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Penn State football takes a step back on ESPN’s Football Power Index

By Justin Grasso

STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 14: Vincent Davis #22 of the Pittsburgh Panthers carries the ball against Micah Parsons #11 and Shaka Toney #18 of the Penn State Nittany Lions during the first half at Beaver Stadium on September 14, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 14: Vincent Davis #22 of the Pittsburgh Panthers carries the ball against Micah Parsons #11 and Shaka Toney #18 of the Penn State Nittany Lions during the first half at Beaver Stadium on September 14, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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Penn State football remains unbeaten thus far, but their conference win percentage took a hit on ESPN’s Football Power Index.

You take wins however you can get them in football. But when it comes to college football, you have to win with authority. This isn’t a league made up of brackets based off of ranks. While conference play seems pretty fair at the end of the year, it takes convincing voters around the NCAA to make it past some standard bowl game and get into the playoffs.

Heading into the 2019 college football season, many wouldn’t consider Penn State football to be a potential playoff team. With all of their youth on board — especially at the quarterback position, nobody sees them as a team that is truly ready to win big now.

Those with that assumption could be right. Then again, they could be wrong, though. All we know right now is that Penn State is unbeaten. And although they have shown signs of struggling over the last two games, they still haven’t fallen short to adversity quite yet.

However, there are analysts and anonymous voters out there who believe that it’s only a matter of time until the Nittany Lions get exposed for who they truly are. The AP Poll voters kept Penn State at the No. 13 spot for now until they play next week against Maryland.

However, ESPN was not impressed after this week. According to the ESPN Football Power Index, Penn State is back around where they initially started when the list fired up back in July. After their first week win, Penn State only trailed Ohio State on the index.

Now, they trail both, the Buckeyes and Wisconsin. Initially, the conference win percentage jumped as high as 37.8-percent, which ranked as the conference best. But after just a seven-point win over the Pitt Panthers, Penn State’s chances after week three regress to 8.6-percent.

Next. Penn State shares AP Top-25 Poll rank with Wisconsin. dark

As expected, Ohio State has quite the lead in this race with 44-percent, while the Badgers trail behind them at 27.9-percent.

Granted, Wisconsin has only played two games, against lesser opponents, so they could be exposed as early as this week as they play Michigan. After that, we will see if Penn State takes a jump or remains where they’re at depending on the results of the matchup.

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