ESPN releases CFB power ranking index. Where are the Utes?

[Duhwayne]

Lol

https://www.espn.com/college-football/fpi

ESPN FPI Probability of Winning the PAC-12 in 2021:

1. Oregon – 46.2%
2. USC – 26.9%
3. Arizona State – 14.9%
4. Washington – 4.3%
5. Stanford – 3%
6. Utah – 2.8%
7. UCLA – 1.1%
8. Cal – 0.4%
9. Colorado – 0.3%
10. OSU – 0.1%
10. WSU – 0.1%
12. Arizona – 0%

— WestCoastCFB (@WestCoastCFB) April 13, 2021

Time to go out and win some out of conference games. 

[Utesbyfive]

57th. Still 4th in the Pac-12

[ProudUte]

Wow, this is crazy stupid IMO.  The ranking really hates the PAC12.  It is almost like the calculations automatically drops you 12 spots just because you are in the PAC12.  I don’t know anything at this point, but have to believe we are better than Tulane, Troy, Coastal Carolina, Ball State, et al.  I think we are likely a top 25 team, not 57th.  

Oh well – this will give the players some motivation.

[chinngiskhaan]

6.9 wins? If we finish with 7 wins we have utterly failed this year… but of course that all depends on how the schedule works out, which we still don’t know yet… #firetheotherlarry.

[2008 National Champ]

All of these indexes are based on returning production. Not sure how (if) they pro-rated for the uneven schedules of 2020 but it’s pretty easy to see how Utah would receive a lower score than you might believe they should have.

Bear in mind that Utah essentially gets a zero at RB and QB. There is a lot of promise at those positions but Brewer is coming off a not-so-great 2020 and the RB’s don’t have a lot stats to hang your hat on. The O Line is young, #1 receiver is gone, and the defense is also young. An algorithm is only as good as the data and Utah is high on potential, low on data points.

I wouldn’t be surprised if every ranking service has Utah losing to Oregon, SC and ASU. Then it comes down to the others. If UCLA, Stanford and maybe Colorado and San Diego State are considered toss-ups, there’s your 7 wins. For a betting man, seems like an over/under of 7 would be a no-brainer to take the over and enjoy the ride.

[Italy88]

By all means, don’t share the rank in your post. Please make everyone click on it.

[Charlie]

Preseason rankings are mostly last years finish. Little movement outside the top 10 until games.

[Rick]

Complete garbage.  Look where they put the zoobs and they have to completely rebuild their team.  Rubbish!

[Anfernee]

ESJWPN barely is even a sports company anymore. And they are contracted with TDS. So of course they’ll inflate them. 

[astUTE]

Look at the rankings for the PAC-12 (copied below).  This is, in part, an indication of how poorly PAC-12 football is currently perceived nationwide.  Something really needs to be done to correct it – like airing games on TV where and when people can see them.  And, as was already said, scheduling and WINNING some OOC games.

I’d like to think that we are not as bad in comparison with other P5 conferences as people predict – in the same way the NCAA tournament recently demonstrated that the PAC-12 is more competitive than those ranking previously suggested.

Oregon 17
UCS 26
ASU 31
Utah 57
Wash 59
Stanford 60
UCLA 62
Colo 71
Cal 76
OSU 85
Wash St. 90
Arizona 102

[Duhwayne]

It’s bad enough that I wonder if ESPN is basically leveraging rankings to break PAC12’s attempt to not sell equity to ESPN.

Fwiw this is a pretty good reference for out of conference records.

https://topdan.com/college-football-conference-records/pac-12.html

[PhiladelphiaUte]

It’s my understanding that the “FPI” poll isn’t a poll that determines where Utah ranks as compared to every other team in the nation, but rather a statistical analysis of where Utah ranks as compared to the strength of our opponents, and heavily tilted toward “remaining” opponents.  Since the season hadn’t started yet, we’re being measured against all 12 opponents.  And so too is Coastal Carolina and Ball St.  And the reason CCU and BSU are ranked ahead of the Utes is because they’re expected to win more games vs. the teams remaining on their [weak] schedule than we are with the ones remaining on ours.

Don’t misunderstand me here though.  This is NOT a “SOS” poll.  It’s merely a stat list the predicts how we’ll do vs. the teams on our schedule.

[chinngiskhaan]

Any system that predicts less than a 7 win season for this team is a joke.

[D T]

ESPN FPI has always been a bush league, worthless ranking….Don’t read anything into it….We’ll easily exceed its expectations of us.