Aug 30, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell reacts after a play against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images Melina Myers-Imagn Images

ESPN projection raises questions as FSU football snubbed by metric

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Jackson Bakich | Last updated Sep 16, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Florida State Seminoles have risen ever so slightly in Bill Connelly's (of ESPN) latest SP+ rankings, moving from the 36th spot to the 33rd position.

This comes after Week 3 of the college football season, with the 'Noles claiming a 31-17 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide and a 77-3 win over East Texas A&M, an FCS squad.

According to Connelly, SP+ is a "tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football ... these projections aren't intended to be a guess at what the AP Top 25 will look like at the end of the year."

Changes In ESPN's SP+

Florida State comes in at No. 33.

The Tide find themselves in the #4 spot, and future (and potential - due to the ACC Championship Game) foes on the 2025 schedule for the Seminoles find rest at these positions on the list: Clemson (#31), Miami (#10), SMU (#40), Louisville (#26), Georgia Tech (#38), Virginia Tech (#84), NC State (#56), and Virginia (#62).

In-state rival Florida comes in at No. 30.

FSU remains behind a multitude of teams that the AP Poll does not even consider to be in the same echelon as the Seminoles, but once again, this is not the same kind of ranking.

It is a bit of a head scratcher, though.

The 'Noles will square off against the Kent State Golden Flashes on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET in Tallahassee on the ACC Network.