Worth the replay?

1. #1

   BuffaloatBall State

   CFB· ESPN2

   D

   19/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension6/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback5/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 31 × pre-game weight 0.61 (pre-game Watchability 21) = 19

2. #2

   Sacramento StatC Michigan

   CFB· ESPNUOne-sided

   D

   4/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension1/30

   Swings0/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 8 × pre-game weight 0.50 (pre-game Watchability 0) = 4

3. #3

   UMassatToledo

   CFB· CBSSNOne-sided

   D

   1/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings3/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 3 × pre-game weight 0.51 (pre-game Watchability 1) = 1

Ranked from each game's win probability as it was played (ESPN's for football and basketball; ours, from the goals, for hockey): how in doubt it was near the end, how far the winner came back from, how late it was decided, how big its momentum swings were and how often a team erased a deficit, with a bonus for overtime. That drama is then weighted by how good a matchup it was going in (its pre-game Watchability score), so a thriller between top teams ranks above an equally wild game between minor ones.