College Football HQ

Updated Post-Week 11 ESPN FPI rankings leave college football fans in disbelief

Joe Cox|
ESPN's FPI has the 3-6 Penn State Nittany Lions at No. 21 in the nation. That's only one aspect of what's driving college football fans crazy.
ESPN's FPI has the 3-6 Penn State Nittany Lions at No. 21 in the nation. That's only one aspect of what's driving college football fans crazy. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

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Penn State Nittany LionsAuburn TigersOklahoma SoonersGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Another week, another round of ESPN FPI rankings that left college football fans scratching their heads and venting on social media. Yes, the FPI is a statistically based formula that doesn't (allegedly) favor particular teams or conferences. But trying to compare across leagues inevitably leaves some college football fans a bit miffed. Here's a rundown of the latest grievances.

Penn State? Auburn?

Top 25 spots this week went to 3-6 Penn State (No. 21) and 3-6 Auburn (No. 22). That's certainly a challenge to justify...

Undervalued squads

At the same time, 8-2 Vanderbilt is No. 16. 8-1 Georgia Tech isn't even in the top 25 (they're No. 30, for what it's worth). Not surprisingly, plenty of fans noticed.

Head-to-head nonsense

A special category of fan frustration is reserved for situations where two teams have faced off, and the winner of the game is somehow ranked below the loser. Tennessee and Oklahoma is one such case. The Sooners won the head-to-head and yet the Vols sit at No. 14 and the Sooners sit at No. 15.

Overall shade

But as usual, the best feedback goes to those who are fed up with the whole system. It's not hard to find individual points to pick out that indicate the FPI struggle with reality, but it's the college football fans who just say "burn it down" who usually win the day.

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Joe Cox
JOE COX

Joe is a journalist and writer who covers college and professional sports. He has written or co-written over a dozen sports books, including several regional best sellers. His last book, A Fine Team Man, is about Jackie Robinson and the lives he changed. Joe has been a guest on MLB Network, the Paul Finebaum show and numerous other television and radio shows. He has been inside MLB dugouts, covered bowl games and conference tournaments with Saturday Down South and still loves telling the stories of sports past and present.

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