A messy Week 6 across college football sent ESPN’s FPI numbers spinning, and a few teams took some hard hits while others made real noise. The formula has already produced some odd-looking results - Notre Dame jumping past Ohio State to No. 1, with two-loss LSU and Oregon still hanging around the top 10 - but the latest round of games gave the computers plenty more to chew on.
Louisville delivered one of the biggest jolts of the week with its 44-20 win over Florida State. That result pushed the Cardinals sharply upward in the FPI and offered another hint that the ACC still has work to do.
Louisville is 3-3, sits third in the league in FPI, and yet is given only a 1.8% chance to make the College Football Playoff. Miami is the only ACC team inside the top 21 of the FPI ranking.
Purdue also made a major move after pounding Minnesota 41-13. The Boilermakers picked up one of Week 6’s biggest FPI climbs, though the path ahead still looks steep. FPI gives Purdue just a 35.5% chance to get to six wins, although there are now six Big Ten teams with worse odds - including Minnesota, the team Purdue just beat down.
South Carolina found a way to steady itself in a season that has been hanging by a thread. Shane Beamer’s group went on the road and beat Florida 38-19, a result that gave the Gamecocks a big lift in FPI and moved them to a mild favorite to reach six wins and bowl eligibility, at 57.7%. With frustration around Beamer still very much part of the conversation, every positive turn matters.
Florida State’s problems deepened after Mike Norvell’s team led Louisville 14-0 and then watched the game slip away. The Seminoles’ FPI standing dropped into the middle of the ACC pack, and their odds of getting to six wins now sit at 67%.
West Virginia’s Week 6 collapse was just as damaging. The Mountaineers fell 52-31 to Arizona and tumbled to the bottom of the Big 12 in the FPI rankings. At 3-3, they have only a 14.6% chance of reaching six wins, with only Colorado worse in the conference.
Florida, meanwhile, took another hit after its second straight loss. The Gators’ CFP chances fell all the way to 2.6%, and even their odds of winning six games dipped to 84.5%. Their slide into the middle of the SEC pack stands out as one of the league’s bigger developments from the week.
In Other News...
Purdue Just Delivered The Breakthrough Fans Needed To See
Purdue finally gave its fans something to build on in a first half that looked far more complete than what they had been getting. The Boilermakers were in control against Minnesota from the start, taking a 20-3 lead into halftime behind steady work from quarterback Ryan Browne and a ground game that kept the pressure on the Gophers. The defense did its part, too, holding Minnesota to just a field goal before the break and coming up with a timely takeaway to keep the margin comfortable.
Fame Ijeboi was at the center of it, giving Purdue a reliable punch in the backfield and helping the Boilermakers stretch the lead once the game moved into the second half. Minnesota did answer with a quick scoring drive to trim the gap, but this was still the kind of performance Purdue has been searching for, one that showed balance, energy and, for a while, a little separation. The only question now is whether the Boilermakers can turn that first half into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue Just Gave Fans A Reason To Believe Again
Purdues Big Ten home opener was the kind of reset performance fans have been waiting for, a 41-13 win over Minnesota that never really felt in doubt. The Boilermakers controlled the game from the start, leaned on a productive ground attack and stayed efficient whenever they got near the goal line, turning six red-zone trips into five touchdowns.
Ijeboi was the centerpiece of it all, delivering a career-best effort with 195 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a breakout outing that gave Purdue a steady tone on offense. The defense did its part too, holding Minnesota to just 25 rushing yards and making the Gophers play well behind schedule for most of the afternoon, a formula that offered a much cleaner glimpse of what this team can be when everything is clicking. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue Has New Reasons For Big Ten Optimism After Minnesota Rout
Purdue kept building on its Big Ten turnaround with a 41-13 rout of Minnesota, a result that pushed the Boilermakers to 3-3 and gave them a second straight conference win. The offense found a clear rhythm behind a balanced attack, with quarterback Browne contributing both through the air and on the ground, while the defense gave Minnesota little room to settle in after the opening stretches.
Ijeboi was the headliner on the ground, piling up 195 rushing yards and three touchdowns to power a performance that fit right into Purdues growing confidence in league play. The Boilermakers also got a sharp day from the defense, with Correa adding six tackles and a pass break-up, and the kind of clean protection up front that can change the tone of a game. [Read more 🡒]