Despite Ohio State’s annual stronghold on the Big Ten and Jim Harbaugh’s noticeable struggles vs. elite teams including his rival, ESPN’s Football Power Index isn’t high on the Buckeyes as a national championship contender in its early 2019 lookahead projections. Ohio State isn’t showing up in any of ESPN’s 10 most likely College Football Playoff four-team combinations and the simulation model appears skeptical of the Buckeyes’ unknowns at quarterback with first-year starter Justin Fields and the lack of depth behind him. Michigan on the other hand, which hasn’t won a conference title in more than a decade, has a 41 percent chance of reaching the Playoff — third-highest percentage behind defending national champion Clemson and perennial superpower Alabama. From ESPN’s FPI Playoff Predictor: FPI expects Michigan to have the best offense (and team) in the Big Ten, catching some of its division rivals in what could be a down season.…
Continue Reading: ESPN FPI shows no respect to Ohio State Buckeyes
