Here in Palo Alto, there are a lot of Stanford fans. Stanford has one of the best college football teams in the country, coming in at #5 in the rankings this week. They have a flawless record of 3-0 after beating San Jose State, Army and Arizona State. However, 19 of the top 25 teams have not lost a game this year, and all of them have 3 or more wins.
So why is Stanford number 5 and not number 25 like Fresno State, who is also 3-0? Here at Mathnasium, because we are near Stanford, we are working to figure out how these rankings work. Many different variables go into deciding who will be ranked, and what they will be ranked. These include points scored, points allowed, strength of schedule, yards gained, yard allowed, and many more. We will try to begin figuring these rankings with a few word problems. Can you help us by solving these word problems?
Here are the fun Stanford math word problems:
1. Stanford scored 34 points in their first game, 34 points in their second game and 42 points in their most recent game. How many total points have they scored so far this season?
2. Stanford’s opponents have scored 13, 20 and 28 points. How many total points has Stanford allowed? How many more points have they scored than they have allowed?
3. Oregon has scored 66, 59, and 59 points, respectively in their first 3 games. They are ranked #2 in the country. How many total points has Oregon scored? How many more points has Oregon scored than Stanford?
4. Find the average number of points that both Stanford and Oregon score per game. To do this, take the total number of points that you already calculated, then divide by the number of games, 3.
Challenge Word Problem for extra smart Stanford kids:
5. Pretend the rankings are based completely on points scored. If Oregon scores 27 points in their 4th game against Cal, how many points would Stanford need to score in their game in order to overtake Oregon in the rankings?
At Mathnasium, we are more focused on math than football. But, if we did have a football team, we would know exactly how to be #1!
Learn more about Math Tutoring and Mathnasium of Palo Alto-Menlo Park (and find more fun word problems) — http://www.mathnasium.com/paloalto-menlopark