College Football Rankings: ESPN releases updated FPI Top 25 after Week 14 rivalry games

ESPN’s latest college football rankings are here after the network updated its FPI Top 25 following Week 14 of the season and a rivalry weekend for the ages.

There were surprises, lots of flags, some heated moments and questions about the College Football Playoff. It had everything.

After Week 14 of action, let’s dive into ESPN’s new FPI rankings.

Texas defeated rival Texas A&M 17-7 for the first time since 2011, the last edition of this rivalry game. It wasn’t the best, but it was a ranking victory away from home.

The Longhorns remained atop the FPI and secured a spot in the SEC Championship. They’re probably still there, but Texas could secure the No. 2 seed, maybe even the No. 1 seed, with a win.

Notre Dame has overwhelmed its opponents since the loss to Northern Illinois. Notre Dame won ten games in a row and moved up one spot in the FPI after a 49-35 road win over USC.

The Fighting Irish can’t get higher than No. 5, but you have to assume they’ll host a playoff game. Now the waiting game begins.

The Buckeyes slipped just one spot in the FPI after the surprising loss to Michigan. It was undoubtedly an eye-catcher.

This is still a great team on paper, but there are serious questions about the coaching. Losses to Oregon and Michigan when Ohio State should probably be No. 1? Not good. Still, it’s likely that this team will make the playoffs and even host a game in the first round.

Alabama could have improved its playoff chances with a convincing win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl. The Crimson Tide also remained in the top four of the FPI.

Alabama could sneak in as one of the final seeds with three losses on the schedule. That will likely mean a road game in the first round, but the Crimson Tide will at least make it if everything goes well.

Georgia pretty much clinched a playoff spot with a win over Georgia Tech on Friday night. However, the Bulldogs didn’t move in the FPI.

At 10-2, the Bulldogs get a rematch against Texas after beating them earlier this season. Now that the SEC title is being played at a neutral site in Atlanta, things could change. But Georgia is playing for a first-round bye or possibly a road game.

Oh yeah, Oregon went undefeated by the way! However, ESPN still has the Ducks outside the FPI top five.

Oregon dominated Washington 49-21 and finished 12-0 on the season. They will face Penn State in the Big Ten Championship. They’ve pretty much secured a spot in the playoffs, but a win will take them into first place.

Things didn’t look good at the start, but Tennessee edged Vanderbilt 36-23 to secure a 10-2 season. That should be enough to be included in the CFP.

Oh yeah, the Vols also moved up one spot in the FPI. Now it’s a waiting game for playoff positioning as Tennessee narrowly missed out on the SEC Championship.

The Rebels defeated rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl but dropped two spots in the FPI. This was simply because other teams were promoted with bigger wins or results.

Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss will likely get a top-tier bowl game outside of the playoffs given the team’s three losses. Too many missed opportunities for a team that could have had fun in the round.

Penn State will ultimately play for the Big Ten title. The Nittany Lions did not advance in the FPI despite defeating Maryland on Saturday.

But after Ohio State’s loss, they will face Oregon in Indy. So for the first time since 2016, James Franklin has the ultimate chance to get Penn State over the hump and into the playoffs.

It’s fair to say that Indiana clinched a playoff spot with a 66-0 win over rival Purdue. Yes, this score is correct. The only shutout of the season came at the end and the Hoosiers moved up one spot in the FPI.

At 11-1, with its only loss coming against Ohio State last week, Indiana should be in contention. Whether they host a game or not remains to be seen. Beating Michigan 20-15 actually doesn’t look so bad now, considering the Wolverines just beat Ohio State. It sort of evens out, but Indiana is a true playoff team, as it has been throughout the second half of the year.

ESPN FPI Top 25 after Week 14

11. Miami (-1)
12. SMU
13. Louisville
14. South Carolina
15. Clemson (-1)
16. Texas A&M
17. LSU (+2)
18. USC
19. Colorado (+5)
20. Missouri (+1)
21. Tulane (-4)
22. Florida (+3)
23. Iowa State (+3)
24. Iowa (-4)
25. Kansas State (-3)

Miami is out of the top 10 in the FPI and ACC championship games with a loss to Syracuse. That could very well knock them out of the playoffs. Colorado made a huge jump and dominated Oklahoma State, but based on the tiebreakers it wasn’t enough to play for the Big 12 title.