Aug 30, 2025; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (18) looks on during warmups before the game against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

ESPN Releases FPI Top-25 Rankings Following Week 1 With LSU Football Surging

Originally posted on LSU Tigers on SI | By Zack Nagy | Last updated Aug 31, 2025 11:32 AM ET

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers are 1-0 to start the 2025 season after a thrilling Week 1 victory over No. 4 Clemson at Memorial Stadium.

After months of anticipation and buildup, Kelly and the Bayou Bengals marched into Clemson (S.C.) and earned the program's first Week 1 victory since 2019.

Behind a dominant defensive performance from the Tigers and a gutsy showing down the stretch from quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, LSU is in the win column following the season opener for the first time in over five seasons.

“We’ve said from day one that we’ve had offenses here the last few years that could move the football,” Kelly said. “We needed to complement it with a defense that could stand the test.

"You go on the road and play a top-five team, you better bring your defense. We knew that we were going to be that defense that needed to step up and step up big.”

It's no secret LSU has struggled in season openers across the last handful of seasons, and despite the outside noise, the Tigers stayed focused on Week 1 at Clemson.

“Those narratives were never anything that we bought into as a program,” Kelly said. “Look, people build up the first game to a level of craziness. I mean, look at the quarterbacks that are under incredible scrutiny.

"So I just think that in this business, you have to stay focused on what your job is, and my job is to bring a football team on the road, play with great confidence and composure and compete their tails off for four quarters.

"That’s my job, not to worry about what other people say. I get it. It’s out there, but they didn’t put me in this position to worry about those things.”

Now, Kelly's program has America's attention once again. LSU is 1-0 for the first time since 2019.

On Sunday, the ESPN Football Power Index updated the Top-25 rankings with the Tigers coming in the Top-10.

The Updated ESPN FPI Rankings: Week 1 Edition

No. 1: Texas Longhorns
No. 2: Georgia Bulldogs
No. 3: Ohio State Buckeyes
No. 4: Ole Miss Rebels
No. 5: Penn State Nittany Lions
No 6: USC Trojans
No. 7: Oregon Ducks
No. 8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
No. 9: Tennessee Volunteers
No. 10: LSU Tigers

LSU comes in at No. 10 in the ESPN Football Power Index after moving up a spot following the Week 1 win.

The remainder of the Top-25:

11. South Carolina
12. Florida (+1)
13. Alabama (-10)
14. Texas A&M (-5)
15. Miami (+2)
16. Auburn (+5)
17. BYU (+5)
18. Missouri (+5)
19. Utah (+26)
20. Michigan (-5)
21. Clemson (-5)
22. Oklahoma (-2)
23. Iowa State (+10)
24. SMU (-5)
25. Kansas (+1)