The College Football Playoff committee has some fascinating decisions to make this week as it votes on its initial rankings, starting with the sorting of Ohio State , Indiana and Texas A &M at the top.

Heisman Trophy contender Fernando Mendoza and Indiana's offense have been dominant all season long. But so has the Hoosiers' defense, which checks in at No. 6 in this week's updated stop rate standings.

What is stop rate? It's a basic measurement of success: the percentage of a defense's drives that end in punts, turnovers or a turnover on downs. Defensive coordinators have the same goal regardless of their scheme, opponent or conference: prevent points and get off the field. Stop rate is a simple metric but can offer a good reflection of a defense's effectiveness on a per-drive b

See Full Page