Another week of college football brought another shake-up in ESPN’s FPI ratings, and the computers delivered the kind of list that always gets people talking. Some teams climbed sharply after statement wins, while others took a real hit after rough Saturdays.
Boston College was one of the biggest movers. The Eagles, who had been sputtering, suddenly exploded for 49 points in a 49-27 thumping of Georgia Tech. At 4-3, BC now has a puncher’s chance of reaching six wins and bowl eligibility, with a 30.8% shot at getting there.
Arizona also got a major boost. The Wildcats cracked the AP top 25 and backed it up with a 39-3 drubbing of Iowa State. With the Big 12 still chaotic at the top, Arizona now has a 19.7% chance to earn a College Football Playoff berth.
Cincinnati picked up a useful spike too after upsetting No. 8 Texas Tech. The Bearcats are 5-2, and while their Playoff odds remain slim at 0.6%, the win likely kept their season on track for bowl eligibility.
Arizona State added another positive note to the week by beating Kansas State 28-17. The Sun Devils are still next to last in the Big 12, but their chances of getting to six wins and a bowl berth jumped to 44.3%, just shy of a coin toss.
On the other side of the ledger, Texas Tech took a serious tumble. Not only did the Red Raiders lose to Cincinnati by three scores, but they are now the least likely team in the ACC to reach a bowl, sitting at 0.2% to get to six wins. For a team that entered the year with big preseason hopes, it has become a nightmare.
Colorado’s season keeps sliding as well. After a 57-24 beatdown from Oklahoma State, the Buffaloes dropped to the basement of the Big 12. At 2-5, Coach Prime’s team has just a 3.0% chance of reaching six wins and making a bowl game.
Iowa also watched its outlook fade after a 13-10 loss to Minnesota. The Hawkeyes are now 5-2, but their Playoff chances fell to 4.0%, and they dropped into the middle of the Big Ten pack in the FPI, behind teams like Penn State and Michigan.
In Other News...
Iowa Just Took Another Painful Late Loss At The Worst Time
Another late-game swing left Iowa staring at a defeat it cant afford to dwell on for long. Minnesota got a 47-yard field goal from Luke Drzewiecki as time expired, and the transfer who arrived as New Mexicos all-time kick-scoring leader delivered the finish in a game that had been tight enough to turn on one final snap. The Hawkeyes had chances, and the rest of the afternoon included plenty of the usual details that come with a rivalry game, from key plays to injury updates, but the ending is what will linger.
Now Iowa has to reset quickly with Wisconsin coming to town next week. There was no shortage of eyes on this one, with bowl and NFL scouts in the building, but the Hawkeyes will care more about how they respond after another painful late loss at a point in the season when every result feels magnified. The margin for error is shrinking, and the home date ahead gives them a chance to steady things before the finish line gets any closer. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Just Handed Minnesota A Loss Hawkeyes Fans Will Hate
Iowa spent much of the afternoon moving the ball well enough to stay in the game, but the miscues kept piling up in a way Hawkeyes fans know all too well. A blocked punt, three interceptions and a lost fumble turned a promising performance into a constant uphill climb, even as the offense outgained Minnesota and kept finding ways to answer enough plays to stay close.
A late scoring drive pulled Iowa even and set up what looked like a tense finish, but the game still slipped away on Minnesotas walk-off field goal. Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown were part of the quarterback rotation, and Kamari Moultons exit because of injury only added to a day that already had too many moving parts for Iowa to survive. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Faces A New Poll Reality After Costly Rivalry Loss
A 13-10 loss to Minnesota did more than sting Iowa in the rivalry column. It knocked the Hawkeyes out of the AP Top 25 for the first time this season, ending a run in the rankings after a game defined by turnovers and penalties that left little margin for error. Iowa is now the top team receiving votes, a reminder that the program is still in the national conversation even if it no longer has a number next to its name.
Wisconsin took Iowas place in the poll, adding another layer to a week that forces the Hawkeyes to reset their standing as much as their focus. The rankings shift does not change the task ahead, but it does sharpen the challenge for Iowa, which will have to work its way back into the top 25 after a loss that carried both immediate rivalry pain and a broader hit to its national profile. [Read more 🡒]