Because of ESPN's massive platform, everything the "worldwide leader" does is under a microscope, especially when it comes to college football. Rabid fan bases will look to anything that appears to be slighting their teams and that produces quite a bit of reaction each week when ESPN releases updated Football Power Index ratings.
This week is no exception, as two elite national contenders are experiencing some disrespect.
From a simplistic standpoint, Ohio State (still) landing ahead of Oklahoma is amusing if nothing else, as the Buckeyes suffered a 15-point home loss to the Sooners earlier this year. Beyond that, though, are the two biggest slights.
Clemson is seen by many as the No. 1 challenger to Alabama, yet the defending champs lag behind Ohio State by a fairly significant margin. Then, Penn State looks to be the favorite in the Big Ten East when judging pure performance and James Franklin's team isn't within a stone's throw of their division rival in Ohio State.
In the grand scheme, there is some other weirdness, like Georgia trailing Auburn after dominant wins over Mississippi State and Tennessee with another (road) victory over No. 10 Notre Dame. Still, it is hard to ignore the leaning toward the Buckeyes at the top and that opens this particular rating system up to quite a bit of scrutiny after similar things occurred in 2016 prior to Ohio State taking it on the chin against Clemson.
