Michigan slips in ESPN's FPI despite road win over Nebraska

The Michigan Wolverines earned a signature win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers this past weekend, which launched them up to No. 19 in the AP Top 25. Both teams got off to a slow start, but the Wolverines' defense made a huge play, picking off Dylan Raiola for the first time this season, which led directly to a big 37-yard touchdown run from Bryce Underwood. From that point on, the Wolverines controlled the game and ended up winning, 30-27.

After the Wolverines' dominant win over Central Michigan last weekend, Michigan jumped 19 spots in ESPN's Football Power Index. They went from No. 29 to No. 10, and their odds to win the Big 10 and make the College Football Playoffs skyrocketed. However, despite getting a huge road win to open conference play, the Wolverines actually fell down to No. 12 in the FPI. But what is the FPI and how does it calculate its rankings?

The Football Power Index (FPI) 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. 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. Ratings and projections update daily. FPI data from seasons prior to 2019 may not be complete.