2009 game against Mizzou is a prime example.
Week 1 Games
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DeShaun Foster is officially on the hotseat
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
How is South Carolina 11 and we aren't in the top 25?
FPI was changed recently to factor in recruiting rankings to a team's strength.
However, recruiting rankings are subjective and heavily dependent on the schools that recruit them.
So, in effect, FPI is double dipping prestige bias into their rankings, which in reality have nothing to do with a team's actual ability. I'd almost rather them try to factor in a program's coaching effect than this recruiting rankings garbage.
EDIT: Bill Connelly runs SP+, which is the raw statistical projections before the other factors are applied to FPI (like the recruiting rankings), and if you like spreadsheets, he keeps his data public and updates it here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...lTaW4Q92Zpls/edit?gid=460827890#gid=460827890
He hasn't updated data from this week into the ratings yet, since there are still games today, but he has posted yesterday's post-game win expectancy (effectively, based on a team's statistical performance, the chance they should have won that game) and the lowest was from Ohio State yesterday (18%), which just reinforces that a competent QB performance wins that game for Texas. If anything, I came out of that game thinking a bit less of Ohio State.
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bc it's ESPN and they do everything in their power to continue the perception that the SEC is by far the most elite football conference. They also have Alabama at #13 and no FSU
He got 2 carries in the last offensive series with Georgia's freshmen and walk-ons when it was already 45-7 with 2 minutes to go. Hope the money was good.
Now, to head off some confusion, some of you may think you like spreadsheets, wander in there and see Illinois is ranked #26 and think "How is this possible? They are #12!". Some notes:
- #26 is actually a higher rating than they finished 2024 with after beating South Carolina. They ended the 2024 season ranked #31.
- The big reason for that is because Illinois effectively played like an 8-5 team during the season rather than a 10-3 team. They won 2 games when they were the lesser team at the end of the game, against Kansas and Purdue. They were just a 25% chance to win at the end of the Purdue game! They were terrible! However, they were by far the better team against South Carolina, so they came a long way (90% chance to win at the end), which brought them as high as 31 (they were 40 leading into that game, which is why South Carolina was effectively a touchdown favorite in the game)
- If Illinois is a top 10 quality team, the quality will show through in the ratings as the season goes on. The ratings don't really care about the wins and losses, they care about how efficient and effective your team was in each game. If you play like an 8-5 team but go 10-3, the rankings will see you as an 8-5 team.
- The #26 rating is dragged down by offensive projection, which is 40th. That's largely due to the lack of returning skill production, as Illinois loses their top 2 receivers and top rusher from last season's team.
The SC player used the T bar for the kickoff.
Washington did not look great either.
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Keep in mind, Wisconsin, Washington, and Indiana all played teams in the 80s in KFord. Purdue’s in the 90s. So each of those 3 teams they played would be the equivalent a bottom tier big ten team.
Still not great competition, but those lower-level teams likely would beat a team like Western Illinois by 30.
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altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
Why does anyone believe that ESPN is in the business of reporting objective information? It’s a marketing firm. Nothing more.
Alabama is now 1-6 in their last 7 games away from home, including losses to Vandy and Oklahoma.
They'll probably win their next 2 games (home vs UL-Monroe and Wisconsin), but I could just see a 1-3 Bama still ranked in the FPI top 20 because they had a top recruiting class because they're Alabama.
They'll probably win their next 2 games (home vs UL-Monroe and Wisconsin), but I could just see a 1-3 Bama still ranked in the FPI top 20 because they had a top recruiting class because they're Alabama.
Illini in Italy
- Illini HQ, Florida Panhandle
Kinda looks like the old Miami U uniforms . . . Just missing the baby crap green . . .
OrangeBlue98
Iowa is not in a great spot right now (LvilleILL1)
- Des Moines, IA
How cool would it have been for us to wear orange (either all-orange or orange jerseys and white pants) against an all-black South Carolina in the bowl game?
This color combo looks incredible on TV.
Virginia Tech completely shooting themselves in the foot.
IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
They have an SEC patch on their chest and we don't
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