ESPN FPI Top 25 After Week 9 Puts Tennessee at No. 14 Ahead of First CFP Rankings

ESPN has updated its Football Power Index Top 25 following the Week 9 schedule, giving a computer-based snapshot of the national picture just before the first College Football Playoff rankings are released. Unlike the traditional polls that follow on Sunday, the FPI orders teams by its underlying numbers rather than voter opinion, and the latest list reflects a weekend that included several results affecting contenders across the major conferences.

Notre Dame holds the top spot at 7-1 after a 35-13 win over Navy, followed by Ohio State at No. 2 despite a 30-18 road loss to USC that dropped the Buckeyes to 6-2. Unbeaten Miami is third at 8-0 after holding on for a 38-35 win at North Carolina, while Georgia is fourth at 7-1 after a 27-8 neutral-site win over Florida in Atlanta. LSU and Alabama, both 6-2 and coming off a bye, round out the next two places at fifth and sixth.

The rest of the top ten includes Texas at No. 7 after a 31-3 home win over Mississippi State, Indiana at No. 8 at 8-1 after a 23-16 overtime win over Minnesota, Ole Miss at No. 9 after a 45-15 win over Auburn, and unbeaten Utah at No. 10 at 8-0 after beating Cincinnati 49-25 on the road. Wake Forest, Oregon and Texas Tech sit just ahead of Tennessee in the next group.

For Tennessee, the No. 14 placement at 6-2 comes as the Volunteers come out of their bye week. The break offered a chance to reset and get healthier before the final stretch of SEC play. Josh Heupel's team returns at home against Kentucky, with kickoff scheduled for 6:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, in a game that will help determine whether Tennessee can improve its standing as the playoff picture begins to take formal shape.