Auburn Cracks Top 25 of EPSN Football Power Index

While unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls, the Auburn Tigers received a vote of confidence from ESPN in their rankings

The Auburn Tigers have gained a vote of confidence from ESPN | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers, led by head coach Hugh Freeze, have a lot of work to do this season– after all, they’ve started and finished unranked every single season since 2021. That being said, ESPN seems to have some confidence in the new and potentially improved Tigers.

The Tigers made headlines Saturday when ESPN ranked the squad 21st in the nation on their FPI rankings board, shocking many college football fans.

But what is the FPI, and what does this ranking mean for Auburn?

ESPN’s website describes the FPI as 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.”

The Tigers are ranked at a strong 10.7 points above average in this rankings board, likely due to new transfers and the bolstered quarterback and receiver rooms, though they’re dwarfed by the leader in this poll: Texas, boasting an impressive 24.5 points above average.

For the sake of comparison, the Tigers finished last season ranked 31st on the FPI, just behind Jackson Arnold’s Oklahoma.

Interestingly, the Tigers fall just behind teams like SMU and Kansas State in this poll, though they’re only behind by around a point or so.

Auburn desperately needs to prove itself this season– another 5-7 season would almost certainly spell the end for Hugh Freeze’s time with the Tigers. Conversely, Freeze can solidify himself as the Tigers’ skipper if he’s able to put up a nine- or 10-win season.

They’ll have a long road to travel to get there, though; on the Tigers’ schedule is FPI second-ranked Georgia, third-ranked Alabama, and ninth-ranked Texas A&M. Thankfully, the Tigers will at least get to face Georgia and Alabama in Jordan-Hare, though they’ll have to travel to College Station for A&M.

As they always seem to be, expectations are up for Auburn prior to the season– it’ll just be a matter of whether they’re able to capitalize on their newfound strength.