USC’s upset of No. 2 Ohio State sent Week 9 into chaos, and the ripple effect showed up quickly in ESPN’s updated Football Power Index rankings.
Before the AP Top 25 comes out later in the day, ESPN’s FPI offered an early look at how the national picture is shifting heading into Week 10. Notre Dame moved into the No. 1 spot, while Ohio State slipped only one place to No. 2 after the loss. Miami checked in at No. 3, followed by Georgia and LSU to complete the top five.
The rest of the updated top 25 features Alabama at No. 6, Texas at No.
7, Indiana at No. 8, Ole Miss at No. 9 and Utah at No.
- Wake Forest sits at No.
11, Oregon at No. 12, Texas Tech at No.
13, Tennessee at No. 14 and USC at No. 15 after its headline-making win.
Rounding out the rankings are BYU at No. 16, Nebraska at No.
17, Louisville at No. 18, Missouri at No.
19, Houston at No. 20, Iowa at No.
21, Florida at No. 22, Texas A&M at No.
23, Northwestern at No. 24 and South Carolina at No. 25.
ESPN describes the Football Power Index this way: “The Football Power Index (FPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is.
Projected results are based on 20,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections update daily.
FPI data from seasons prior to 2019 may not be complete.” - via ESPN.com.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Suddenly Has A Serious Drayk Bowen Concern Before Miami
Notre Dame is already juggling a few health questions coming out of the Navy game, and the biggest one may be at linebacker. Drayk Bowen suffered a lower right leg injury during the matchup, and with Miami next on the schedule, his availability is now uncertain at a spot where the Irish can least afford another setback.
Marcus Freeman also had to address the status of several other injured players, including Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Leonard Moore, Cooper Flanagan and Micah Gilbert, after a game in which Notre Dame leaned on substitutions and limited some players' workloads to get through it. The next few days should tell the story on Bowen, but for now it leaves one of the defense's key pieces very much in question heading into a major test. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dames Early Navy Gamble Is Raising Questions Fast
Chris Ashs early-game choices against Navy stood out right away, and not just because Notre Dame was trying to settle in on defense. The Irish mixed in reserve players early, including starting Christian Gray at cornerback and getting backup linebacker Anthony Rezac on the field on the opening drive, as the unit tried to sort out Navys option looks and keep the game under control.
Instead, Navy put together its longest offensive drive of the season during that stretch, and the Midshipmen briefly led 3-0 before Notre Dame answered to go ahead 7-3. The sequence has already put a spotlight on the defensive playcalling and the decision to lean on reserves so early, leaving plenty of room for questions about how much of the opening trouble was execution and how much was design. [Read more 🡒]
Marcus Freeman Just Put Notre Dames Defensive Leadership Under Pressure
Marcus Freeman did not hide his frustration at halftime of Notre Dames game against Navy, and his comments cut straight to the heart of the defenses issues. He said the unit was being asked to run plays it did not know, a sign that the problems were not just about effort or physicality but about execution and communication in a game that demanded both.
Freeman also stressed that the defense had to play physically and stay away from panic, a message that carries extra weight when a head coach is openly questioning how the calls are being handled. The Irish were sharper after the break, but the halftime critique only adds pressure on defensive coordinator Chris Ash and leaves Notre Dames defensive leadership under a brighter spotlight moving forward. [Read more 🡒]