ESPN’s SP+ ranks the Badgers higher than their current AP Poll slot

On September 1 ESPN released their updated SP+ rankings and opted to include every FBS team, even if their fall season had been postponed….

On September 1 ESPN released their updated SP+ rankings and opted to include every FBS team, even if their fall season had been postponed.

The metric projects team success based off three main factors: each program’s returning production, recent history and recruiting. It then quantifies those factors for both offense and defense and creates an SP+ number for each team.

The metric also gives a team their chance to win each game and adds them up to create a win total, with an 80 percent win chance for a given game equaling 0.8 wins–the Badgers and fellow Big Ten schools obviously not included in that aspect of the ranking.

So, coming in at the No. 8 slot in the updated rankings are the Wisconsin Badgers–four slots higher than their No. 12 ranking in the AP Poll.

No. 8 is good for third-best for a Big Ten team with Ohio State up top at No. 1 and Penn State one spot ahead of the Badgers at No. 7.

Specifically, Paul Chryst’s team was given a “projected SP+” of 21.6–just 0.7 behind No. 7 Penn State. Divided between offense and defense now, their 35.9 offensive rating was good for No. 17 in the nation and 14.3 defensive rating good for No. 5.

It’s hard seeing metrics and polls including ESPN FPI, SP+ and the AP Poll showing preseason love to Chryst and the Badgers with the team not set to play this season. The future is no doubt looking like a bright one for the program, but by all accounts this season was shaping up to be a special one in Madison and still could be come kickoff, whenever that day comes around.