The latest college football rankings from ESPN are here after the network updated its FPI Top 25 following Week 9 of the season.
If you watched college football this weekend, chances are you saw a great game. Texas holding off Vanderbilt and Ohio State doing the same with Nebraska? How about Texas A&M beat LSU and Miami staying undefeated?
Let’s dive into ESPN’s new FPI rankings following Week 9 of action.
The Longhorns had to hold off Vanderbilt on the road and avoid the upset. Quinn Ewers fired three touchdowns in the win.
Leading 21-10 at halftime, the Commodores stormed back and made it a game. But Texas led 27-17 late and despite a touchdown with 46 seconds left, hung on for the 27-24 win and moved back to the top of the FPI.
Ohio State almost fell victim to the upset bug when playing Nebraska at home. However, the Buckeyes gutted it and did enough on offense to win.
The defense held strong though, only giving up one touchdown in the win. The Buckeyes dropped a spot in the FPI but improved to 6-1 overall.
Alabama absolutely dominated Missouri 34-0 to bounce back after last week’s loss to Tennessee. Now, the Crimson Tide didn’t move up or down the FPI, but this was a big win.
Already with two SEC losses, Alabama can’t afford another slip up. But this was certainly a great step in the right direction.
Georgia had a week off following a huge win over Texas. The Bulldogs didn’t move around in the FPI this week though.
Coming up next is the World’s Biggest Outdoor Cocktail Party against rival Florida. Georgia is a huge favorite and has a great track to the playoff, currently.
Notre Dame’s won six in a row following a loss to Northern Illinois and dominated Navy this weekend. The 51-14 win vaulted the Fighting Irish up two spots in the FPI.
It was a ranked win by the way and we should really consider how far this team can go. The defense forced six turnovers and Riley Leonard totaled three touchdowns. A good day.
Tennessee had a week off following a win over Alabama, so the Volunteers didn’t move in this week’s FPI. Coming up next is a home game against Kentucky to kickoff November.
With just one loss, Tennessee is an interesting player for the College Football Playoff, as well as the SEC. The Georgia game in the middle of November will determine a lot.
Ole Miss actually dropped two spots in the FPI this week, despite beating Oklahoma. It was a sloppy day for the Rebels.
Ole Miss is 6-2 but two losses in the SEC, so their SEC and CFP hopes are hanging on by a thread. This team still has to play Georgia in a few weeks, so their fate will be sealed soon, one way or another.
Oregon just keeps winning and ESPN’s FPI keeps them near the backend of the top 10. It’s an interesting case study.
The Ducks are 8-0 on the season and have AP ranked victories over Ohio State and Illinois, including a 38-9 win over the latter. This is still the Big Ten favorite based on principle.
Penn State faced some adversity going to a tough place like Madison. But, the Nittany Lions beat Wisconsin 28-13 despite losing QB Drew Allar to injury.
For now, PSU remained at No. 9 in the FPI rankings this week. Coming up next is Ohio State, which comes to State College. This could really shake up the Big Ten in November.
Miami is still undefeated, like Oreogn, and didn’t move in the FPI rankings this week. The HUrricanes dominated in-state foe Florida State 36-14 this weekend.
Miami is the favorite in its remaining games and is a ripe candidate to go 12-0 and be favored for the ACC title. The College Football Playoff seems inevitable right now.
ESPN FPI Top 25 updated after Week 9
11. Indiana
12. Texas A&M (+2)
13. Clemson
14. LSU (-2)
15. USC
16. SMU
17. Louisville
18. Kansas State
19. Iowa State
20. Boise State (+1)
21. South Carolina (+2)
22. Colorado (+2)
23. Florida (-1)
24. Missouri (-4)
25. Arkansas (+6)
A lot of movement here, including Texas A&M closing in on the top 10 of the FPI. Boise State, South Carolina and Colorado had jumps as well. Arkansas had a big boost following another win. Onto Week 10!
