Washington State Up 14 Spots in SP+ Rankings After Two Weeks

Joe Londergan | Sep 10, 2024

Sep 7, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars celebrate after a game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Washington State Cougars won 37-16. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images

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Two games into the season, the Washington State Cougars have picked up as many wins for a 2-0 record.

In ESPN's SP+ rankings, the Cougars started the season at #57 in the nation with a rating of 0.6. After Week One (a 70-30 win over Portland State), they jumped to #50 with a rating of 4.2. Then after Week Two (37-16 win over Texas Tech), they moved again to #43 with a rating of 6.0.

ESPN's Bill Connelly, creator of the system, describes it as a "tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency." It's not necessarily a power ranking. Even so, it's an indicator that things are moving in the right direction for Jake Dickert's program.

The Cougs' offense is currently #2 in the nation in yards per play with 9.08 and #15 in yards per game with 526.5.

WSU's season continues Saturday in a neutral site Apple Cup game against the Washington Huskies at Seattle's Lumen Field.

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Published Sep 10, 2024

JOE LONDERGAN

Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.