ESPN dropped its updated college football FPI rankings for Week 2, and after a wild Week 1 full of hot starts and Heisman-worthy moments, some of these analytics are already raising serious questions. The machines are trying to tell us what’s what, but when you look at some of these spots, it’s hard to trust the numbers after the absolute chaos we just saw.
Pump the Brakes on Texas, Seriously
Let’s talk about the Texas Longhorns. The FPI had them at No. 2 preseason, and they’re probably still hanging around that spot. Yeah, they had a huge, lopsided win this past Saturday, but let’s be real, it was against Texas State. That’s not exactly proving yourself against a contender, is it? Texas has an opportunity to actually earn that ranking this coming Saturday when they welcome Ohio State to Austin. That’s a monster showdown. Until Steve Sarkisian’s squad beats a legitimate College Football Playoff contender like Ohio State, all those analytics mean squat. They aren’t No. 1 material, or even No. 2, until they show us they can actually beat the best. Saturday is their shot to prove the FPI isn’t totally out to lunch on them.
Miami Is Way Too Low in the FPI
Meanwhile, down in Miami, the Hurricanes are getting disrespected big time. The FPI has them way too low, because if you’ve been watching, they’re probably the second or third-best team in the entire nation right now. How does the FPI miss that? Malachi Toney is an outstanding receiver, their defense is absolutely loaded, and they’ve got a quarterback who could easily hear his name called very early next April in the NFL Draft. After a deep playoff run last year, the big question was how they’d handle the weight of expectations. If their performance this past Saturday against an ACC foe is any indication, they’re handling it just fine. Miami is a legitimate contender, and they honestly look a few steps better than the team we saw last season. The FPI needs to catch up to reality on this one, fast.
Michigan’s “Win” Is Still Baffling
Alright, let’s get to the real head-scratcher, the one that makes you question everything: Michigan. We all need to be honest here. Michigan should not have won yesterday. Period. The more you watch that replay, the more painfully obvious it is that time absolutely ran out. The whole “hidden clock” explanation? Seriously, it’s completely baffling to process that as an actual reason for their victory. This team shouldn’t even be in the Top 25. I don’t care how much talent they’re supposed to have, their performance on Saturday was absolutely not worthy of a Top 25 ranking. The FPI has clearly missed the boat on this one, and it’s honestly very puzzling.
This coming Saturday, Texas has to prove they belong when they host Ohio State, a game with massive implications for their FPI standing and national perception. Meanwhile, Miami will keep rolling and keep making the FPI look silly. Michigan, well, they just need to find a way to win a game cleanly without questionable clock management. We’ll be watching to see if any of these teams can force the FPI to finally get it right.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply