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How ESPN’s Power Football Index predicts every Week 1 B1G game
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The start of the B1G season is less than a month away, which can only mean one thing: it’s prediction time.
Over the next few weeks, several predictions are going to be made regarding the college football season. Heisman Trophy predictions, game-by-game predictions, win-loss predictions, bowl predictions, and so on and so forth. You get the picture, right?
While we’ll have plenty of predictions for you here on Saturday Tradition as B1G football creeps closer and closer, we wanted to take a look at the ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) and see how it was projecting the most anticipated week of the college football season.
Yes, with still four weeks until the season, we are going to the computers to see how ESPN’s FPI is projecting every B1G game when Week 1 arrives.
For most B1G fans, the ESPN FPI predictions are welcoming news entering the first week of the season. 11 of the 14 B1G teams are predicted to start the year 1-0, most of which have a huge win probability percentage.
Enough talk, here’s what ESPN’s FPI is predicting to happen in Week 1 of the 2018 season.
Thursday, Aug. 30
Northwestern vs. Purdue
FPI Projection: Northwestern 53.2%
New Mexico State vs. Minnesota
FPI Projection: Minnesota 92.5%
Friday, Aug. 31
Utah State vs. Michigan State
FPI Projection: Michigan State 95.5%
Western Kentucky vs. Wisconsin
FPI Projection: Wisconsin 98.7%
Saturday, Sept. 1
Oregon State vs. Ohio State
FPI Projection: Ohio State 98.8%
Kent State vs. Illinois
FPI Projection: Illinois 93.6%
Texas State vs. Rutgers
FPI Projection: Rutgers 94.1%
Texas vs. Maryland
FPI Projection: Texas 80.3%
Northern Illinois vs. Iowa
FPI Projection: Iowa 87.6%
Appalachian State vs. Penn State
FPI Projection: Penn State 97.1%
Indiana vs. Florida International
FPI Projection: Indiana 79.7%
Michigan vs. Notre Dame
FPI Projection: Notre Dame 68.3%
Akron vs. Nebraska
FPI Projection: Nebraska 92.3%
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB