NC State Ranks 42nd in Preseason FPI

ESPN Stats & Info has an advanced statistical ranking system for college football called the Football Power Index (FPI), and in their 2015 preseason poll NC State is ranked 42nd.

Four components are factored into the ratings: prior years’ efficiency, information on returning starters, recruiting and coaching tenure. Based on statistical modeling, these factors interact with one another and are assigned different weights depending on the team. (ESPN)

For a more detailed explanation of how each of these four factors are calculated, click here.

NC State is ranked as the 7th best team in the ACC, and have a 4.6% chance of winning the conference.

1) Clemson (26.2%)
2) Florida St. (19.5%)
3) Georgia Tech (12.5%)
4) Virginia Tech (13.5%)
5) Miami (7.2%)
6) North Carolina (7.1%)
7) NC State (4.6%)
8) Pitt (3.4%)
9) Louisville (4.2%)
10) Duke (1.0%
11) Virginia (0.3%)
12) Boston College (0.2%)
13) Syracuse (0.1%)
14) Wake Forest (0.1%)

They project the Wolfpack to win 7.9 games and lose 4.2.  This is a statistical formula.  You obviously can’t win a tenth of a game.  They also have the 64th most difficult schedule.

Last season NC State had the 40th most efficient offense (7.29) in the country, and ranked 6th in the ACC.  Their defense was the 67th most efficient (-2.65) which ranked 12th in the ACC.

Being the stat junky that I am, this will not be the last time you see an update on FPI on this site.