The Auburn Tigers managed to increase their stock last weekend despite not playing a game during week zero.
In the latest Football Power Index ranking from ESPN, the Auburn Tigers have climbed one spot to No. 20, being one of three teams to benefit from Iowa State’s win over Kansas State in the Aer Lingus Classic in Dublin, Ireland. Kansas State fell to the rival Cyclones, 24-21, last Saturday, which caused them to drop to No. 21. SMU and Oklahoma join Auburn by jumping the Wildcats ahead of week one’s action. With its win over Kansas State, Iowa State advanced two spots to No. 31, jumping Virginia Tech and Washington.
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Auburn will look to continue its rise this Friday when it faces Baylor, a fellow top-30 squad. Here is a look at where Auburn lands in several key categories of the ESPN Football Power Index ahead of Friday’s opener at Baylor.
Football Power Index score: 10.7
Auburn is one of 25 teams that have at least a 10 on the Football Power Index, which measures “a team’s true strength on net points scale; expected point margin vs average opponent on neutral field.” This score proves just how dominant the SEC is expected to be this season, as Auburn ranks No. 11 in this category among SEC teams despite ranking No. 20 nationally.
Projected wins: 7.0
Auburn is expected to be +2 in the win column this season, according to the early projection from ESPN. ESPN projects Auburn to win 7.0 games while losing 5.1, according to its simulation, and has an 84% chance to win six games.
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Playoff percentage: 12%
Auburn is one of 29 teams with a 10% or greater chance to make the playoffs this season. According to week one’s projections, Auburn has a 1% chance to make the College Football Playoff National Championship, and a 0.4% chance to win the title.
Strength of schedule: No. 14
Auburn’s schedule is one of the nation’s toughest, according to early projections. As expected, the SEC occupies the top nine spots in this category, and 13 of the first 14 slots. Florida has the nation’s toughest schedule, according to ESPN, and Liberty has the easiest. According to SEC standards, Missouri has the easiest schedule despite ranking No. 27 nationally.
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Baylor overview
Auburn’s season-opening opponent, the Baylor Bears, joins Auburn in the top 30. Here’s a look at where Baylor fits in the ESPN FPI ahead of Friday’s game.
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Projected win-loss: 7.6-4.7
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Strength of schedule: No. 48
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn ranked No. 20 in ESPN FPI ahead of season opener
