How does ESPN's FPI view the Gophers following 41-3 loss to Iowa?
The Minnesota Golden Gophers fell to rival Iowa on Saturday afternoon at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, in a game that the Gophers hope to forget soon. With the loss, the Golden Gophers are now 5-3 on the season overall and 3-2 in conference play.
But after their blowout loss, how does ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) view the Golden Gophers and the remainder of their season?
For those who are not familiar, here is how the ESPN FPI is defined: “The Football Power Index (FPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 20,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule.”
Overall, the Gophers fell four spots in the FPI this week to No. 64 from No. 60. This notably puts them behind programs such as Northwestern (No. 58), Rutgers (No. 62), and Wisconsin (No. 63).
Following the loss, their projected record this season is 6.6-5.4, and they have a 98% chance to win six games to reach bowl eligibility, needing just one win in their last four games.
Minnesota’s resume, according to ESPN’s FPI currently includes the 46th best strength of record and the 38th best strength of schedule, with a remaining strength of schedule of 41.
The Gophers’ efficiency ratings across the board are lackluster.
| Category | Rating | Ranking |
| Overall | 48.2 | 78 |
| Offense | 40.5 | 86 |
| Defense | 57.4 | 57 |
| Special Teams | 47.5 | 84 |
With four games remaining this regular season, the Gophers’ remaining opponents rank as follows:
vs No. 70 Michigan State
at No. 3 Oregon
at No. 58 Northwestern
vs No. 63 Wisconsin
Additionally, here’s how ESPN’s Analytics, which is different from the FPI, views the Gophers’ chances in their remaining four games.
vs Michigan State: 61.7% chance of win
at Oregon: 4.2% chance of win
at Northwestern: 35.6% chance of win
vs Wisconsin: 55.1% chance of win
The B1G Picture
Here’s the full FPI rankings for the Big Ten.
| B1G RANK | TEAM | OVERALL RANK |
| 1 | Ohio State | 1 |
| 2 | Indiana | 2 |
| 3 | Oregon | 3 |
| 4 | USC | 9 |
| 5 | Michigan | 15 |
| 6 | Iowa | 20 |
| 7 | Penn State | 21 |
| 8 | Washington | 23 |
| 9 | Illinois | 33 |
| 10 | Nebraska | 34 |
| 11 | Maryland | 55 |
| 12 | Northwestern | 58 |
| 13 | Rutgers | 62 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | 63 |
| 15 | Minnesota | 64 |
| 16 | Michigan State | 70 |
| 17 | UCLA | 71 |
| 18 | Purdue | 81 |
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