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ESPN updates FPI Top 25 after Week 9
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Nearing the beginning of November, the contenders are starting to separate themselves from the pretenders in the college football world.
Witnessing a shakeup nationally when the Oklahoma Sooners were upset by Kansas State in Manhattan, there will be some changes in the newest Associated Press Poll.
When trying to sort out the madness that is typical on fall Saturdays, ESPN’s FPI can be a helpful tool. By taking the human element and perceived biases out of the equation, the Football Power Index gives us a more in-depth measure of how strong a team’s performance has been.
Updated on Sunday, the Ohio State Buckeyes occupy the top spot in the FPI rankings for the second straight week. Here’s the complete top-25 (B1G teams in bold):
1. Ohio State
2. Alabama
3. Clemson
4. LSU
5. Penn State
6. Georgia
7. Oklahoma
8. Auburn
9. Oregon
10. Wisconsin
11. Florida
12. Michigan
13. Utah
14. Notre Dame
T-15. Texas A&M
T-15. Washington
17. Iowa
18. UCF
19. Iowa State
20. Minnesota
21. USC
22. Baylor
23. Michigan State
24. Texas
25. Washington State
Their toughest test of the season, Ohio State easily defeated Wisconsin, 38-7, on Saturday in Columbus. Making his case as the nation’s most dominant player, junior defensive end Chase Young tied a school-record with four sacks in the rout.
Idle on November 2, the Buckeyes will next be in action vs. Maryland on November 9.
Benefiting from Oklahoma’s loss as much as anyone, Penn State is making their debut in the FPI top-five. Beating Michigan State, 28-7, in rainy conditions, redshirt sophomore quarterback Sean Clifford threw four touchdown passes, including three to sophomore tight end Pat Freiermuth.
Like Ohio State, the Nittany Lions are off on Saturday. An undefeated showdown, James Franklin’s team will travel to Minneapolis to face Minnesota on November 9.
Perhaps the most unexpected result of the weekend, Michigan throttled Notre Dame, 45-14, at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. Racking up 303 yards rushing, sophomore Hassan Haskins led the Wolverines with 149 yards on 20 attempts. Freshman Zach Charbonnet added 74 yards and two scores on 15 carries.
Hitting the road, Michigan will face Maryland on Saturday in College Park (12:00PM ET, ABC).
In addition to being linked above, you can access the full ESPN FPI here.
A graduate of Bowling Green State University, Rydquist has been contributing to Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition since 2019. He can be found on Twitter @TeddyRydquist.