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ESPN FPI Rankings After National Championship: Alabama finishes in top 5
By Andrew Olson
Published:
ESPN’s FPI rankings have been updated for the final time for the 2024 season after Ohio State’s win over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Throughout the season, ESPN Analytics ranked teams much differently than AP Top 25 voters and the CFP selection committee. That’s on display again as we close the book on 2024.
The rankings start out sensibly enough. Ohio State is No. 1 on the ESPN Football Power Index after winning the national championship. While Notre Dame finished No. 2 in the AP Top 25, the FPI opts to place Texas at No. 2 and the Irish at No. 3.
The FPI goes with Alabama and Ole Miss at Nos. 4 and 5, ahead of Playoff teams Penn State, Georgia, Oregon, Tennessee and Indiana. Though the FPI is just a formulaic ranking based on a “measure of team strength,” some fans won’t like seeing the ESPN computers rank the Crimson Tide and Rebels higher than CFP teams with fewer losses.
Here’s a look at the final 2024 FPI top 25:
- Ohio State
- Texas
- Notre Dame
- Alabama
- Ole Miss
- Penn State
- Georgia
- Oregon
- Tennessee
- Indiana
- Miami
- Louisville
- SMU
- Clemson
- South Carolina
- Texas A&M
- USC
- LSU
- Florida
- Mizzou
- Arizona State
- Iowa
- Colorado
- Kansas State
- BYU
While many rankings stop at 25, the FPI ranks all 134 FBS teams. Here’s where the other SEC teams check in: No. 30 Oklahoma, No. 31 Auburn, No. 34 Arkansas, No. 39 Vanderbilt, No. 48 Kentucky and No. 66 Mississippi State.
It won’t be long before we get preseason FPI rankings for 2025.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
