ESPN updates FPI College Football Top 25 after Week 0

ESPN updated its FPI college football Top 25 after the Week Zero slate and only two teams within the top 10 were in action the first weekend.

USC and Notre Dame had all eyes on them Saturday, and they’ll certainly draw a lot of attention this fall. But now, it’s time to take a look at the rest of the college football landscape and how the rest of the teams stack up.

Below are the latest rankings from ESPN’s FPI ratings and it starts out with a big brand from the Big Ten. The numbers in parenthesis signify movement up or down in the FPI ratings.

1. Ohio State

The Buckeyes have the top spot going into Week 1. Ohio State doesn’t have its quarterback battle settled yet, but Kyle McCord or Devin Brown should do just fine.

Ryan Day has a history of coaching top notch quarterbacks. Justin Fields and CJ Stroud are great examples. With a bevy of offensive weapons like Marvin Harrison Jr. and defensive talent returning, this is a national championship roster.

2. Alabama

Here comes Alabama, regardless of who Nick Saban’s quarterback is. The program went with some changes in the offseason, bringing in Tommy Rees as the offensive coordinator and Kevin Steele as the DC.

The quarterback competition isn’t done yet, and it could be one of three guys, or four, but Alabama regularly produces a lot of NFL talent. It could be a revenge tour type of season after missing out on the College Football Playoff.

3. Georgia

The two-time defending national champions are No. 3 according to ESPN. Of course, the Bulldogs could very well be No. 1 in the top 25 after a short amount of time seeing the talent on this team year in and year out.

Carson Beck is slated to take over a team that could make history. With the way Kirby Smart coaches and recruits, Georgia is a force to be reckoned with year in and year out.

4. LSU

Year 1 under Brian Kelly was a big success, but the Tigers fell short of an SEC title and College Football Playoff berth. That’s now the expectation going into the 2023 season. But it won’t come easy in the SEC West.

Jayden Daniels at quarterback, Harold Perkins at linebacker and more? Sign us up to see the Tigers in action this fall. This team is a real threat to Alabama, again, in the SEC West. Although the first game against Florida State with Maason Smith might be a challenge defensively.

5. Texas

The Longhorns get quite a ranking from ESPN’s FPI going into the fall. There’s a lot of pressure on Steve Sarkisian to get it done at Texas this season before the program moves to the SEC in 2024.

Quinn Ewers, if healthy, is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. But like most, if not all years with Texas, the Longhorns have to prove they are “back.” Maybe this ranking isn’t so outrageous considering the playoff hype surrounding the Longhorns.

6. Michigan

The two-time defending Big Ten champions are below Ohio State and that’ll surely rub some fans in Ann Arbor the wrong way. But over the last two years, the Wolverines seemingly passed the Buckeyes.

Can Jim Harbaugh and crew do it for a third year in a row? That’s up to guys like JJ McCarthy, Donovan Edwards and Blake Corum. Plus, they’ll have to do it without Harbaugh for the first three weeks due to the suspension.

7. Notre Dame (+3)

Marcus Freeman might finally have something cooking with the Fighting Irish. After a rough start, Notre Dame finished on a high note. That seemingly carried over into Week Zero in a 42-3 win over Navy in Dublin.

Now, the team has Sam Hartman at quarterback, giving Notre Dame a chance at a high powered offense going into 2023. The program still has its independence, so it’ll have to make its mark to get to the College Football Playoff. Hartman and the offense certainly proved through one game it’s possible.

8. Clemson (-1)

It seems like we forgot about Clemson after last season on the field and off of it amid realignment. Cade Klubnik was hailed as the next great quarterback but had mixed results as a true freshman.

But no matter. Dabo Swinney and crew went through a full offseason of tweaking and tinkering and Clemson is definitely the favorite in the ACC, along with Florida State. We could easily see the Tigers back in the playoff.

9. USC (-1)

USC ended its season in disappointment but Lincoln Riley goes into Year 2 with the program with a clear vision. Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams is back under center and the Trojans are the favorite in a loaded Pac-12. It started out well against San Jose State in Week Zero with a stellar performance.

Of course, whatever happens to the Pac-12 itself is anyone’s guess, but USC should make it quite fun in 2023 before moving to the Big Ten. Can Riley get this team to the playoff? And actually win in the postseason?

10. Penn State (-1)

Oh yeah, this is another loaded Big Ten team that happens to play in the same division as Michigan and Ohio State. Drew Allar takes over at quarterback with weapons like Nick Singleton there to help. The Nittany Lions are getting a lot of love as a team that could overtake Ohio State or Michigan, if you had to pick a third team.

James Franklin won a Big Ten title before but it’s definitely a challenge to do so again. But hey, Penn State could shake up the apple cart and come out on top in a tough conference.

Rest of ESPN’s Top 25, per FPI

11. Oklahoma
12. Utah
13. Oregon
14. Florida State
15. Tennessee
16. Ole Miss
17. Texas A&M
18. Wisconsin
19. TCU
20. Texas Tech
21. Miami
22. North Carolina
23. Washington
24. Kentucky
25. Florida

There were some slight changes to ESPN’s Top 25, per the FPI. It only happened in the top 10 with Notre Dame’s win, as it raised some eyebrows. But as Week 1 approaches, prepare for bigger changes to the Top 25.