How much does each college football game matter? Are all matchups between ranked foes counted the same? Is a win over the No. 1 team in any ranking system worth more than a victory against even the No. 2 squad. Does losing to No. 4 do more than knocking off No. 10?
These are questions fans have asked one another for years. In ESPN’s Football Power Index, the answer… is anybody’s best guess.
Following the conclusion of Week 7, ESPN released its updated FPI. Its new hierarchy had some puzzling new placements:
- BYU, ranked No. 14 in FPI last week, didn’t move up after beating Notre Dame, who was No. 1 in the metric. The Fighting Irish fell to No. 2 because of their loss.
- Auburn, slotted No. 31 a week ago, jumped 10 spots following its win over Georgia. The Bulldogs dropped only one rung, to No. 3, after their defeat.
- Ohio State, who toppled Indiana, leapt from No. 3 to No. 1 with its victory. The Hoosiers, even though they lost, also rose in the rankings, from No. 7 to No. 5.
Alabama and Texas, with two losses apiece, remain in FPI’s top 10. Texas A&M, who’s 4-3, also reasonably improved its standing to No. 20 with a 41-0 trouncing of The Citadel. Meanwhile, UCLA — the only unbeaten team remaining across the Big Ten and SEC — is nowhere to be found.
Naturally, fans were enthusiastic in their commentary on the new list. They appreciated that some of the football they had just watched didn’t appear to actually have any impact on the FPI, and that other contests may have disproportionately done so.
Safe to say we’re collectively screwed as a college football society if the FPI mindset permeates the 24-team College Football Playoff committee.
