Oct 5, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; SEC Nation analyst Paul Finebaum looks on prior to the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Missouri Tigers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

ESPN Releases Preseason FPI Rankings: Where Does Notre Dame Land?

Originally posted on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI
By John Kennedy | Last updated Jul 6, 2025 12:43 PM ET

Which teams does the model favor for success in 2025?

No, Paul Finebaum is not the "computer program" that calculates the college football FPI, the football power index, or as I like to think of it, the future performance indicator. There's an actual algorithm for that.

According to ESPN's computer program, the top ten teams, in order, are Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Miami, and Tennessee. And since I know you are probably wondering, USC is slotted in the 19th spot.

The ESPN’s computer-generated FPI has been updated for the 2025 College Football season… pic.twitter.com/bt33AFt884
— College Football Alerts  (@CFBAlerts_) June 3, 2025

Notre Dame, Miami And Texas A&M

From a purely Notre Dame perspective, it jumps out to me that the Irish, Aggies, and Hurricanes are all slotted one after the next. If the computer model is accurate, this suggests that some early battles will be evenly matched, with the margin between a win and a loss being very slim.

It cannot be overstated how important it is for Notre Dame to get off to a good start in 2025.

The first two games will set the tone for the entire season, and they won't be easy. Going to Miami and hosting the Aggies would always be a hard-hitting start, but add a first-time starting QB and a brand new DC into the equation, and the pressure ratchets up even more.

Notre Dame is going to be a very good team in 2025. The question is just how good it will be and when? There's no time to spare.

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This article first appeared on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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