Bowl alliance, here we come.

Well, not really.

The Ohio football team is ranked 33rd in the nation, but not in the Associated Press top 25 poll or the ESPN/USA Today Coaches'Poll. It is that high in the Sagarin Football Ratings.

These computer ratings were devised by Jeff Sagarin, a 1970 MIT mathematics graduate. The rating is a numerical measure of the team's strength. A hypothetical victory margin is determined by comparing the rating of the two teams after adding 3.40 points to the home team. This home edge will vary during the season.

A diminishing-returns principle exists to prevent teams from building up ratings by running up large victory margins against weak teams. Instead, it rewards teams that do well against good opponents.

The Bobcats (5-1 overall, 3-0 Mid-American Conference) has a rating of 77.55 points and a schedule strength of 60.76.

Ohio is ahead of the all the MAC teams; Marshall is 38th, Toledo is 39th and Miami is 43rd. All three were ahead of the Bobcats in the AP poll and the coaches'poll, both of which make up the bowl alliance.

Ohio also has a higher rating than big-name schools West Virginia, Purdue and Notre Dame. It is behind Kansas State, the only team this season to beat Bobcats. The Wildcats are15th with a 87.91 rating.