Tag: wiscnosin badgers

Ranking Big Ten quarterbacks by PFF grade through Week 2

Where do the Big Ten quarterbacks rank?

After a wild week in college football, where do the Big Ten quarterbacks stand?

If you had told Badger fans that Wisconsin was going to be upset by Washington State in Week 2, everyone would have immediately thought that Graham Mertz struggled mightily. It was quite the opposite for the Kansas native, as Mertz had one of his better games on Saturday despite the upset defeat.

Around the conference, J.J. McCarthy appears to have taken the starting job at Michigan, while Evan Simon is likely the long-term starter at Rutgers. Where did Pro Football Focus rank the Big Ten quarterbacks this week? Here is a look:

Wisconsin has a surprisingly high chance to make the playoff according to ESPN FPI

The Badgers have a better chance than you think according to ESPN FPI

Following a wire-to-wire win in Ann Arbor over Michigan, Wisconsin sits at 2-0 with a battle of the undefeated’s looming next week at Northwestern.

ESPN’s Football Power Index might be higher on the Badgers than most Wisconsin fans are at this point in the season. Keep in mind that UW has cancelled two games (Nebraska, Purdue) due to a COVID-19 outbreak, and would need to play their next four games in order to even be eligible for Big Ten Championship week and have a chance to make the College Football Playoff.

Despite the obstacles, FPI gives UW an over 50% chance to make the College Football Playoff. FPI gives the Badegrs a 54.1% chance to make the four-team playoff, a 32% chance to make the title game, and a 17% chance of winning the whole thing.

So, how does that compare to other top contenders? Only two schools have a better chance of making the College Football Playoff according to FPI: Ohio State and Alabama. Both Wisconsin and Ohio State have a better than 50% chance of getting in, which signifies that the model sees a two-Big Ten team CFP as a real possibility.