiased mathematical
method to compare private schools and private conferences to their public counterparts. For that, we chose
the Wilson Performance Ratings, developed by David L. Wilson, a mathematician at the University of
Wisconsin. Wilson's method provides a simple and mathematically sound way to quantify the toughness of a
school's schedule and its propensity for winning.
The numbers on the following pages reinforce what the state already knew: that private schools, particularly at
the highest levels, are disproportionately out-performing most of the corresponding public-school conferences.
We invite you to take a look at the numbers and decide for yourself. If you have questions, criticisms, or find an
error in our data, please e-mail us at numbersguy@illinoisfootballratings.com.
Best of the 2000's
2011 Ratings
2010 Ratings
Past Single-Season Ratings
How The Ratings Work
