Week 2 brought a fresh round of shakeups in ESPN’s FPI, and not all of them lined up neatly with the scoreboard. Ohio State’s loss was enough to send the Buckeyes all the way to No. 1 in the ratings, but several other teams also saw major movement after the weekend.
Oklahoma State was one of the biggest winners. The Cowboys’ 39-31 upset of Oregon pushed them up nearly 20 spots, and ESPN now has them projected for six wins with a 1.4% chance to make the College Football Playoff.
That number may be a bit generous, but it marks a clear boost for Oklahoma State. Oregon, meanwhile, barely budged in the wrong direction, slipping just five spots.
NC State also got a sizable lift after its 73-0 win over Richmond. That result appears to have restored some faith in the Wolfpack after their rough Week 0 loss to Virginia. ESPN now projects NC State to six wins and gives it a 0.5% shot at the CFP.
Maryland made the biggest jump among Big Ten teams. The Terps climbed nearly a dozen spots after beating UConn 38-14. ESPN gives Maryland a 2.1% chance to reach the Playoff and a 69% shot at bowl eligibility, putting the Terps firmly in the middle of the conference pack.
Not every Big Ten team came out of Week 2 in good shape, though. Minnesota took a hit after a 38-13 home loss to Mississippi State and now sits with only Rutgers below it in the league’s FPI rankings. The Gophers have no shot at the Playoff and just a 21% chance of reaching six wins.
Washington is another team whose FPI number took a hit despite a 2-0 record. The Huskies’ 16-14 win over Utah State didn’t impress ESPN’s computers, and they dropped in a big way.
Washington is now 10th in the Big Ten, with a 2.3% shot at the Playoff and a 67.5% chance of becoming bowl eligible. It remains one of the lowest-ranked 2-0 power conference teams in the FPI.
Arkansas had the roughest slide of the bunch. The Razorbacks’ 43-10 loss to Utah sent them to the SEC cellar and near the bottom of all Power Four teams, with Rutgers the only team below them. ESPN gives Arkansas no chance at the Playoff and only a 2.3% shot at winning six games, with a 3-9 projection now in place.
In Other News...
P.J. Flecks Staff Is Becoming Minnesotas Biggest Problem
Minnesotas rough afternoon in Starkville left plenty to sort through, starting with a 38-13 loss in which Mississippi State scored four straight times early and quickly put the game out of reach. For a program trying to stabilize itself under P.J. Fleck, the bigger concern was how lopsided it all looked, especially in the trenches, where the Golden Gophers were pushed around and never found much rhythm on either side of the ball.
The questions now extend beyond one bad result and into the structure of the staff, with the play-calling and in-game direction drawing the kind of scrutiny that tends to follow an ugly performance. Minnesota needs cleaner answers moving forward, because a setback like this does more than add a loss column mark, it raises doubts about whether the current coaching setup is getting enough out of the roster it has. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Fans Are Turning On Ryan Day For A Familiar Reason
Week 2 delivered a rough reminder of how quickly a season can tilt, and Minnesota was right in the middle of it after a home loss to Mississippi State. The Gophers had a chance to make a statement in front of their own crowd, but instead were beaten 38-13 and spent most of the afternoon looking like the more overmatched team, a result that naturally sharpened the questions already hanging over the program.
The bigger issue for Minnesota was how thoroughly it lost the battle up front. Mississippi State controlled the trenches from start to finish, and the lopsided rushing edge was a clear sign of how little the Gophers could establish themselves physically. For a team trying to build momentum early in the year, it was the kind of defeat that leaves fans looking straight at coaching and wondering how much needs to change. [Read more 🡒]
Minnesota Suddenly Has Some Uncomfortable Questions After This Blowout
Minnesota left Starkville with far more to sort through than just a lopsided loss, as the Gophers were outclassed in a 38-13 defeat to Mississippi State. The problems showed up early and often, with the defense unable to slow the Bulldogs and the offensive side getting bogged down by penalties while trying to find any rhythm. It was the kind of afternoon that can turn a nonconference game into a much bigger conversation about where a team really stands.
The state of the offense only added to the unease. Darius Taylor was not fully healthy, which left Minnesota trying to manufacture production without one of its most important playmakers at full strength, and the penalties kept stacking up as the game slipped away. For a program that usually leans on structure and toughness, this was a jarring reminder that there are still questions to answer on both sides of the ball. [Read more 🡒]