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Georgia Bulldogs not the top SEC team in ESPN FPI preseason rankings
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- Georgia Bulldogs not the top SEC team in ESPN FPI preseason rankings
ESPN has released its updated football power index (FPI) rankings, which use advanced analytics. Despite the Bulldogs winning the SEC championship last season, they are ranked fifth overall. Georgia isn't even the top SEC team in the preseason FPI .
The football power index is a predictive ranking system that quantifies team strength. Team strength is always tough to gauge due to the high number of teams in Division I and the uneven strength of conferences (Power Four vs. Group of Five, SEC vs. Big Ten, etc.).
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The top SEC team, according to the FPI, is the No. 2 Texas Longhorns . The Longhorns didn't even make the SEC championship game last season; they finished 10-3. However, there's a great deal of intrigue surrounding their team. Quarterback Arch Manning is progressing, and the Longhorns spent a ton of money in the transfer portal to fix their issues. With Hollywood Smothers (North Carolina), Cam Coleman (Auburn), Rasheem Biles (Pitt) and Bo Mascoe (Rutgers), they acquired several All-SEC-worthy players via the portal.
The Bulldogs shouldn't be phased. Gunner Stockton should take another step and Georgia already has a two-headed duo at running back. Their offensive line and defense are returning a ton of talent. With Kirby Smart at the helm, Georgia should always be in a good position to win the SEC and national championship.
Ohio State (No. 1), Notre Dame (No. 3) and Oregon (No. 4) round out the top five. Indiana, despite winning the national championship, is No. 6, and Miami is No. 7.
There are 12 SEC teams in the top 25 of the FPI. Texas, Georgia, Alabama (No. 8), LSU (No. 9), Texas A&M (No. 11), Oklahoma (No. 12), Ole Miss (No. 14), Tennessee (No. 16), Florida (No. 18), Missouri (No. 21), Auburn (No. 22) and South Carolina (No. 23) are on the list.
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Preseason top 25 FPI
COLUMBUS, OHIO - AUGUST 30: Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns leads his team onto the field to play the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on August 30, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
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Ohio State Buckeyes (28.7 FPI)
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Texas Longhorns (26.9 FPI)
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish (25.9 FPI)
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Oregon Ducks (25.3 FPI)
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Georgia Bulldogs (24.8 FPI)
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Indiana Hoosiers (23.1 FPI)
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Miami Hurricanes (21.8 FPI)
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Alabama Crimson Tide (20.1 FPI)
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LSU Tigers (20.0 FPI)
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Texas Tech Red Raiders (20.0 FPI)
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Texas A&M Aggies (20.0 FPI)
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Oklahoma Sooners (17.8 FPI)
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USC Trojans (17.0 FPI)
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Ole Miss Rebels (16.0 FPI)
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Michigan Wolverines (15.9 FPI)
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Tennessee Volunteers (15.1 FPI)
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Penn State Nittany Lions (13.7 FPI)
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Florida Gators (13.6 FPI)
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Clemson Tigers (13.4 FPI
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BYU Cougars (13.1 FPI)
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Missouri Tigers (12.2 FPI)
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Auburn Tigers (12.0 FPI)
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South Carolina Gamecocks (11.7 FPI)
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SMU Mustangs (11.1 FPI)
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Iowa Hawkeyes (10.6 FPI)
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This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Georgia Bulldogs not the top SEC team in ESPN FPI preseason rankings
