ESPN’s computer model kept the Ohio State Buckeyes as the No. 1 team in the country, even after a road loss to Texas. The Buckeyes remained in the No. 1 spot last week, following a blowout win over Kent State.
But on Sunday, following the Week 4 games, the Buckeyes have been dropped out of the No. 1 overall spot.
Ohio State, 3-1 on the year, dropped to No. 3 overall. Georgia has surged up to No. 1 overall, while Notre Dame is ranked No. 2 overall. Texas is No. 4 and Miami is No. 5.
Alabama, Indiana, LSU, Oregon and Florida round out the top 10.
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
What caused the drop for Ohio State?
The Buckeyes’ defense looked pretty poor at home on Saturday. Ohio State gave up close to 500 yards of total offense in a win over Illinois. The Illini had little difficult running the football, racking up close to 200 yards on the ground.
Ohio State remains a favorite to win the Big Ten and reach the College Football Playoff, but they’re no longer No. 1 in ESPN’s computer’s mind.
ESPN’s computer model defends its ranking system
ESPN’s computer model is a projection-based system, so its rankings will often differ than the traditional AP and Coaches’ Polls.
“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. Ratings and projections update daily. FPI data from seasons prior to 2019 may not be completer,” ESPN writes.
