ESPN Rankings...VERY ODD!

[Alanbama27]

So, this year, like in the past ESPN has come out with their preseason rankings. I'll pull the band aid off now and just say they have us at #8. Better than I anticipated. However, that's not the reason I'm posting this: I'm posting this because their projections and rankings contradict each other. See below and please tell me how this is possible.

Somebody is going to have to explain to me how a team with 9.8 projected wins can be ranked higher than teams with 10.7 and 10.2 projected wins. I'm not a fan of either Texas or Notre Dame (OBVIOUSLY), but in terms of ESPN's rankings, they have Notre Dame projected to win 10.7 games and yet have both Texas (9.8 wins and Ohio State 10.2 wins) ranked above them. That is odd and mathematically makes NO SENSE! Frankly, Texas Tech has the highest win total of any team on the board at 10.8 but is ranked 10th. Now granted it's Texas Tech and their schedule has to have an effect on this, but most of the others are very odd. Also, I would have expected Texas Tech, who now doesn't have a QB to have fallen out of the top 10, but they believe that their run game will save them. Forgive me, but we are talking about the Big 12...a league that throws the ball on every play and doesn't play defense, yet a run game is supposed to save TT's season. Anyway, I digress, please explain ESPN's rankings.

Oh, by the way, they project Bama to win 8.6 games! If DeBoer doesn't want to be on the hottest seat in football heading into season 4, he may want to win more than 8.6 games or ____ will be cooler than his seat.

 

[CoolBreeze]

Talking season is wonderful and ridiculous at the same time. We search far and wide for any scrap of real information this time of year only to come across pieces of total speculation like this. I am glad to get it but mainly to see just how subjective and biased media types are against UA. They get us talking, like we are now, but really none of it amount to a hill of beans. Roll Tide! We gonna DOMINATE 2026!

 

[Windsortide]

A lot of the many so called experts on ESPN wishcast when predicting outcomes for Alabama. Phil Steele has his predictions out and I am sure some will reconsider their prognostications.

 

[Elefantman]

Here's what happens to me if I try to apply logic to anything ESPN does.

 

[Ledsteplin]

One ESPN writer says one thing. Another ESPN writer says something contradicting the other writer. And neither one notices.

 

[mrusso]

who is our .6 win against?

 

[PA Tide Fan]

Texas and Ohio State are ranked ahead of Notre Dame because of SOS. There can be no other explanation. Notre Dame has the higher projected win total because their schedule is really weak. Notre Dame only has 2 games that could be somewhat competitive. They play Miami at home and BYU on the road. That's it! They could very well win both of those and finish the regular season undefeated or at worst lose one of those so their projected 10.7 win total seems quite accurate. Both Texas and Ohio State play quite a few quality teams (including each other) so they naturally have a lower projected win total.

 

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

You can put more trust in Rosland Capital than ESPN talking heads

 

[arthurdawg]

Texas and Ohio State are ranked ahead of Notre Dame because of SOS. There can be no other explanation. Notre Dame has the higher projected win total because their schedule is really weak. Notre Dame only has 2 games that could be somewhat competitive. They play Miami at home and BYU on the road. That's it! They could very well win both of those and finish the regular season undefeated or at worst lose one of those so their projected 10.7 win total seems quite accurate. Both Texas and Ohio State play quite a few quality teams (including each other) so they naturally have a lower projected win total.

Notre Dame's schedule is a disgrace. If they finish 10-2 with losses to BYU and ND, they should be left out of the playoffs.

We can't sit around in the SEC pounding each other with 9 league games and a for real outside game and let them pull this without a protest.

 

[Tidewater]

Notre Dame's schedule is a disgrace. If they finish 10-2 with losses to BYU and ND, they should be left out of the playoffs.

We can't sit around in the SEC pounding each other with 9 league games and a for real outside game and let them pull this without a protest.

I do not understand the SEC's willingness to do this. What is the benefit to SEC schools? If I had been the SEC Commissioner, I would have countered with a 7-game SEC schedule.

 

[CB4]

Notre Dame's schedule is a disgrace. If they finish 10-2 with losses to BYU and ND, they should be left out of the playoffs.

We can't sit around in the SEC pounding each other with 9 league games and a for real outside game and let them pull this without a protest.

I think I heard yesterday the probably of Notre Dame with 10+ wins this year was something like >90%. Not because they are expected to be some juggernaut. Because their schedule is a joke.

The other thing was 14 of the top 15 schedules were SEC schools. The only exception was tOSU.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2075316307113693582

The FPI by ESPN is similar to how Churchill once described the old Soviet Union. - “ It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma”. Even people that work for ESPN can’t give you a good idea of how it is generated.

Probably the members of TideFans could put together a power index and be just as accurate.

For example - Indiana started the season at #25 last year.

 

[CB4]

who is our .6 win against?

I think we added a NAIA school to the schedule this year.

 

[JDCrimson]

I think I heard yesterday the probably of Notre Dame with 10+ wins this year was something like >90%. Not because they are expected to be some juggernaut. Because their schedule is a joke.

The other thing was 14 of the top 15 schedules were SEC schools. The only exception was tOSU.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2075316307113693582

The FPI by ESPN is similar to how Churchill once described the old Soviet Union. - “ It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma”. Even people that work for ESPN can’t give you a good idea of how it is generated.

Probably the members of TideFans could put together a power index and be just as accurate.

For example - Indiana started the season at #25 last year.

Every SEC team has a top 20 schedule!

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

I do not understand the SEC's willingness to do this. What is the benefit to SEC schools? If I had been the SEC Commissioner, I would have countered with a 7-game SEC schedule.

Not directed at you TW, but why counter at all? Who dictated to our commissioner that we had to go to a nine-game schedule?

 

[Tidewater]

Not directed at you TW, but why counter at all? Who dictated to our commissioner that we had to go to a nine-game schedule?

No offense taken. I would counter with a plan to lower the number of SEC games so the compromise would be to leave it exactly as it was (eight).
Nine conference games in this conference is ridiculous and will harm the SEC teams' chances of getting into the playoffs.
As for who "demanded" it, the Big 10 officials did. I would have countered that or ignored the entire matter. Big 10 officials do not dictate SEC policy.

I suspect that the SEC head office wanted more Georgia-LSU games and more Alabama vs. Florida games, big game matchups to attract lots of eyeballs and ad revenues for the networks.

 

[JDCrimson]

No offense taken. I would counter with a plan to lower the number of SEC games so the compromise would be to leave it exactly as it was (eight).
Nine conference games in this conference is ridiculous and will harm the SEC teams' chances of getting into the playoffs.
As for who "demanded" it, the Big 10 officials did. I would have countered that or ignored the entire matter. Big 10 officials do not dictate SEC policy.

I suspect that the SEC head office wanted more Georgia-LSU games and more Alabama vs. Florida games, big game matchups to attract lots of eyeballs and ad revenues for the networks.

Sankey acquiesced to the 9 game conference schedule to keep up revenue wise with the Big 10 moreso than continued post season dominance. I suspect he didn't make that decision without consulting the conference presidents and ADs. I also suspect they all went along with it because the outside NIL opportunities for many of the conference teams was not as deep as the Big 10.

I think he believed the improved parity within the conference would garner more eyeballs and more revenue in the long run. The problem is the SEC is playing a conference and postseason slate of games that is easily 2x more difficult than the Big 10...

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

So basically TV dictated it...?

 

[Isaiah 63:1]

Notre Dame's schedule is a disgrace. If they finish 10-2 with losses to BYU and ND, they should be left out of the playoffs.

I'll go out on a limb and predict that one of those definitely will not happen ...

 

[TideEngineer08]

So basically TV dictated it...?

TV has dictated pretty much everything that has occurred in college football over the last 50 years.

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

TV has dictated pretty much everything that has occurred in college football over the last 50 years.

Yeah, I get that. So basically ESPN (or whoever has the media rights to the SEC at the moment) told our Commissioner that he has to go to nine-games or our incentives would go down?