Minnesota football rises in ESPN's FPI following blowout win over Northwestern State
The Minnesota Golden Gophers took care of business against a severely outmatched Northwestern State Demons on Saturday afternoon at Huntington Bank Stadium. The Gophers took a lead six seconds into the game on a John Nestor pick-six, and would lead 35-0 after one quarter of play and 59-0 at halftime.
The Gophers weren’t the only team in college football to win in blowout fashion, Ohio State blanked FCS Grambling 70-0 and Florida State defeated FCS opponent East Texas A&M 77-3.
With that all being said, ESPN on Sunday updated its Football Power Index rankings. For those unfamiliar with the FPI, here’s how ESPn defines the power index.
“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.”
In the updated index, the Gophers saw their stock rise four spots to No. 49 in the country. The Gophers’ projected record currently sits at 6.8-5.2 and ESPN gives the Gophers an 82.0% to go bowling this season.
Where does Minnesota football rank in the Big Ten?
Minnesota currently ranks 10th in the Big Ten in the FPI behind Oregon (No. 1), Ohio State (No. 3), USC (No. 5), Penn State (No. 7), Indiana (No. 16), Illinois (No. 24), Michigan (No. 28), Washington (No. 29), and Nebraska (No. 36).
The Golden Gophers’ next opponent, the California Golden Bears is currently ranked as the No. 63 team in the FPI. ESPN’s matchup predictor currently gives the Gophers a 52.4% chance to beat the Golden Bears.
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