ESPN updates FPI Top 25 rankings after crazy Week 10 of college football
ESPN updated its Football Power Index (FPI) Top 25 after a loaded Week 10 Saturday of college football.
What else can you say, it was another tremendously entertaining week of college football. LSU and Alabama battled like gladiators until the Crimson Tide pulled away at the end. Meanwhile, Washington handed USC another loss to advance to 9-0 themselves and Texas narrowly hung on against Kansas State. 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 Week 10.
Format: Team (Record) | (Movement in rankings vs. last week)
1. Ohio State (9-0)
The Buckeyes continue their long run atop the FPI rankings after scoring a win over Rutgers that was a lot closer than the final tally showed. The Scarlet Knights were certainly the stronger side for most of the first half and even led 9-7 at one point.
However, it’s those nine points that helped doom them. Rutgers reached the red zone far more often than the Buckeyes for most of the day, but with their first five trips, they only scored nine total points via three field goals, turning the ball over on the other two trips, including a back-breaking pick-six that ultimately turned the tides for good.
2. Michigan (9-0)
The cake walk is finally over for the Wolverines. After dispatching Purdue, Michigan has now won nine games this season and all against unranked teams. The similarities don’t end there, either, as Michigan has won each game by 24 points or more (again, shoutout Rutgers for keeping it the closest) while holding each opponent to 10 points or less — until allowing 13 to Purdue.
It’s a dominant team that simply hasn’t faced stiff competition yet. But those times are a-changin’ for UM as games against top-10-ranked Penn State and Ohio State await in two of the next three weeks. Those contests will decide their fate in the College Football Playoff picture.
3. Oregon (8-1) (+1)
The Ducks continue to smash every Pac-12 foe in their way since losing to Washington. It was clear Oregon was just as good or perhaps even better than the Huskies despite the loss, and they’ve done nothing but prove their worth as a top team in the nation the last few weeks.
This time around, Oregon took a hatchet to California, the last-place team in On3’s Pac-12 Power Rankings, by racing away to a 63-19 victory. Bo Nix was tremendous yet again and bounced back from some early turnovers by the offense to throw for 386 yards and four touchdowns while leading a 60+ point effort.
4. Penn State (8-1) (+1)
The Big Ten love maintains from the FPI with three teams from one single division in the top-five in the country in FPI. This week, the Nittany Lions are movin’ up thanks to a win over Maryland which featured the palindrome final score, 51-15.
For Penn State to reach their loftiest goals, next week is the key. As mentioned in the UM section, PSU meets Michigan in a game that will either simplify the Big Ten East or throw a big ol’ wrench into it. Penn State wins and it could be a three-way tie at the top if Michigan then beats Ohio State. Lose and that sets up a game in the Big House for all the marbles between Michigan and Ohio State two weeks later.
5. Alabama (8-1) (-2)
After dropping the Crimson Tide two spots for a 14-point win over a solid LSU team, Alabama fans will not be happy with the FPI. However, they’re still ranked a bit higher than they are in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Throughout the season, ‘Bama has remained towards the top of these rankings, which was under heavy dispute early on in the season but it looking more like reality as the Tide continue to roll off impressive victories. They certainly still control their own destiny in the SEC and playoff picture.
6. Georgia (9-0)
Well, Georgia continues not to dominate its opponents quite like they did in 2021 and 2022, but they continue winning nonetheless. This week, the Dawgs welcomed the best Missouri team in a decade as Brady Cook and Luther Burden made an early mark before UGA ultimately wrestled them into submission as the game wore on.
Georgia now gets two more games in a row against ranked opponents, hosting an 8-1 Ole Miss team next weekend before heading to Knoxville to face another solid Tennessee club. Survive those contests and the Bulldogs are staring at another CFP appearance, regardless of the SEC title game outcome.
7. Florida State (9-0)
The undefeated Seminoles have now won five straight games by three possessions and 17+ points after dispatching of Pittsburgh on the road this weekend. Jordan Travis was particularly strong this week, putting up 360 passing yards with just one touchdown throw.
For Florida State, they just need to keep winning, because even one loss could sink these guys in the College Football Playoff race. Because, as is usually the case, their ACC schedule is pitiful and features zero ranked wins. Plus, that win over LSU, while impressive, isn’t looking quite so strong now.
8. Texas (8-1) (+1)
Texas played with fire in Austin on Saturday afternoon. Without Quinn Ewers in the lineup, backup quarterback Maalik Murphy got off to a nice start but struggled mightily in the second half, throwing two picks on the day while completing barely 50% of his passes.
Frankly, Texas was lucky to escape, as Kansas State should have taken a late lead after scoring a touchdown to tie it at 27-27. But the extra-point try went awry and another short kick had been completely botched as well, leading to an overtime period where the Longhorns won thanks to an aggressive and failed fourth down by KSU.
9. Oklahoma (7-2) (-1)
In two weeks, Oklahoma went from a favorite to make the College Football Playoff to sitting on the outside of that metaphorical snow globe altogether. The Sooners somehow went more than a month without a true road game and had only played one of them in Big 12 play prior to the last two weeks.
Then, OU hit the road and simply weren’t the same ball club, giving up 38 points in a loss to Kansas before letting Oklahoma State get the best of them in the final edition of Bedlam for the foreseeable future. In their other Big 12 road game, the Sooners put up a less-than-desirable performance against a Cincinnati team that’s winless in the Big 12.
10. LSU (6-3)
What a shame. What a darn shame it is that Jayden Daniels and that LSU offense is saddled with a defense that would struggle to stop offenses at the pee-wee level. Daniels was again flawless vs. the Crimson Tide and continues to be one of the most exciting players on any football field on a week-to-week basis.
He and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe matched scores for most of the evening in Tuscaloosa, but one turnover from Daniels was too much to overcome with how awful the Tiger defense performed. Plus, Daniels went out with a scary-looking concussion and we all hope the star QB is in good health going forward.
FPI Rankings 11-25
11. Kansas State (+1)
12. Notre Dame (-1)
13. Ole Miss
14. Tennessee (+1)
15. Washington (-1)
16. Texas A&M
17. USC
18. Louisville (+3)
19. Oregon State (-1)
20. Clemson
21. Utah (NEW)
22. SMU (-3)
23. North Carolina (-1)
24. Missouri
25. Miami (-2)