⚡ CFB Dashboard

It's been a tough start to the 2026 season for the East Carolina football team. The Pirates were left licking their wounds after a 48-10 loss to a Top 15 Alabama team in Week 1, before falling at home in frustrating fashion, 27-24, to in-state foe Appalachian State in Week 2.  ECU will try and respond in a tough Week 3 game at Old Dominion this coming Saturday, with kickoff set for 6 p.m. ET inside SB Ballard Stadium. The Monarchs (1-1) and Pirates are both trying to figure things out early this season after seeing their rosters raided after combining for 19 wins at the 'Group of 6' level in 2026. It's a pivotal early-season contest that could swing the campaign in either direction for each side.  In the mean time, the results of the Week 2 games have shifted the ESPN Football Power Index numbers across the country, ECU included. The formula gives winning percentage chances for each game (ECU had a 62.5 percent chance to beat App State, per the formula, before falling victim).  For those unfamiliar with ESPN's FPI, here's a synopsis of the formula: 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 20,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections update daily.  Below, we dive into what the latest projections say, including how much things have changed since last week, when we did our prior article on ESPN's FPI. This will be a weekly updated piece on Hoist The Colours, to track how the numbers change throughout the season.