As SJSU football fans wait to see if the 2020 college football season can be played as scheduled, gets postponed or requires other alternatives to occur, ESPN has unveiled its initial 2020 FPI (Football Power Index) to predict the year ahead. The projections have SJSU on the cusp of bowl eligibility for a second straight year.

ESPN's FPI gives a percentage breakdown for SJSU's projected odds of winning each of the 12 games on the schedule.

ESPN's FPI is explained as "FPI is a predictive rating system designed to measure team strength and project performance going forward. The ultimate goal of FPI is not to rank teams 1 through 128; rather, it is to correctly predict games and season outcomes. If Vegas ever published the power rankings it uses to set its lines, they would likely look quite a lot like FPI."

Preseason rankings are reportedly dictated by returning starters, past performance, recruiting results and coaching success. ESPN's analytics use those factors to determine what percentage chance each team has at winning each game on the 2020 schedule.

ESPN's FPI predictions are explained, "The Football Power Index (FPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections update daily."

Here's a look at all 12 games on SJSU's schedule and how ESPN has set their initial Football Power Index result projections.

@ Central Michigan - 21.5%

vs UC Davis - 83.4%

@ Penn State - 1.2%

@ Boise State - 11%

vs Air Force - 33.2%

vs UNLV - 64.3%

@ SDSU - 20.8%

@ New Mexico - 49.8%

vs Nevada - 51.3%

vs UConn - 83.2%

vs Hawaii - 69.3 %

@ Fresno State - 38.2%

The game-by-game projections have SJSU favored in 5 of 12 matchups this season. the Total FPI projected record has SJSU at 5.3-6.8 - rounded to 5-7 for back-to-back seasons. The computer-based projections nearly match the 5.5 over/under win projection set by Las Vegas oddsmakers earlier this month.

The projections have SJSU with a difficult start to the 2020 season as significant underdogs to the first four FBS programs on the schedule. The Spartans finish with a five-game stretch where the Spartans are favored or almost even with four opponents, with a fifth game that could still go either way based on the projected win percentage odds.

San Jose State is one of the few teams in the Mountain West's West Division with continuity on its coaching staff. The quarterback position stands as the biggest question mark as the Spartans look to replace high-volume passer Josh Love. If Arkansas graduate transfer Nick Starkel can fill the void, it could keep SJSU's progression under head coach Brent Brennan moving forward without a hiccup - in a way that is not reflected in the computer models.

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