The Texas Longhorns’ 2019 football season may be over after their 38-10 victory over the Utah Utes but there is still plenty of optimism as they move into the final stages of recruiting in February.
According to ESPN, the Longhorns are ranked in the top 20 in their FPI rankings. FPI is the football power index. ESPN explains the ranking. Texas finished with a FPI of 13.
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 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections update daily.
The Longhorns were also top 25 in team efficiencies another ranking that is developed by ESPN analytics. Texas finished with a team efficiency of 68.9 which is tied for 24th in the nation.
Team efficiencies are based on the point contributions of each unit to the team’s scoring margin, on a per-play basis. The values are adjusted for strength of schedule and down-weighted for “garbage time” (based on win probability). The scale goes from 0 to 100; higher numbers are better and the average is roughly 50 for all categories. Efficiencies update daily during the season.
New offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich is joining the staff after helping the Ohio State Buckeyes to the number one ranking with 33.7 in FPI and number one in team efficiency with 96.6. With Yurcich, Texas could rise in those rankings under his leadership.