ESPN FPI updates Alabama’s chances of making the College Football Playoff field after Georgia loss
By David Wasson
Published:
With all the results of Championship Weekend complete, ESPN has updated its Football Power Index as teams await the final College Football Championship rankings.
Most notably, ESPN’s FPI sets the chances for the Alabama Crimson Tide to make the CFP field at 82.8 percent. That comes after Alabama tumbled to Georgia 28-7 in the SEC Championship Game.
Alabama (10-3) moved down 2 spots to eighth in the FPI following Saturday’s setback in Atlanta, with Georgia (12-1) moving up 2 spots to sixth. The only other move was by Indiana (13-0), which knocked off defending national champion Ohio State (12-1) 13-10 in the Big Ten Championship Game.
The FPI rates 10-2 independent Notre Dame as its third-ranked team – giving the Fighting Irish a 94.6 percent chance of making the 12-team CFP field. The Miami Hurricanes (10-2), which didn’t make the ACC title game but was the conference’s highest-ranked team in the CFP standings heading into the final weekend of play, is rated No. 7 in the ESPN FPI and carries a 21.6 percent chance of making the CFP field. Notably, Miami beat Notre Dame 27-24 in both teams’ season opener on Aug. 31.
The final 12-team College Football Playoff field will be set starting at noon ET Sunday, and is televised on ESPN.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
