We're quickly moving in to Week 3 of college football.
Various rankings come out each week, including the AP Poll and Coaches Poll.
In this weekly segment, we'll get away from human polls and go into the computers and see what the various analytical-based rankings had to say about Michigan after Week 1.
Editor's Note: We planned to use PFF's weekly Top 25, but through two weeks, still no rankigs released by PFF.
ESPN FPI
FPI is a predictive rating system designed to measure team strength and project performance going forward. The ultimate goal of FPI is not to rank teams 1 through 128; rather, it is to correctly predict games and season outcomes. If Vegas ever published the power rankings it uses to set its lines, they would likely look quite a lot like FPI.
Rank: 5th
Previously: 8th
Notable rankings: Texas (6th, previously 4th), Tennessee (7th), USC (8th), Mississippi State (9th), Utah (10th), Michigan State (11th), Penn State (13th), Oklahoma (15th), UConn (124th)
Michigan got itself back in familiar territory in the FPI rankings this week. The power index continues to ride the Texas and Tennessee hype train, joining many other computer-based rankings that rank both programs higher than the general public. FPI has Michigan State at its highest rank among all computer systems. The same goes for Mississippi State. It also has Oklahoma at the lowest spot of any ranking system at 15th. Michigan's opponent in Week 3 (UConn) ranks near the bottom of CFB.
ESPN SP+
What is SP+?
In a single sentence, it's a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. SP+ is intended to be predictive and forward-facing. That is important to remember. It is not a résumé ranking that gives credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling — no good predictive system is. It is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you're lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you're strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise.
Rank: 4th
Previously: 4th
Notable ranking: Ole Miss (6th), Tennessee (8th), Texas A&M (9th), Cincinnati (12th), Michigan State (13th), Penn State (14th), Texas (16th), Minnesota (20th), Wisconsin (21st), Purdue (29th), UConn (126th)
No changes for Michigan in the SP+, which aligns with the AP and Coaches polls in having the Wolverines at No. 4. The computers continue to like Texas, and, shockingly, SP+ still ranks Texas A&M similarly. It's important to note that computer rankings are easy to find early flaws in, like A&M's ranking. However, often these rankings represent the long-term in CFB. Sure, the Aggies dropped a home game to Appalachian State -- but who's to say they won't turn it around? The computers think it will happen, though it's a computer that doesn't consider any narratives surrounding the program. Michigan's opponent in Week 3 (UConn) ranks near the bottom of CFB, two spots lower than its FPI rank.
Sagarin/USA Today
What (who) is Sagarin?
Jeff Sagarin made a rating and predictive system, then named it after, well, himself! It's an excellent way to look at ratings and determine scores in games by how closely or not close two teams rank. Sometimes, it can predict closer games in lopsided matchups or blowouts in closer games on paper.
Rank: 8th
Previously: 9th
Notable rankings: Texas (4th), Oklahoma State (7th), Utah (9th), Penn State (10th), Mississippi State (11th), Tennessee (12th), USC (15th), Kentucky (16th), Michigan State (25th), UConn (149th)
Saragin, which heavily considers the strength of schedule with its power rankings, continues to rank Michigan lower than the pack. The same can be said about Tennessee, USC, Kentucky, and Michigan State. Saragin should shape up as the season goes on. Worth noting that Texas continues to get computer love here.
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