ESPN Ranks Oregon Ducks High in Preseason Football Power Index

Dec 30, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) runs with the ball during the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Alamo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Recently the number crunchers at ESPN compiled the numbers for their Football Power Index, one of many ways to rank teams heading into the 2014 season. There were quite a few Pac-12 teams that were on the list, including seeing the UCLA Bruins at number five. One spot that was not a surprise was seeing the Oregon Ducks right behind number one Florida State in the number two position.

I realize that this system of ‘ranking’ teams is just another barometer, but it is interesting none the less to see where certain teams have fallen into place.  A complete breakdown of the number crunching seems like a tedious process and in the end how accurate is it? Other factors that also went into the index include a teams success over the last few years, as well as how well their recruiting classes have fared.

We all realize that the only place where numbers actually matter are on the field of play, but sometimes its nice to take a step back and see how computers actually think things will go. Other Pac-12 teams that made it into the Top 25 of the FBI include Stanford(8) and Arizona State(16).

One team that is expected to compete for a Playoff spot in 2014 is Michigan State, who will invade Autzen Stadium on September 6th. According to the FBI they rank 24th, behind Michigan(20) and Ohio State(6). We’ll find out soon enough how accurate these numbers actually are.

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