Teams Rising & Falling in New ESPN FPI Ratings After Week 3

Northwestern and Kentucky on the rise in the new FPI, Stanford and Colorado dropping off.

The newest ESPN FPI ratings give some major credit to the Northwestern Wildcats. (David Banks-Imagn Images) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's a principle of both science and college football-- for every team moving up, another is moving down. And at ESPN's semi-infamous College Football Power Index (where Ohio State is still No. 1), each week seems to cause a mild amount of chaos as the ripples of results bounce up and down college football. After Week 3, here are the power conference teams makes the biggest moves up and down.

Moving On Up

Northwestern (up 24 spots to 33rd)

A 41-7 thumping of Colorado sees the Wildcats getting some substantial respect, climbing to 9th in the Big Ten and even drawing a 6.2% chance at a spot in the College Football Playoff after a 2-0 start. Easier to attain should be six wins, where Northwestern has an 82.2% chance.

Kentucky (up 15 spots to 36th)

The good news for the Wildcats is that a 31-21 win at Texas A&M jumps them up a full 15 spots. The bad news is that's still 14th in the SEC and FPI gives them a 52.6% chance at navigating that league to the extent needed to pick up six wins. And for the true dreamer, there's a 3.2% shot at the College Football Playoff.

West Virginia (up 12 spots to 49th)

West Virginia moved to 3-0 by taking down a previously ranked Virginia squad. It's arguably a big win for the Big 12 over the ACC and sees the Mountaineers climb into respectability in the FPI's Big 12 rankings. FPI now sees WVU with an 81.1% shot at six or more wins and even a 4% chance at a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Falling Fast

FPI, like even many non-computers, saw a tough Week 3 for Deion Sanders and Colorado. (David Banks-Imagn Images) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Colorado (down 20 spots to 70th)

How the mighty have fallen as Coach Prime meets the cellar of the Big 12 after a rough 41-7 loss to Northwestern. The slide leaves Colorado, even at 2-1, pretty much out of conference or Playoff discussions and instead with just a 22.8% chance at picking up six wins.

Stanford (down 15 spots to 102nd)

There's bad and there's Stanford who at 102nd takes the bottom spot of power conferences, behind Rutgers and Boston College. Taking a 35-7 beatdown to Duke to fall to 1-2 leaves the Cardinal with a 3.8% shot at six wins, per FPI's math. In a conference where eight teams are outside the top 50, Stanford looks pretty nearly glued to the bottom.

Cincinnati (down 12 spots to 46th)

Cincinnati's fall is a bit unusual as the Bearcats won and climbed to 3-0 on the season. Admittedly, they struggled mightily with Miami of Ohio, trailing 28-7 at halftime before rallying for a 35-31 win. But FPI dropped the unbeaten Bearcats toward the bottom of the middle pack of the Big 12, giving them just a 74% chance at picking up six wins-- fairly wild as UC is already halfway there.