ESPN updates FPI Top 25 rankings after Week 11 of college football with new No. 1
ESPN updated its Football Power Index (FPI) Top 25 after a loaded Week 11 Saturday of college football.
What else can you say, it was another tremendously entertaining week of college football. Michigan vs. Penn State wasn’t terribly interesting on the football field, but the Wolverine win was a massive result for playoff purposes and included plenty of off-field drama in the lead-up. Plus, Alabama keeps on rolling while the Big 12 title race is total pandemonium. 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 12.
Format: Team (Record) | (Movement in rankings vs. last week)
1. Michigan (10-0)
Coach-less and embroiled in scandal, little old Michigan just keeps hammering away on the football field. Whether Sherrone Moore or Jim Harbaugh is dialing up the plays, the actual Wolverine players have demolished every opponent in their path.
Without their head honcho on the sidelines Saturday in the highest-profile matchup of the year, a noon kickoff in the cold northeast on the road vs. Penn State, Michigan played it safe on offense and didn’t even attempt a second-half pass after building up a lead in the first. The win was ugly but controlled, and Michigan essentially sets up a win-and-you’re-in (the CFP) matchup vs. Ohio State in the finale, assuming they don’t trip up vs. Maryland or lose out on that opportunity due to further punishment.
2. Ohio State (10-0) (-1)
The FPI was finally aligning with the broader college football world until this weekend. It had Ohio State pegged as No. 1 for most of the season, including last week, when they were also No. 1 in the only rankings that really matter from the College Football Playoff committee.
However, after this weekend’s games, the FPI hilariously moved Michigan over Ohio State to the No. 1 spot. So it’s first in headlines and first on the field for the Wolverines, while the Buckeyes dropped despite whipping Michigan State to the tune of a 38-3 win in The Shoe.
3. Oregon (9-1)
USC has now lost four of their last five games, all to ranked teams, including an Oregon club that continues to mow down Pac-12 opponents not named Washington. The Trojan defense predictably offered little resistance to Bo Nix and a potent Ducks offense, as they breezed to a 36-27 victory behind 412 pass yards and four touchdowns from Nix.
Oregon now faces just two tasks before reaching the Pac-12 title game with playoff hopes still intact: beating Arizona State in Tempe before facing rival Oregon State in Autzen. The Sun Devils aren’t as pitiful as they were earlier in the year but that ought to be an easy blowout win. Then, the Ducks get the Beavers at home, who they should beat but rivalry games are always a challenge.
4. Alabama (9-1) (+1)
The Crimson Tide just keep steamrolling over SEC opponents. After running away from LSU in the second half last weekend, Alabama locked up the SEC West and a spot in the SEC Championship by smashing Kentucky in the mouth for a 21-0 first quarter lead that ended in a 49-21 final score.
The Tide continue to go as their quarterback goes, and Jalen Milroe has been fabulous in the last two outings. Against LSU, it’s hard to say he definitely out-dueled Jayden Daniels, but the two were neck-and-neck before the Tigers’ Hesiman contender was knocked out and Milroe led the win. In Lexington this weekend, Milroe rushed for three scores and threw for three others — a first in ‘Bama history.
5. Penn State (8-2)
Penn State had made pretty quick work of their unranked Big Ten foes, but against the big dogs, the Nittany Lions again crumbled. They fell to both Ohio State and Michigan a year ago and ended the year 11-2 but outside of the CFP. This year, they’re on track to do the same, now out of playoff and Big Ten contention with two losses to the Wolverines and Buckeyes.
This weekend, they had a real opportunity with a noontime home kick vs. a Michigan team that arrived to the stadium without their head coach. Instead, Michigan insulted Penn State, not even throwing a single pass in the second half as they easily preserved their first half lead.
6. Georgia (10-0)
After some stumbles early on in SEC play, Georgia has turned the engine all the way on to absolutely demolish some strong conference foes as the year has gone on. Particularly, Auburn and South Carolina both kept their games vs. the Dawgs competitive until the second half — and while Georgia won both — they didn’t look like back-to-back champs doing so.
Well, those days are long gone. Saturday, Georgia hosted Ole Miss and put up video game numbers on offense en route to a dominant 52-17 win over the No. 9 team in the country. That victory comes on the heels of a two-possession win over top-15 Missouri and am neutral-site bashing of Florida, 43-20. They also handled Kentucky 51-13 when they were still ranked.
7. Oklahoma (8-2) (+2)
The Sooners, seemingly down and out of the playoff picture entirely, are still slotted No. 7 overall by the FPI following their 59-20 slaughtering of West Virginia. However, if any two-loss team does have a chance to make the field, it’s OU.
Let’s draw it out. Oklahoma is still right in the thick of the Big 12 title race. They’re currently in a four-way tie for second behind Texas in the Big 12 standings with two conference games to go for everyone. So if they can out-battle their peers and maybe take advantage in some tie-breakers, they can make a Big 12 title and rematch Texas to knock them out and maybe make it themselves if all hell breaks lose nation-wide.
8. Florida State (10-0) (-1)
With a 27-20 win over rival Miami at home on Saturday, FSU remains one of the nation’s five remaining undefeated teams. Given their standing in a poor ACC that’s likely to produce a conference champion opponent like Louisville, the Seminoles likely have the easiest remaining path to the College Football Playoff.
Of course, Florida will offer some resistance in their rivalry matchup, and Louisville are no schlubs, but that’s a team that benefitted from a terrible schedule and lost to Pittsburgh. With a decent performance, FSU ought to win that one. But with a loss, the Cardinals could take over their spot.
9. Texas (9-1) (-1)
Quarterback Quinn Ewers returned to action and Texas sailed to victory but not without a late flurry from reigning runner-ups TCU. The Longhorns ultimately won by three, 29-26, after 20 fourth-quarter points from the Horned Frogs put a scare into Steve Sarkisian’s club.
We discussed the Big 12 title race in the Oklahoma section, but it warrants revisiting with Texas. Sure, the Longhorns have the inside track at a championship game spot a game ahead of everyone in the standings. But that whole equation gets flipped on its head should Texas lose at Iowa State this weekend. For starters, the Cyclones are 5-2 in the league themselves and Texas would join four teams, including ISU, that have just two league losses. With head-to-head defeats at the hands of Iowa State and Oklahoma, they may be on the outside looking in at the Big 12 title at that point.
10. Kansas State (7-3) (+1)
Speaking of Big 12 title game contenders, Kansas State is one of them, although an FPI ranking of 10th feels pretty high for a three-loss team that has lost to every good team they’ve played. Nonetheless, a second straight Big 12 title is still theirs for the taking depending on how the final two weeks shake out.
The Wildcats must defeat rival Kansas on the road and then return home to face Iowa State. As mentioned just above, if those Cyclones topple Texas at home, they’ll roll into Manhattan with heavy league title implications on the line.
FPI Rankings 11-25
11. LSU (-1)
12. Notre Dame
13. Washington (+2)
14. Texas A&M (+2)
15. Ole Miss (-2)
16. Tennessee (-2)
17. USC
18. Oregon State (+1)
19. Missouri (+5)
20. Clemson
21. Utah
22. Louisville (-4)
23. SMU (-1)
24. North Carolina (-1)
25. Auburn (NEW)
The back half of these rankings aren’t tremendously different from last week’s grouping, except that the FPI has found some major love for a pair of Tigers out of the SEC. First, Missouri makes the biggest leap of any club in the top-25, jumping five spots after smacking Tennessee 36-7 in CoMo. Then, out of nowhere, Auburn leapt into the tail-end of the top-25 after moving to 6-4 with their third straight victory, this time over Arkansas.