The MRI
2026 · Week 11

Louisiana Tech

Sun Belt · 7–2 · 5–0 in conference · MRI Classic #44

Power+0.3#69 of 138
Résumé+1.29#42 · wins above average
Playoff chance1.6%#36 most likely · -0.2 pts this week
Trendrating by week

Who to root for this week

1 game · top: Oregon State over Boise State, +1.9 pts playoff odds

The games this week that move its playoff odds most, and the side to cheer. Other teams’ games only; its own game is in the schedule below. How these are worked out.

Best winArmy (31–29)
Worst lossBaylor (19–36)
Schedule faced-8.8 avg opponent
Schedule ahead-10.1 avg opponent
Roster talent#118 of 127 · worth -7.5, rated +0.3: beating it
Returning production64% of last year's · #36 of 128
Home field+2.9 pts · 70th 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+12.2 avg× 69%+8.5
Opponents faced-8.8 avg× 69%-6.1
Preseason prior-6.6× 31%-2.1
Power+0.3

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 Northwestern State FCS W 80–6 +37.0 +37.0 -0.1
2 at LSU L 14–45 -26.0 -5.0 -0.7
3 at Baylor L 19–36 -13.9 -3.1 -0.6
5 vs Army W 31–29 +3.0 -1.0 +0.0
6 vs Louisiana W 32–31 +6.0 -5.0 -0.3
7 at Louisiana-Monroe W 24–0 +21.2 +2.8 +0.6
8 vs Old Dominion W 26–0 +19.2 +6.8 +0.9
9 at South Alabama W 35–20 +6.0 +9.0 +1.1
10 at Troy W 41–17 +9.6 +14.4 +1.5
Preseason prior (31% of the rating)-2.1
Power+0.3

Remaining schedule

WkOpponent ProjectedWin prob
11 vs Southern Miss +18.9 87%
12 vs Arkansas State +14.3 81%
13 at Georgia Southern +1.1 53%

Coaches

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

CoachYearsRecordMean added
Maxie Lambright19786-5–
Billy Brewer1980–19819-12-1-2.1
Joe Peace1988–199540-44-4-2.4
Gary Crowton1996–199821-13+1.6
Jack Bicknell1999–200643-52-4.2
Derek Dooley2007–200917-20+1.4
Sonny Dykes2010–201222-15+2.3
Skip Holtz2013–202164-50-3.2
Sonny Cumbie2022–202626-33-1.9

Season by season

Best finish: #14 in 2014. 41 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): #90 of 117 (5-7)2004 (MRI Classic): #58 of 117 (6-6)2005 (MRI Classic): #49 of 119 (7-4)2006 (MRI Classic): #117 of 119 (3-10)2007 (MRI Classic): #103 of 120 (5-7)2008 (MRI Classic): #66 of 120 (8-5)2009 (MRI Classic): #71 of 120 (4-8)2010 (MRI Classic): #83 of 120 (5-7)2011 (MRI Classic): #43 of 120 (8-5)2012 (MRI Classic): #36 of 124 (9-3)2013 (MRI Classic): #108 of 126 (4-8)2014 (MRI Classic): #14 of 128 (9-5)2015 (MRI Classic): #48 of 128 (9-4)2016 (MRI Classic): #44 of 128 (9-5)2017 (MRI Classic): #52 of 130 (7-6)2018 (MRI Classic): #74 of 130 (8-5)2019 (MRI Classic): #36 of 130 (10-3)1978 (MRI 2.0): #52 of 138 (6-5)1979 (MRI 2.0): #117 of 138 (2-9)1980 (MRI 2.0): #108 of 138 (5-6)1981 (MRI 2.0): #110 of 136 (4-7)1989 (MRI 2.0): #70 of 106 (5-5)1990 (MRI 2.0): #50 of 107 (8-4)1991 (MRI 2.0): #59 of 107 (8-3)1992 (MRI 2.0): #62 of 107 (5-6)1993 (MRI 2.0): #96 of 106 (2-9)1994 (MRI 2.0): #101 of 107 (3-8)1995 (MRI 2.0): #93 of 108 (5-6)1996 (MRI 2.0): #86 of 111 (6-5)1997 (MRI 2.0): #75 of 112 (9-2)1998 (MRI 2.0): #61 of 112 (6-6)1999 (MRI 2.0): #49 of 114 (8-3)2000 (MRI 2.0): #88 of 116 (3-9)2001 (MRI 2.0): #72 of 117 (7-5)2002 (MRI 2.0): #93 of 117 (4-8)2003 (MRI 2.0): #87 of 117 (5-7)2004 (MRI 2.0): #78 of 117 (6-6)2005 (MRI 2.0): #74 of 119 (7-4)2006 (MRI 2.0): #114 of 119 (3-10)2007 (MRI 2.0): #104 of 119 (5-7)2008 (MRI 2.0): #86 of 120 (8-5)2009 (MRI 2.0): #71 of 120 (4-8)2010 (MRI 2.0): #79 of 120 (5-7)2011 (MRI 2.0): #55 of 120 (8-5)2012 (MRI 2.0): #43 of 124 (9-3)2013 (MRI 2.0): #106 of 125 (4-8)2014 (MRI 2.0): #51 of 128 (9-5)2015 (MRI 2.0): #59 of 128 (9-4)2016 (MRI 2.0): #55 of 128 (9-5)2017 (MRI 2.0): #75 of 130 (7-6)2018 (MRI 2.0): #92 of 130 (8-5)2019 (MRI 2.0): #76 of 130 (10-3)2020 (MRI 2.0): #106 of 128 (5-5)2021 (MRI 2.0): #110 of 130 (3-9)2022 (MRI 2.0): #123 of 131 (3-9)2023 (MRI 2.0): #121 of 133 (3-9)2024 (MRI 2.0): #116 of 134 (5-8)2025 (MRI 2.0): #94 of 136 (8-5) 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 8–5 #94 of 136 · -7.00 –
2024 5–8 #116 of 134 · -13.63 –
2023 3–9 #121 of 133 · -16.70 –
2022 3–9 #123 of 131 · -16.24 –
2021 3–9 #110 of 130 · -12.02 –
2020 5–5 #106 of 128 · -11.51 –
2019 10–3 #76 of 130 · -2.94 #36 of 130 · 39.36
2018 8–5 #92 of 130 · -6.11 #74 of 130 · 19.15
2017 7–6 #75 of 130 · -1.76 #52 of 130 · 32.68
2016 9–5 #55 of 128 · 4.54 #44 of 128 · 40.56
2015 9–4 #59 of 128 · 3.08 #48 of 128 · 42.05
2014 9–5 #51 of 128 · 3.12 #14 of 128 · 70.63
2013 4–8 #106 of 125 · -15.57 #108 of 126 · -25.16
2012 9–3 #43 of 124 · 6.36 #36 of 124 · 49.01
2011 8–5 #55 of 120 · 2.23 #43 of 120 · 36.71
2010 5–7 #79 of 120 · -6.54 #83 of 120 · 2.15
2009 4–8 #71 of 120 · -3.41 #71 of 120 · 16.05
2008 8–5 #86 of 120 · -8.45 #66 of 120 · 19.21
2007 5–7 #104 of 119 · -14.66 #103 of 120 · -16.11
2006 3–10 #114 of 119 · -20.87 #117 of 119 · -63.61
2005 7–4 #74 of 119 · -3.85 #49 of 119 · 35.61
2004 6–6 #78 of 117 · -5.72 #58 of 117 · 28.76
2003 5–7 #87 of 117 · -9.68 #90 of 117 · -5.41
2002 4–8 #93 of 117 · -10.63 –
2001 7–5 #72 of 117 · -2.72 –
2000 3–9 #88 of 116 · -9.76 –
1999 8–3 #49 of 114 · 2.90 –
1998 6–6 #61 of 112 · -1.70 –
1997 9–2 #75 of 112 · -4.61 –
1996 6–5 #86 of 111 · -11.02 –
1995 5–6 #93 of 108 · -16.38 –
1994 3–8 #101 of 107 · -20.71 –
1993 2–9 #96 of 106 · -18.31 –
1992 5–6 #62 of 107 · -2.26 –
1991 8–3 #59 of 107 · -2.11 –
1990 8–4 #50 of 107 · 0.85 –
1989 5–5 #70 of 106 · -6.42 –
1981 4–7 #110 of 136 · -9.05 –
1980 5–6 #108 of 138 · -9.61 –
1979 2–9 #117 of 138 · -9.67 –
1978 6–5 #52 of 138 · 3.50 –