ESPN FPI Predicts BYU at Kansas, Updates Win Projection for the Cougars

FPI upgraded BYU's win total after week three

Casey Lundquist | Sep 17, 2023

The first three games of BYU's 2023 season are in the books. The Cougars took down Arkansas on Saturday in a 38-31 back-and-forth game. BYU is 3-0 as it heads to Kansas to take on the Jayhwawks in the first Big 12 game in program history. The Jayhawks are also 3-0 and coming off a 31-24 win over Nevada. ESPN's predictive college football algorithm, the football power index, updated its prediction for BYU-Kansas. FPI gives BYU a 43.5% chance to beat Kansas on the road.

FPI was wrong about BYU last week. FPI only gave BYU only a 20.9% chance to beat the Razorbacks. Coming off a win over Southern Utah, FPI projected BYU to finish with a 4.5-7.5 record and gave BYU just a 25.5% chance to finish with six or more wins. After the win over Arkansas, FPI upgraded BYU's projected record to 6.1-5.9. The Power Index now gives BYU a 63.2% chance to finish with six or more wins.

BYU started the 2023 season ranked 60th in FPI. The Cougars dropped to 70th after the first two weeks and lowest in the Big 12. With the win over Arkansas, BYU improved 14 spots to 56th in the country and leapfrogged four Big 12 peers. BYU is now ranked above Kansas (58), Baylor (65), Oklahoma State (69), Houston (77).

Oklahoma leapfrogged Texas as the highest-ranking Big 12 team in the FPI rankings - the Sooners rank second nationally.

Big 12 FPI Rankings

Oklahoma - 2nd nationally
Texas - 7th nationally
UCF - 21st nationally
Kansas State - 22nd nationally
TCU - 30th nationally
Texas Tech - 32nd nationally
Cincinnati - 37th nationally
Iowa State - 50th nationally
West Virginia - 54th nationally
BYU - 56th nationally
Kansas - 58th nationally
Baylor - 65th nationally
Oklahoma State - 69th nationally
Houston - 77th nationally

In the FPI model, Oklahoma is given 55.1% chance to win the conference and Texas is second at 31.6%. UCF is third in line with a 3.6% chance to win the Big 12.

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Published Sep 17, 2023

CASEY LUNDQUIST

Casey Lundquist is the publisher and lead editor of Cougs Daily. He has covered BYU athletics for the last four years. During that time, he has published over 2,000 stories that have reached more than three million people.