The countdown to the College Football Playoff is on and fans are already predicting what we’ll see and who will thrive under the brightest spotlight. But there’s one team in the tournament that ESPN’s FPI seems to believe doesn’t belong there at all.
The ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) computer model released its latest rankings heading into bowl season. The four participants were ranked as follows:
- Michigan – No. 1
- Alabama – No. 5
- Texas – No. 7
- Washington – No. 13
Washington being at No. 13 borders on insane. That’s saying that at least nine teams are considered better than one of the teams that made the College Football Playoff.
Some big names sit atop our latest CFB FPI Rankings from ESPN Analytics 👀 pic.twitter.com/OytBuUnn74
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 8, 2023
Washington has lost a little bit of its luster lately though. Their game against Washington State was particularly underwhelming and their win over Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game was much closer than they probably wanted.
Were it not for star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. being a Heisman Trophy finalist (and still healthy) perhaps the College Football Playoff would have delivered the same fate to them that they did to Florida State.
Will Washington justify their selection in the tournament?Â