ESPN's FPI updates Ohio State chances at going undefeated following Week 3
Ohio State keeps rolling along, the Buckeyes appearing to be squarely in the driver’s seat on the road to the College Football Playoff.
It was a convincing if at times lackluster 49-27 win for Ohio State at Rutgers on Saturday night. The Buckeyes came into the weekend ranked No. 3 in the nation.
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With the win, ESPN’s FPI now has Ohio State with a 54.2 percent chance of finishing the season undefeated. They hold a 65.1 percent chance of winning the Big Ten.
Their FPI of 29.5 is second-best in the country. FPI “measures a team’s true strength on a net points scale.”
Offensively, FPI ranks Ohio State third in the nation and No. 19 on defense. Admittedly, special teams is an eyesore at No. 121. But overall, Ohio State’s efficiencies grade out as second-best in the nation.
The rest of the schedule shapes up in a promising fashion for Ohio State to make a run at the conference and a spot in the playoff. Only Indiana, No. 16 in the FPI (and tenth nationally in the polls) and Michigan at No. 28 (and unranked in the polls) are the only programs in the top 30 of the nation in the FPI left on Ohio State’s schedule. That sets them up well for a shot at the Big Ten Championship Game.
Ohio State projects with an 88.3 win probability in two weeks against Indiana and 92.4 percent when closing out the regular season against Michigan.