Comparing Wake Forest to AP Top 25 and Other Bubble Teams
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There has been a lot of discussion over the past couple of weeks about the recent AP Top 25 poll. Today, we want to continue to compare Wake's resume to teams ranked in the AP Top 25 or receiving votes. Similar to last week, this should give fans a comprehensive breakdown of Wake Forest compared with other teams that may be in a different conference.
The Deacs' Resume
First, before comparing them to other teams, we must look at how Wake's resume is stacking up after a big home victory over Stanford. They were the second-highest receiving vote team that was not featured in the poll.
FPI: 30 (48)
Strength of Record: 17 (no change)
Strength of Schedule: 29 (13)
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 69 (68)
Game Control Rank: 30 (39)
* Italics in parenthesis show last week's ranking in each category
Wake certainly got a boost in the predictive analytics after a big-time blowout win over Stanford. Their dominant form helped their FPI and Game Control Ranking climb significantly. They continue to have an easier schedule the rest of the season, so the best thing they can do is keep winning games in front of them. A road test at SMU in November may loom large for ACC Championship implications. We are still a ways away from that, though.
Duke Blue Devils
Duke received the fourth-most votes among teams not ranked in the poll once again.
FPI: 37
Strength of Record: 21
Strength of Schedule: 114
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 46
Game Control Rank: 32
Duke was on bye this past weekend, explaining the slight dip in numbers for them. The starkest difference between Duke and Wake is in the strength of schedule. Duke has faced a significantly easier schedule, and their road will get tougher. However, they have done a good job of being efficient in their victories and currently remain undefeated.
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats picked up a big road win at South Carolina on Saturday, but fell out of the rankings and are now the leading vote-getter not featured in the poll.
FPI: 34
Strength of Record: 5
Strength of Schedule: 8
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 15
Game Control Rank: 15
The road win over South Carolina vaulted Kentucky's SOR all the way up to #5. They have also managed to get out to a solid 4-1 start despite having a difficult schedule, with the only misstep coming against #6 Alabama. Falling out of the poll after a road win is certainly surprising, plus Kentucky is pretty high in all the analytics. However, their resume is definitely still being propped up by a road win against Texas A&M, which is still somehow #14 in FPI.
Pitt Panthers
Pitt is now featured in the AP Poll and is at #25.
FPI: 23
Strength of Record: 9
Strength of Schedule: 101
Remaining Strength of Schedule: 48
Game Control Rank: 19
The Pitt Panthers finally broke into the AP Poll after a 5-0 start and a huge road win over Virginia Tech. The analytics seem to favor Pitt so far this season, with a pretty good FPI, SOR, and GC. They are hot coming off their biggest win of the season, but will be down star QB Mason Heintschel the rest of the season with a torn ACL, delivering a massive blow to this offense.
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Justin is a student at Wake Forest University. He is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and aspiring finance major interested everything sports. In his freshman year, Justin completed an internship with the Wake Forest Ticketing Department where he gained some valuable insight into the sales and operations aspects of collegiate athletics. Before working with Wake Forest On SI, Justin was a contributing writer for Wake Forest’s student publication The Old Gold and Black. Currently, Justin serves as a student manager on the Wake Forest Men’s Tennis team. In his free time Justin enjoys spending time with his family and friends on the golf course and traveling.