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Arizona continues plummeting in ESPN Football Power Index

Arizona continued to plummet in the ESPN Football Power Index and is expected to be out of the Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Polls when those are released later on Sunday.

ByAlan Rubenstein|
Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson (2) runs the ball during the fourth quarter of the game against Arizona at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Friday, September 13, 2024.
Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson (2) runs the ball during the fourth quarter of the game against Arizona at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Friday, September 13, 2024. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Following their 31-7 loss at Kansas State on Friday night, Arizona fell 18 spots in the ESPN Football Power Index to 57th nationally. Arizona fell 16 spots in the FPI last week following their 22-10 win over FCS Northern Arizona. The Wildcats are favored in only four of their last nine 2024 games.

Arizona needs to win four more games to become bowl eligible this season. The Wildcats have not made a bowl game in consecutive seasons since beating New Mexico 45-37 in the 2015 New Mexico Bowl. Arizona also defeated New Mexico 61-39 in the 2024 season opener.

After beginning the season with hopes of competing for a College Football Playoff berth, Arizona has a lot of work to do during its bye week. Utah will host Arizona on September 28 in the Wildcats' next game. Arizona is projected with a 68.5 percent chance to win six games and become bowl eligible.

The FPI projects Arizona to have 6.3 wins and 5.7 losses. After being picked to finish fifth in the Big XII in the preseason media poll, the FPI gives Arizona a 1.2 percent chance to win the conference. Only BYU, Cincinnati and Houston have worse odds. Arizona plays at BYU on October 12 and hosts Houston on November 15.

Surprisingly, Central Florida now has the best chance to win the Big XII at 30.5 percent. Kansas State is second at 25.5 percent and Oklahoma State is third at 13.4 percent. All of the other Big XII teams are projected to have less than a 10 percent chance to win the conference per the FPI.

Arizona is now listed with a 1.0 percent chance to make the College Football Playoff. The bye week is significant for Brent Brennan and his staff. After exploding for 61 points in the season opener versus New Mexico, Arizona has scored 29 in the last two games. The loss to Kansas State was a complete team defeat.

Arizona still has their preseason goals in front of them. Arizona at Kansas State was a non-conference game because it was scheduled before Big XII expansion. Every game remaining on the Arizona schedule is winnable. Arizona has to show it was the team picked in the top 25 to begin the 2024 season.

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