Does GridMap Rank Teams ?

No. GridMap is a mapping system, not a ranking system. Ranking systems typically use some combination of quantitative data (point differential, game statistics, previous seasons’ results) and subjective evaluations (strength of schedule, home field advantage, perceived talent level) to force a unique hierarchy of teams from 1 to 119. And this hierarchy is often created before a single game  has even been played! (eg, pre-season rankings). GridMap, on the other hand, differentiates between teams only when there are actual game results that create links between teams. At the beginning of the season, before any games have been played, there are no links, and all teams are positioned on the highest tier, tier 1. As the season progresses, teams are repositioned each week, based solely on the won/lost result of all games played through that week. It usually takes several weeks for links (called “threads” in GridMap) to fully develop. After the first week, for example, all teams are positioned on either tier 1 or tier 2. Teams are either undefeated (1-0 or 0-0), and thus still positioned on tier one, or have lost once, to an undefeated team on tier1, and are thus positioned on tier 2. As the season progresses, game results create a network of threads, connecting both teams and conferences in a highly developed “map”. By season’s end, teams are typically spread out over 50+ tiers. This still results in many tiers with multiple teams on the same tier. GridMap, however, makes no attempt to differentiate between those teams. GridMap does, however, create an "ordering" of teams each week. As abhorent as this is to the principles of GridMap, this caving to convention is done strictly to allow a comparison to other ranking/rating systems. But since GridMap doe not differeniate between teams on the same tier, all teams on the same tier are considered "tied" at that position in the order list.