The MRI
2026 · Week 11

Air Force

Mountain West · 7–2 · 3–2 in conference · MRI Classic #38

Power-4.0#82 of 138
Résumé+0.18#66 · wins above average
Playoff chance<0.1%out of the picture
Trendrating by week

Who to root for this week

Nothing this weekend moves the needle.

Nothing this weekend moves the needle.

Best winArmy (24–21)
Worst lossWyoming (14–28)
Schedule faced-12.9 avg opponent
Schedule ahead-10.9 avg opponent
Roster talentnot comparable — recruiting rankings do not measure the service academies
Returning production57% of last year's · #46 of 128
Home field+5.0 pts · 4th of 131

How this rating is built

Power = w × (average margin counted + average opponent rating) + (1 − w) × preseason prior, where w = games ÷ (games + 4). After 9 games, w is 69%, so the preseason prior is 31% of this rating. Every game played shrinks that share.

PartValueWeightAdds
Margin counted+8.3 avg× 69%+5.7
Opponents faced-12.9 avg× 69%-8.9
Preseason prior-2.6× 31%-0.8
Power-4.0

This explains how the model reached the number. The opponent ratings come out of the same fitted model, so it is not independent proof that the rating is right.

Results

Expected is the margin the model's ratings imply for that matchup and site. Perf is how far the actual margin beat it — the result against expectation. Adds is a different question: how many points of Power the game contributes, counting its margin and the strength of the opponent together. A game can beat expectation and still add little, or the reverse. Adds, plus the preseason prior, sum to Power (figures are rounded so the column adds up). Hover an Adds figure for its arithmetic.

WkOpponentResult ExpectedPerfAdds
1 vs Duquesne FCS W 34–0 +32.7 +1.3 -0.8
2 vs North Dakota State L 32–38 +2.1 -8.1 -1.1
4 at Nevada W 36–33 +6.2 -3.2 -0.5
5 vs Navy W 14–9 +3.0 +2.0 +0.0
6 at Northern Illinois W 28–7 +18.0 +3.0 +0.3
7 vs UNLV W 41–31 +5.2 +4.8 +0.3
8 at Wyoming L 14–28 +6.3 -20.3 -2.2
9 vs UConn W 35–26 +5.0 +4.0 +0.2
10 at Army W 24–21 -7.3 +10.3 +0.6
Preseason prior (31% of the rating)-0.8
Power-4.0

Remaining schedule

WkOpponent ProjectedWin prob
11 vs San Jose State +11.6 76%
12 vs UTEP +24.7 93%
13 at New Mexico -12.7 22%

Coaches

Mean added leaves out 1978–1980, the first seasons rated, which have no preseason prior to measure against.

CoachYearsRecordMean added
Bill Parcells19783-8–
Ken Hatfield1979–198326-32-1+3.9
Fisher DeBerry1984–2006169-109-1+0.6
Troy Calhoun2007–2026146-99+0.0

Season by season

Best finish: #7 in 1985. 48 seasons rated. The two columns' numbers are not comparable; the rank within each is. Season links open that year's game log.

25 1 150 2003 (MRI Classic): #53 of 117 (7-5)2004 (MRI Classic): #71 of 117 (5-6)2005 (MRI Classic): #77 of 119 (4-7)2006 (MRI Classic): #62 of 119 (4-8)2007 (MRI Classic): #31 of 120 (9-4)2008 (MRI Classic): #43 of 120 (8-5)2009 (MRI Classic): #15 of 120 (8-5)2010 (MRI Classic): #26 of 120 (9-4)2011 (MRI Classic): #61 of 120 (7-6)2012 (MRI Classic): #90 of 124 (6-7)2013 (MRI Classic): #118 of 126 (2-10)2014 (MRI Classic): #39 of 128 (10-3)2015 (MRI Classic): #56 of 128 (8-6)2016 (MRI Classic): #27 of 128 (10-3)2017 (MRI Classic): #88 of 130 (5-7)2018 (MRI Classic): #60 of 130 (5-7)2019 (MRI Classic): #21 of 130 (11-2)1978 (MRI 2.0): #134 of 138 (3-8)1979 (MRI 2.0): #130 of 138 (2-9)1980 (MRI 2.0): #120 of 138 (2-10)1981 (MRI 2.0): #109 of 136 (4-7)1982 (MRI 2.0): #59 of 105 (8-5)1983 (MRI 2.0): #35 of 105 (10-2)1984 (MRI 2.0): #28 of 106 (8-4)1985 (MRI 2.0): #7 of 106 (12-1)1986 (MRI 2.0): #35 of 105 (6-5)1987 (MRI 2.0): #32 of 104 (9-4)1988 (MRI 2.0): #47 of 104 (5-7)1989 (MRI 2.0): #34 of 106 (8-5)1990 (MRI 2.0): #54 of 107 (7-5)1991 (MRI 2.0): #39 of 107 (10-3)1992 (MRI 2.0): #66 of 107 (7-5)1993 (MRI 2.0): #76 of 106 (4-8)1994 (MRI 2.0): #51 of 107 (8-4)1995 (MRI 2.0): #43 of 108 (8-5)1996 (MRI 2.0): #32 of 111 (6-5)1997 (MRI 2.0): #49 of 112 (10-3)1998 (MRI 2.0): #17 of 112 (12-1)1999 (MRI 2.0): #38 of 114 (6-5)2000 (MRI 2.0): #49 of 116 (9-3)2001 (MRI 2.0): #82 of 117 (6-6)2002 (MRI 2.0): #54 of 117 (8-5)2003 (MRI 2.0): #58 of 117 (7-5)2004 (MRI 2.0): #71 of 117 (5-6)2005 (MRI 2.0): #73 of 119 (4-7)2006 (MRI 2.0): #66 of 119 (4-8)2007 (MRI 2.0): #48 of 119 (9-4)2008 (MRI 2.0): #53 of 120 (8-5)2009 (MRI 2.0): #36 of 120 (8-5)2010 (MRI 2.0): #35 of 120 (9-4)2011 (MRI 2.0): #57 of 120 (7-6)2012 (MRI 2.0): #86 of 124 (6-7)2013 (MRI 2.0): #114 of 125 (2-10)2014 (MRI 2.0): #77 of 128 (10-3)2015 (MRI 2.0): #66 of 128 (8-6)2016 (MRI 2.0): #61 of 128 (10-3)2017 (MRI 2.0): #84 of 130 (5-7)2018 (MRI 2.0): #74 of 130 (5-7)2019 (MRI 2.0): #30 of 130 (11-2)2020 (MRI 2.0): #43 of 128 (3-3)2021 (MRI 2.0): #40 of 130 (10-3)2022 (MRI 2.0): #45 of 131 (10-3)2023 (MRI 2.0): #60 of 133 (9-4)2024 (MRI 2.0): #102 of 134 (5-7)2025 (MRI 2.0): #95 of 136 (4-8) MRI 2.0Classic 1978 2025

Finishing rank, best at the top, on an axis running to 150 — this team's own range, not the size of the field. Two lines where both ratings cover a season - MRI 2.0 in red, Classic in grey. Hover a point for the season.

SeasonRec MRI 2.0MRI Classic
2025 4–8 #95 of 136 · -7.38 –
2024 5–7 #102 of 134 · -9.03 –
2023 9–4 #60 of 133 · 1.98 –
2022 10–3 #45 of 131 · 6.35 –
2021 10–3 #40 of 130 · 7.72 –
2020 3–3 #43 of 128 · 4.88 –
2019 11–2 #30 of 130 · 9.20 #21 of 130 · 67.24
2018 5–7 #74 of 130 · -1.75 #60 of 130 · 24.93
2017 5–7 #84 of 130 · -4.00 #88 of 130 · 6.89
2016 10–3 #61 of 128 · 1.56 #27 of 128 · 54.57
2015 8–6 #66 of 128 · 1.25 #56 of 128 · 34.15
2014 10–3 #77 of 128 · -3.89 #39 of 128 · 41.14
2013 2–10 #114 of 125 · -19.43 #118 of 126 · -52.56
2012 6–7 #86 of 124 · -7.49 #90 of 124 · -3.47
2011 7–6 #57 of 120 · 1.70 #61 of 120 · 25.73
2010 9–4 #35 of 120 · 8.73 #26 of 120 · 58.67
2009 8–5 #36 of 120 · 7.79 #15 of 120 · 64.05
2008 8–5 #53 of 120 · 2.43 #43 of 120 · 38.71
2007 9–4 #48 of 119 · 5.04 #31 of 120 · 53.31
2006 4–8 #66 of 119 · -2.29 #62 of 119 · 22.16
2005 4–7 #73 of 119 · -3.77 #77 of 119 · 16.31
2004 5–6 #71 of 117 · -2.73 #71 of 117 · 20.87
2003 7–5 #58 of 117 · 1.45 #53 of 117 · 37.45
2002 8–5 #54 of 117 · 3.22 –
2001 6–6 #82 of 117 · -6.17 –
2000 9–3 #49 of 116 · 4.49 –
1999 6–5 #38 of 114 · 5.32 –
1998 12–1 #17 of 112 · 14.94 –
1997 10–3 #49 of 112 · 3.57 –
1996 6–5 #32 of 111 · 8.07 –
1995 8–5 #43 of 108 · 4.86 –
1994 8–4 #51 of 107 · 2.60 –
1993 4–8 #76 of 106 · -8.15 –
1992 7–5 #66 of 107 · -2.97 –
1991 10–3 #39 of 107 · 3.99 –
1990 7–5 #54 of 107 · -0.11 –
1989 8–5 #34 of 106 · 7.17 –
1988 5–7 #47 of 104 · 1.63 –
1987 9–4 #32 of 104 · 7.42 –
1986 6–5 #35 of 105 · 4.22 –
1985 12–1 #7 of 106 · 19.20 –
1984 8–4 #28 of 106 · 7.92 –
1983 10–2 #35 of 105 · 6.41 –
1982 8–5 #59 of 105 · -1.96 –
1981 4–7 #109 of 136 · -8.57 –
1980 2–10 #120 of 138 · -12.68 –
1979 2–9 #130 of 138 · -18.23 –
1978 3–8 #134 of 138 · -16.24 –