ESPN updates FPI Top 25 rankings after crazy Week 8 of college football
ESPN updated its Football Power Index (FPI) Top 25 after a loaded Week 8 Saturday of college football.
What else can you say, it was another tremendously entertaining week of football. Ohio State held off rival Penn State in a brawl at the Horseshoe. Then, Texas and Oklahoma both escaped with narrow Big 12 victories while Washington needed all 60 minutes to put Arizona State away. Below, you can read about all the action and check out where everyone landed in the full FPI top 25 as we round the corner and head towards Week 9.
(Movement in rankings vs. last week)
1. Ohio State
The Buckeyes took care of business at home this weekend against Penn State in a football game so ugly only a true diehard could love it. Marvin Harrison absolutely carried OSU to the win this week as he put up 162 yards and scored a touchdown in what would definitely be considered a defensive showdown.
Let’s talk about that defense. Ohio State’s came to play on Saturday. Jim Knowles’ group forced Penn State into 42 pass attempt with their true freshman quarterback in a ranked road matchup. That QB, Drew Allar, completed just 18 of those passes for 191 total yards against the hounding Buckeyes.
2. Michigan (+2)
There’s nothing like beating your rival, and Michigan did that and then some vs. Michigan State Saturday night. Really, after that game concluded, you could probably call it one of the lowest nights in the history of Michigan State football.
So, their coach was fired and now will battle for his (very large) buyout in a legal showdown. Meanwhile, the actual team just lost its fifth game in a row under the interim coach in a 49-0 beatdown vs. Michigan on their home field, and then had to apologize afterwards for flashing a picture of Adolf Hitler on the jumbotron during a trivia contest. Life’s got to be good for Wolverine fans, eh?
3. Penn State
Well, well, it’s a Big Ten trifecta at the top of the FPI rankings. That means Big Ten fans will love it and use this list to brag about their league as the best one in the sport, while SEC and Pac-12 fans will dismiss it as a silly stat.
For Penn State specifically, they actually stood pat despite the loss to OSU. Look, the Buckeyes are No. 1 in the FPI and have been for a while, so a loss on their home field in a pretty close game won’t dock the Nittany Lions too much.
4. Oklahoma (-2)
Oklahoma slides a bit after playing with fire against UCF. The Sooners actually trailed the Knights for much of the afternoon in Norman but rallied in the fourth quarter to score two touchdowns and take the lead for good, getting a stop on a two-point conversion to ultimately seal the deal.
The thing is…Oklahoma’s schedule isn’t too tough the rest of the way, all things considered. However, on paper, a home game vs. UCF is probably one of the easier games on their whole slate and that one was a nail-biter, so who knows what to expect with this group the rest of the way.
5. Alabama (+2)
After a surprising home defeat at the hands of Texas earlier in the year, Alabama has responded incredibly well and are right back in the thick of the College Football Playoff race thanks to a win over Tennessee. The Tide are now 7-0 and 5-1 in the SEC, just needing a home win over LSU after the bye to lock up the West.
Against Tennessee, the Crimson Tide certainly gave their home fans a scare by allowing the Volunteers to put up the first three scores and race out to a 13-0 lead. After a pair of touchdowns made it a 20-7 affair at the half, Alabama proceeded to run off 27 unanswered points in the final two quarters to win it 34-20.
6. Florida State (+3)
Saturday night was going swimmingly for Duke when they scored a pick-six to make it 17-7 against Florida State early in the second quarter. After that stroke of fortune, though, the Seminoles locked in and trounced the Blue Devils 31-3 the rest of the way.
FSU actually entered the fourth quarter still behind at 20-17, but it was those 15 minutes where the ‘Noles nuked Duke. Jordan Travis, Lawrance Toafili and Rodney Hill all found the end zone as FSU raced to a 38-20 victory that seems more lopsided than it was.
7. Texas (+1)
Despite a bye week off for both last week, the Red River hangover was legitimate as Oklahoma barely scooted by UCF while Texas had their hands full with their own new Big 12 member, Houston. Obviously, the Longhorns ultimately won, but it was a real sweat and maybe even lucky.
The consensus opinion coming out of that game is that Houston was absolutely hosed by the officiating crew, who ruled a Cougar player well short of the sticks on a fourth down run when video suggests that he picked up the first down. Either way, the call stayed as Houston fans and over bettors in that one cursed to the high heavens.
8. Georgia
Let’s call it like it is: Georgia entered the bye week 7-0 and really hasn’t beaten anyone of note besides a decent Kentucky team at home. Now, they lose Brock Bowers and face a much more difficult final stretch.
Out of the off week, the Dawgs get a trip to Jacksonville for the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party — which they should win. Then, it’s games against three straight ranked teams: Missouri, Tennessee and Ole Miss. If they can escape that stretch unscathed, then perhaps this is another title-worthy team.
9. LSU (+2)
LSU’s offensive is such an absurdly productive unit. In their fourth straight game scoring 49 points or more, the Tigers did not take it easy on Army. LSU scored TEN times Saturday night in what ended as a 62-0 beatdown.
Quarterback and continued under-the-radar Heisman contender Jayden Daniels was terrific yet again, only needing 11 completions on 15 pass attempts to rack up 279 yards and three touchdowns before he exited the game rather early. Meanwhile, the defense pitched a shutout, which is all you can ask from that unit.
10. Oregon (-4)
Oregon knew they weren’t going to see the same Washington State as last weekend — who lost in a truly bizarre final score to Arizona on their home field, 44-6. The Cougars certainly showed up Saturday and even stuck with the Ducks for a while.
However, Oregon RB Bucky Irving was determined to put this game away in the third quarter. He took a 42-yard pass and a 43-yard rush both to the house in the third to extend the lead to two scores, where it also finished.
11-25 Rankings
11. Notre Dame (+2)
12. Washington (-2)
13. Ole Miss (-1)
14. Kansas State (+5)
15. Texas A&M (+2)
16. Tennessee
17. USC (-2)
18. Clemson
19. Oregon State (+1)
20. North Carolina (-6)
21. Miami
22. Utah (+1)
23. Duke (-1)
24. SMU (NEW)
25. Missouri (NEW)