Ranking – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Wisconsin falls behind Minnesota in ESPN SP+ after loss to Iowa

Wisconsin continued its sharp fall in rating metrics after its 42-10 loss to Iowa on Saturday.

ESPN SP+ accurately depicts the Badgers’ current descent. The team was ranked No. 20 just two weeks ago entering the Penn State matchup. Now, the Badgers are down to No. 41 in the nation (No. 86 offense, No. 22 defense) after back-to-back losses.

With that drop, Wisconsin is now down to the No. 10 team in the Big Ten, behind Ohio State at No. 1, Oregon at No. 5, Penn State at No. 9, Indiana at No. 11, Iowa at No. 17, USC at No. 23, Michigan at No. 30, Washington at No. 31 and Minnesota at No. 35.

The most notable on that list is Minnesota, which continued its steep ascent with a road victory over Illinois.

SP+ RANKINGS AFTER 10 WEEKS

* 4 teams within 0.7 pts (and 6 w/in 1.8) of No. 1!
* (Good god, that could make the playoff pretty great)
* "Georgia DESTROYED Florida" — SP+
* "We're No. 8 again!" — CUSA
* Resume SP+ top 15, still with a delightful No. 1https://t.co/u75h18IqjL

— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) November 3, 2024

Wisconsin’s three remaining games are against Oregon (No. 5), Nebraska (No. 45), and Minnesota (No. 35). Given the Badgers’ current form and trajectory, none of those matchups look like clear victories. The team needs just one win in those final three games to extend its bowl streak to 23 seasons.

The Badgers are idle in Week 11 before a marquee matchup with No. 1 Oregon on Nov. 16. While Wisconsin’s outlook looks bleak after the blowout loss to Iowa, a win over Oregon would do a lot to turn the tide.

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Wisconsin continues to dive in ESPN FPI after blowout loss to Iowa

Wisconsin continued its steep slide in ESPN FPI after a 42-10 loss to Iowa on Saturday.

The Badgers dropped six spots from No. 31 to No. 37 with the loss — down 12 slots from the team’s No. 25 ranking entering the Penn State matchup.

The loss continues to dim Wisconsin’s rest-of-season outlook. FPI now projects the team’s final record at 6.3 — 5.7, with a 82% chance of reaching bowl eligibility.

The Badgers move forward with matchups against Oregon (No. 7 in FPI), Nebraska (No. 55) and Minnesota (No. 31). Oregon and Minnesota are on the rise after continued strong play, while Nebraska has plummeted after three consecutive losses.

It goes without saying that Luke Fickell’s team needs to improve upon its recent form to reach the six-win threshold required for postseason eligibility — let alone to have a chance at defeating top-ranked Oregon.

The Badgers are idle in Week 11 before hosting the Ducks on Nov. 16. The bye week could be much-needed for a team and program currently on the ropes.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Florida drops in Football Power index rankings, still among top 25

Despite a demoralizing loss — both on the scoreboard and on the injury report — Florida is still one of the FPI’s top 25 teams in the nation.

It looked like Florida football would get the monkey off its back against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday… until the injuries and mistakes began. Ultimately, the Gators fell, 34-20, in Jacksonville to their biggest rivals dropping them to 4-4 this fall with a three-pack of top opponents coming up.

With a little over five minutes to play in the second quarter, Florida’s Week 10 starter and former backup quarterback — and true freshman to boot – [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] went down with what might be a season-ending injury that could also effectively end [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s third (and final?) season in Gainesville.

However, the computer models do not see injuries the way the human eye does, as exemplified by ESPN’s latest Football Power Index rankings update, in which the Orange and Blue lost some ground but are still among the top 25 schools in the nation.

Florida football’s FPI ranking, rating

Following the loss, the FPI dropped Florida two spots from No. 23 to No. 25, with the team’s overall rating dropping from 10.9 points in last week’s results to 10.3 this week. That puts UF between the No. 24 Tulane Green Wave and No. 26 Missouri Tigers.

Florida is now given a 48.8% chance of winning six games this fall — down from 55.6% — along with a 0.9% chance of winning out, as well as a 0% chance of winning the conference, a microscopic 0.1% chance of making the College Football Playoffs, a 0% chance of making the championship game and a 0% chance of winning the national title. The FPI’s final record prediction dropped 0.2 wins to 5.5-6.5.

SEC teams in FPI

The Texas Longhorns (26.0 rating) remained in the top spot in the rankings this week, while the Alabama Crimson Tide (25.3) also stood pat at No. 3 overall. Georgia (23.1) stayed at No. 4 followed by the Ole Miss Rebels (6th, 22.0) and Tennessee Volunteers (8th, 20.5) to round out the top 10.

The LSU Tigers (16.0) moved up to No. 12, with the Texas A&M Aggies (16.7) trailing behind at No. 15 (14.5), South Carolina Gamecocks at No. 18 (13.3) and Florida (25th, 10.3) wrapping up the top 25.

The remainder of the conference schools in the FPI are Missouri (26th, 10.3), the Oklahoma Sooners (27th, 10.3), Arkansas Razorbacks (29th, 8.5), Auburn Tigers (32nd, 7.9), Vanderbilt Commodores (34th, 7.8), Kentucky Wildcats (44th, 5.5) and Mississippi State Bulldogs (69th, -0.7).

What’s next for the Gators?

Florida will go on the road and face the Texas Longhorns in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, Nov. 9. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will be broadcast on ABC.

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Iowa jumps Wisconsin in CBS Sports college football re-rank after Week 9

Wisconsin saw its three-game winning streak and red-hot momentum come to an end in Week 9, as it fell to No. 3 Penn State 28-13.

The Badgers are now 5-3 on the season and 3-2 in Big Ten play entering a critical Week 10 rivalry game at Iowa.

Wisconsin and Iowa are tough to separate through eight games of action. Each boasts the same conference and overall record, and the two rank similarly in most ranking systems and metrics.

Iowa has a slight edge over Wisconsin, as its resume is boosted by blowout wins over both Minnesota and Washington. Wisconsin has three dominant conference victories, but it has yet to beat any team ranked in the top 60 in ESPN FPI.

CBS Sports latest college football re-rank reflects that current standing. It dropped Wisconsin to No. 38 overall after its Week 9 loss to Penn State, while Iowa rose to No. 36 after its big win over Northwestern — jumping Wisconsin in the process.

Wisconsin and Iowa appear to be evenly-matched entering Saturday’s primetime matchup at Kinnick Stadium. The Badgers enter as slight underdogs, a standing that CBS Sports accurately reflects in its latest full-sport ranking.

For more on the upcoming matchup, check out our ranking of the game’s biggest storylines and what Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz said about the Badgers in his preview press conference.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Three-star defensive lineman decommits from Wisconsin class of 2025

Wilnerson Telemaque, a three-star defensive lineman from Miami, Florida, decommitted from Wisconsin’s class of 2025 on Monday.

Telemaque initially pledged to the Badgers back in June over other finalists Georgia Tech and West Virginia. He now reopens his recruitment, with those two schools presumably back in play.

“After a conversation with my family and coaches I will be de-committing from the University of Wisconsin,” Telemaque wrote on X. “I would like to thank Coach [Luke] Fickell and Coach [E.J.] Whitlow for recruiting me. My recruitment is 100% open.”

247Sports currently ranks the three-star defensive lineman as the No. 806 player in the class of 2025, No. 92 defensive lineman and No. 105 recruit from his home state of Florida.

🙏🏾 Recruitment is 100% open @CoachPJCooney @JohnGarcia_Jr @Andrew_Ivins @adamgorney @ChadSimmons_ pic.twitter.com/1CaHU0ZdM2

— Wilnerson Telemaque (@__Iamwil) October 29, 2024

Telemaque’s departure cuts Wisconsin’s defensive line group in its class of 2025 to three commits: Drayden Pavey, Torin Pettaway and Xavier Ukponu. Pavey, notably, recently flipped his commitment to the Badgers from Big Ten rival Purdue.

This news also directly follows Wisconsin flipping Michigan State commit TE Emmett Bork. The Badgers’ class of 2025 reached 25 commitments for a few hours on Monday night before Telemaque’s departure dropped that total back to 24.

Wisconsin’s class currently ranks No. 28 in the nation and No. 10 in the new Big Ten after the flurry of moves. That is close to where the group will finish with the 2025 cycle nearing completion.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Wisconsin plummets in ESPN SP+ after loss to Penn State

Wisconsin dropped significantly in ESPN SP+ after its 28-13 loss to Penn State on Saturday.

The Badgers entered the week ranked No. 20 in the metric with a 12.0 overall rating, plus the nation’s No. 63-ranked offense and No. 11-ranked defense.

Those updated numbers: No. 30 overall ranking (9.7) with the nation’s No. 73-ranked offense and No. 14-ranked defense.

The drop comes after Penn State outgained Wisconsin 419-298 in its Week 9 victory. The Nittany Lions held the Badgers to only 81 rushing yards on 27 carries (three yards per carry), plus tallied 173 rushing yards of their own.

The loss was a reality check for Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin program. While it has made clear forward steps after Fickell’s rocky debut season in 2023, it remains far from the Big Ten’s elite.

ESPN SP+ reflects that. The Badgers are now the eighth highest-ranked Big Ten team, behind Ohio State (No. 2), Oregon (No. 4), Penn State (No. 8), Indiana (No. 13), Iowa (No. 18), USC (No. 19) and Michigan (No. 27).

SP+ RANKINGS AFTER 9 WEEKS:

* No one wants to be No. 1
* B1G middle class: 📉📉📉
* Ohio St at UGA in the CFP first round??
* SP+ never quit you, UNC and Cal
* Résumé SP+ top 15, again led by Indiana!
* SP+ in Wk9: 0% ATS in the MAC, 57% everywhere elsehttps://t.co/LtfFwPceLk

— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) October 27, 2024

The Badgers still have remaining games against Iowa (No. 18), Oregon (No. 1), Nebraska (No. 41) and Minnesota (No. 35). They need one more win for bowl eligibility, and several more to maintain a strong standing in the conference.

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Florida drops a spot in Football Power Index after Week 9 bye

The Gators saw a small regression in ESPN’s FPI but are still a top-25 team after their bye week.

Florida football got its second breather of the 2024 campaign last weekend with a bye, giving the Gators to prepare for the biggest game on its schedule against the Georgia Bulldogs next weekend.

So far, the Orange and Blue have amassed a 4-3 overall record, splitting the four games it has played against fellow Southeastern Conference schools. A near miss against the Tennessee Volunteers two weeks ago in Knoxville that saw Florida fall in overtime would have put the program on the path to six wins this season.

Now, the Gators face a veritable gauntlet over the next few weeks.

While Billy Napier and Co. were on their off week, most of the other teams were busy on the collegiate gridiron. Those results shifted Florida’s position on some of the rankings, including ESPN’s Football Power Index.

Florida football’s FPI ranking, rating

Despite being idle during Week 9, the Gators fell one spot from No. 22 to No. 23 while their overall rating also fell from 11.3 to 10.9. That puts them between the No. 22 Colorado Buffaloes and No. 24 Missouri Tigers.

Florida is now given a 55.6% chance of winning six games this fall — down from 55.8% last week — along with a 0.2% chance of winning out, as well as a 0% chance of winning the conference, a microscopic 0.3% chance of making the College Football Playoffs, a 0% chance of making the championship game and a 0% chance of winning the national title. The FPI’s final record predicts currently remains at 5.7-6.3.

SEC teams in FPI

The Texas Longhorns (25.7 rating) took back the top spot in the rankings this week, while the Alabama Crimson Tide (25.0) remained at No. 3 overall. Georgia (22.9) logs in at No. 4, followed by the Tennessee Volunteers (6th, 21.5) and Ole Miss Rebels (7th, 21.4) to round out the top 10.

The Texas A&M Aggies (16.7) moved up to No. 12, with the LSU Tigers (14th, 16.3), South Carolina Gamecocks (21st, 11.5), Florida (23rd, 10.9), Missouri Tigers (24th, 10.6) and Arkansas Razorbacks (25th, 10.4) wrapping up the top 25.

The remainder of the conference schools in the FPI are the Oklahoma Sooners (29th, 9.3), Auburn Tigers (30th, 9.3), Vanderbilt Commodores (37th, 6.7), Kentucky Wildcats (50th, 4.7) and Mississippi State Bulldogs (72nd, -0.9).

About ESPN’s FPI

“The Football Power Index 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,” according to ESPN.

“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.”

Coming up for Florida

Florida and Georgia face off for a Week 10 rivalry battle in Jacksonville on Saturday, Nov. 2 with kickoff slated for 3:30 p.m. ET. The pregame festivities will be featured on SEC Nation and the game will be broadcast on ABC.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Wisconsin cornerback among PFF’s best true freshman of 2024 season

Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas continues to grade well in the eyes of ProFootballFocus.

The standout true freshman has an overall grade of 80.7 through seven weeks of action, good for sixth among all true freshmen in the Power Four.

Lucas has battled minor injuries throughout the season, though has been mostly available for Mike Tressel’s secondary. He has recorded nine total tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception and two pass deflections in that time.

Raw statistics are often misleading when evaluating cornerbacks, however, as those who are thrown toward less are usually the ones who are best in coverage. For example, Wisconsin star CB Ricardo Hallman barely has any counting statistics this season (nine tackles, four pass deflections), but he’s playing like one of the best corners in the country.

Lucas is certainly playing up to that caliber.

He trails only Oklahoma‘s Eli Bowen (81.4), Louisville’s Isaac Brown (81.6), Ohio State‘s Jeremiah Smith (82.4), Texas‘ Colin Simmons (86.4) and Minnesota’s Koi Perich (91.1) on PFF’s latest list of the true freshmen in the sport:

https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1849437436402683981

Lucas’ status for Wisconsin’s Saturday night showdown with No. 3 Penn State is somewhat up in the air. He left the Badgers’ win over Northwestern last weekend and did not return. There has since been no material update on his availability for Saturday.

His status will be worth monitoring as kickoff nears for a season-defining opportunity for Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Wisconsin surges in CBS Sports college football re-rank after Week 8

Wisconsin football is on a steep rise after three consecutive decisive victories.

The team has improved to 5-2 (3-1 Big Ten) during a stretch in which the Badgers outscored opponents, 117-16. The team’s metrics have improved significantly. It is 25th in ESPN FPI and 20th in SP+.

The computer metrics aren’t the only thing impressed by the Badgers’ recent form. CBS Sports’ latest re-ranking of all 134 teams elevated the Badgers another 12 spots, to No. 34 in the nation.

The moves follow Wisconsin’s 23-3 win at Northwestern. It continues the team’s upward trajectory, though it remains behind Big Ten foes Nebraska (No. 31), Illinois (No. 21), Indiana (No. 7), Penn State (No. 3), Ohio State (No. 2) and Oregon (No. 1).

Wisconsin has upcoming games against Penn State, Iowa (No. 40), Nebraska, Oregon and Minnesota (No. 47). A continuation of form should see a continued rise in CBS’ rankings, especially if that form leads to an upset victory over top-ranked Penn State on Saturday.

The Badgers and Nittany Lions will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT on NBC and streaming on Peacock. It profiles as arguably the biggest game of the Luke Fickell era to date.

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2024-25 NBA League Pass Rankings: The most exciting teams to watch this season

HoopsHype ranks all 30 teams based on their watchability as far as nightly NBA League Pass viewing for the 2024-25 season.

With the 2024-25 NBA season here, we’ve ranked all 30 teams based on their watchability. Factors that we considered were star power, roster depth, potential for unexpected outcomes and other unique elements, even trainwreck potential!