Surprise! ESPN drops us in the FPI for 2023 after finishing 5th last year.

[Gandalf]

Yes, no surprise that ESPN is showing their love for us as usual.

Where Tennessee is ranked in ESPN's College Football Power Index for 2023 season

Vols come in at #12


8-4 prediction after winning 11-2 last year. Clearly they are not exactly sold on Milton taking the reins just yet. Hope we prove them wrong.

That loss to the cocks last year really screwed us. I hope this year we put a score on them so bad that 50 years from now, old timers who were there will still fall hushed when they mention that game.

 

[BornAndRaisedVOL!]

I can't believe they keep hating on a bunch of trailer trash rednecks.....doesn't sound very inclusive to me.

 

[A.J.]

I would expect nothing less from them. We could go undefeated and win the NC and return every starter, and they would still list us below many of those teams listed ahead of us there. Hoping we prove them wrong again this year!

 

[tobybeast]

This way they can have arguments amongst their own folks and be correct on either side of the argument....

 

[FBtime]

Good grief don't y'all get tried of the ESPN hates us narrative? It's silly and untrue.

 

[Adam Sandler]

Yes, no surprise that ESPN is showing their love for us as usual.

Where Tennessee is ranked in ESPN's College Football Power Index for 2023 season

Vols come in at #12
View attachment 547082

8-4 prediction after winning 11-2 last year. Clearly they are not exactly sold on Milton taking the reins just yet. Hope we prove them wrong.

That loss to the cocks last year really screwed us. I hope this year we put a score on them so bad that 50 years from now, old timers who were there will still fall hushed when they mention that game.

Lol! We ain’t losin 4 games.

 

[Bloodrunsorange27]

Some of this is based on other teams and how easy their schedules are cause they are going to have a high win projection every year. Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State all play in a horribly weak conference. ND - doesn't play anyone. Clemson, USC, Texas, and Oklahoma are the same. Very weak conferences.

 

[OrangeTsar]

I refuse to give ESPN the click count. They are just baiting us and I will not give them the satisfaction of even a nibble.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

Good grief don't y'all get tried of the ESPN hates us narrative? It's silly and untrue.

ESPN favors the Big Ten and the Gumps.

It’s all political no matter how hard you try to defend their nonsense.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Y'all understand that this is a computer formula, right?

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Y'all understand that this is a computer formula, right?

Heh, yep.

On the other hand, computer programs are (so far, mostly) written by humans. And modified by humans. And tweaked by humans.

One of the secret truths of the old BCS format was that the participating computer ranking services were required NOT to tweak their programs as frequently as most of them were used to doing.

Fact is, almost all the computer ranking systems (Sagarin, FPI, Massey, etc.) are near-constantly fine-tuned by their owners, esp. when they yield a result that "doesn't feel right" to the keepers of the keys.

I'm sure the ESPN statisticians who run the FPI are constantly under its hood, too.

So to an extent, "they hate us," is at least ostensibly a valid criticism even with FPI.

Go Vols!

 

[Gandalf]

Heh, yep.

On the other hand, computer programs are (so far, mostly) written by humans. And modified by humans. And tweaked by humans.

One of the secret truths of the old BCS format was that the participating computer ranking services were required NOT to tweak their programs as frequently as most of them were used to doing.

Fact is, almost all the computer ranking systems (Sagarin, FPI, Massey, etc.) are near-constantly fine-tuned by their owners, esp. when they yield a result that "doesn't feel right" to the keepers of the keys.

I'm sure the ESPN statisticians who run the FPI are constantly under its hood, too.

So to an extent, "they hate us," is at least ostensibly a valid criticism even with FPI.

Go Vols!

Exactly. The models ingest the data but then a human trains the AI as to what are the correct answers.

 

[FBtime]

ESPN favors the Big Ten and the Gumps.

It’s all political no matter how hard you try to defend their nonsense.

Yes of course they hate us...that's why they're paying us 300 million a year for 10 years. I can actually FEEL the hatred coming through!

 

[NighthawkVol]

Heh, yep.

On the other hand, computer programs are (so far, mostly) written by humans. And modified by humans. And tweaked by humans.

One of the secret truths of the old BCS format was that the participating computer ranking services were required NOT to tweak their programs as frequently as most of them were used to doing.

Fact is, almost all the computer ranking systems (Sagarin, FPI, Massey, etc.) are near-constantly fine-tuned by their owners, esp. when they yield a result that "doesn't feel right" to the keepers of the keys.

I'm sure the ESPN statisticians who run the FPI are constantly under its hood, too.

So to an extent, "they hate us," is at least ostensibly a valid criticism even with FPI.

Go Vols!

So...they created a computer algorithm to screw Tennessee?

Man, this conspiracy runs deep. Wonder what we did to make these people so mad at us?

 

[VFL-82-JP]

So...they created a computer algorithm to screw Tennessee?

Man, this conspiracy runs deep. Wonder what we did to make these people so mad at us?

Heh.

I'm not saying I subscribe to "ESPN hates us." I'm only saying it's not illogical (could be wrong without being illogical) to see the FPI shift our ranking lower and hypothesize someone there might have an axe to grind against our brand, or fanbase, or both.

 

[Vols410]

Exactly. The models ingest the data but then a human trains the AI as to what are the correct answers.

Um… that’s not how model training works. Totally down for a good “ESPN hates us” angle and I’ve used recruiting rankings as an example, but FPI ain’t it.

 

[B81]

I have no problem with any of the teams ahead of us except LSU. They beat bama last year, but didn’t look good down the stretch after that.

 

[volroadwarrior]

I am hopeful but not sure of how consistently Milton will perform. I also believe there is a bias against Heupel's offense.

 

[HalfullVol]

What's ESPN and who cares?

 

[Preyed_On]

ESPN favors the Big Ten and the Gumps.

It’s all political no matter how hard you try to defend their nonsense.

Yeah that’s why ESPN signed a new deal for broadcast rights with the SEC and the Big 10 went to CBS.

I love how you say BS like “no matter how hard you defend their nonsense” while buying the nonsense that there’s a political agenda against Tennessee without any actual evidence at all. There is no conspiracy, you’re just really sensitive and that’s probably why you get so defensive about pointless minutiae like this.

And if you’re so certain, who exactly is the person/people that have it in for UT at ESPN? Considering UT was involved in 2 of the top 3 most viewed games in CFB last year, those executives are much happier to be broadcasting TN games instead of Rutgers and Indiana.

 

[WillisWG]

Projected W/L 8.2 -3.9...not sure I see 4 losses

 

[Gandalf]

Um… that’s not how model training works. Totally down for a good “ESPN hates us” angle and I’ve used recruiting rankings as an example, but FPI ain’t it.

Um..two words for you...Parameter Tuning.

 

[WillisWG]

So...they created a computer algorithm to screw Tennessee?

Man, this conspiracy runs deep. Wonder what we did to make these people so mad at us?

AI bias....so Elon nailed?

 

[Vols410]

Um..two words for you...Parameter Tuning.

Unless you believe they incorporated “we hate Tennessee” mathematically into their loss function I don’t know what to tell you lol.

Parameter tuning isn’t the same as turning the knobs until you get the result you want.

 

[Neyland Law Vol]

Name the 4 losses:

UGA, BAMA, ?, ?