ESPN reveals FPI Top 25 rankings ahead of final College Football Playoff Rankings

ESPN has updated its Football Power Index (FPI) Top 25 after a loaded conference championship weekend of college football.

What else can you say, it was one last tremendously entertaining week of college football before the bowl games and College Football Playoff get underway. So below, you can read about all the action and check out where everyone landed in the full FPI top 25 as we round the corner and head towards the final week of the regular season.

Format: Team (Record) (Movement in rankings vs. last week)

1. Michigan (13-0) (+1)

After taking the runner-up spot to Ohio State the last few weeks and ever after their victory over OSU at home last weekend, Michigan is finally back on top in the land of FPI. The Wolverines won the most predictable Big Ten title game of all time, shutting out Iowa to win the conference crown by a 26-0 score.

Now, the Wolverines will just have to wait and receive confirmation that they are, in fact, the official No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff. With Georgia falling to Alabama, Michigan appears to be the obvious choice as the postseason No. 1, unless the committee thinks so highly of Washington’s win that the Huskies leapfrog the Wolverines — though, that feels unlikely.

2. Ohio State (11-1) (-1)

Well, it wasn’t the loss to Michigan which knocked OSU down a peg, but rather, a week off while the Wolverines got to pad their numbers in a dominant Big Ten title win. The Buckeyes did go into Saturday with the slightest shot at having an argument to get into the CFP depending on how the day played out. Alas, teams like Texas, FSU and Alabama all took care of business to squash that possibility.

For Ohio State, you could very well make the argument that they are the No. 2 team in the land. And that’s certainly the case if Michigan goes on to win the whole thing. Because, after all, the Buckeyes only loss of the year came in a one-possession contest on the road vs. the Wolverines.

3. Penn State (10-2) (+1)

Fans of pretty much every conference will look at the FPI dismissively and think them foolish — except those supporting Big Ten teams. Apparently, ESPN’s model just absolutely loves some northeast football. After Michigan and Ohio State took spots No. 1 and No. 2, Penn State slids right in here at three.

Sure, if you apply the same logic as we did with Ohio State — that Penn State has only lost to the Buckeyes and Wolverines, who could be the two best teams in the country for all we know. Again, let’s say Michigan runs the table and embarrasses the two opponents in their way en route to a national title. Would Ohio State and Penn State then have an argument that they were better than every team outside the Big Ten? The FPI would certainly have their back in such a debate.

4. Oregon (11-2) (-1)

Oregon slides down a spot for their Pac-12 title loss, yet they’re still sitting nine spots higher nin these rankings than Washington, the team that’s handed them both of their losses. But that’s pretty fitting considering how the Ducks and Huskies have been viewed all year.

Of course, Washington won the first matchup between the two west coast powerhouses before Oregon absolutely washed out the rest of their schedule to set up a rematch — which Las Vegas expected Oregon to win and win big in. Except, they didn’t, as Washington looked even stronger this time out while toppling Oregon by the same three-point margin they did in Seattle.

5. Alabama (12-1) (+1)

After losing to Texas way back in September, Alabama has taken care of business each time out since, looking better and better by the week. Of course, championship weekend featured their best win of the season as the Crimson Tide journeyed to Atlanta to face the two-time defending champs and handed them their first loss since 2021’s SEC title matchup.

The question remains, though, whether Alabama’s 11-1 regular season mark plus the SEC title win over Georgia is enough to justify the Tide getting into the College Football Playoff. On a surface level, it would seem the SEC champ absolutely has to be in, right? Of course, but that’s not as easy to say when there’s an undefeated Big Ten champ, undefeated ACC champ, undefeated Pac-12 champ, and a Big 12 champ that beat Bama at Bama. It will be a tense morning in Tuscaloosa.

6. Georgia (12-1) (-1)

In several other years of the four-team playoff format, a one-loss Georgia team riding two straight national title victories would likely get into the playoff. But 2023, perhaps more than any year since the implementation of the playoff, features a wealth of worthy teams.

As listed in the Alabama section, there’s three undefeated power conference champions plus a one-loss Texas team who went and won at ‘Bama, which no team had done in the 2020s decade. So the Dawgs are out. But would they have been in, say, 2022 when a one-loss non-conference champion Ohio State team made it? Probably.

7. Texas (12-1)

The road was long but could the Longhorns finally appear in their very first College Football Playoff? After Saturday’s Big 12 Championship win over Oklahoma State in their finale game as a member of the league, Texas fans, players and coaches probably assume their team will make the field — and they should be. But the question is: are they 100% locked in?

With the league title and that crown jewel victory on the road vs. Alabama, there ought not be debate. If you want to say Michigan, Washington and even Florida State all need to be ahead of Texas because of the undefeated aspect, then sure. But in no way should Texas be ousted out of a spot for Alabama or Georgia.

8. Oklahoma (10-2)

Well, the only club so far to topple Texas is the one sitting right behind them in the FPI rankings. For Oklahoma, a week off meant reflecting on what could have been for the Sooners if not for that two-week where they lost to Kansas and Oklahoma State.

Thanks to those mis-steps, Oklahoma was on their couches watching an outmatched Oklahoma State team represent the Orange side of the Bedlam rivalry in the Big 12 title and hand their other rival Texas a win to get them into the playoff — all after the Sooners already beat the Longhorns in the regular season. That title game had to be a tough one to swallow for OU fans.

9. LSU (9-3) (+1)

Knowing how the playoff picture shook out, it’s very clear that LSU was out of the picture way back in September when they lost their second game of the season in a shootout of 100+ combined points at Ole Miss. But with that loss to the Rebels plus shortcomings vs. Alabama and Florida State, the Tigers still boast a pretty strong resume.

So, LSU only lose to Ole Miss, Alabama and Florida State. Well, the Seminoles finished undefeated, Alabama is SEC champs at 11-1 and Ole Miss ended the season 10-2 with their only losses coming at Alabama and at Georgia. Between the top three teams in the SEC West standings, all six of their losses came against top-10 teams.

10. Notre Dame (9-3) (+1)

Year two of the Marcus Freeman era finishes without much fanfare or excitement. Sam Hartman came in and was serviceable, but far from the superstar many Fighting Irish fans perhaps had hoped as the team currently sits with nine wins for the second straight season as they await the bowl game.

It’s likely to be another game like the Gator Bowl matchup the Irish had last season vs. South Carolina, which they actually won, 45-38. With losses to Louisville, Clemson and Ohio State — with marquee wins vs. Duke, USC and NC State — this won’t be an incredibly memorable season in South Bend.

FPI Rankings 11-25

11. Florida State (13-0) (-2)
12. Kansas State (8-4)
13. Washington (13-0)
14. Texas A&M (7-5)
15. Ole Miss (10-2)
16. Missouri (10-2)
17. Tennessee (9-3)
18. Oregon State (8-4)
19. Clemson (8-4)
20. SMU (11-2)
21. USC (7-5)
22. Arizona (9-3) (+2)
23. Louisville (10-3) (-1)
24. Miami (7-5)
25. Utah (8-4)