Where Tennessee is ranked in ESPN’s Football Power Index after week 0

Where Tennessee is ranked in ESPN’s Football Power Index after week 0

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Where Tennessee is ranked in ESPN’s Football Power Index after week 0
TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA – OCTOBER 18: Wide receiver Braylon Staley #14 of the Tennessee Volunteers looks to run the ball by defensive back DaShawn Jones #7 of the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 18, 2025 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The appetizer that is week zero is behind us, now it’s on to the real thing. Tennessee has a week one tune up game, which will be a perfect time for newly named starter Faizon Brandon to get his feet underneath him. The Volunteers will take on Furman, who is coming off of a 20-3 victory over Anderson University to open the season.

On the FBS side, we didn’t learn a ton in week zero. TCU struggled to do anything against Bill Belichick’s North Carolina, while Florida State looked like they’re in for more of the same this season. Virginia looks legit again after thumping NC State. USC underwhelmed once again to kick off a critical year for Lincoln Riley.

Still, those results shaped ESPN’s Football Power Index heading into week one.

Tennessee sits 15th in the ranking to start the season. The metric projects 7.3 wins for the Volunteers with a 3.4 percent chance to win the conference. Tennessee has a 21 percent chance to make the College Football Playoff. ESPN’s FPI closely mirrors the AP top 25, but it’s definitely a bit higher on Tennessee than the polls.

Ohio State, Texas and Notre Dame lead the way, followed by Oregon and Georgia.

Tennessee is set to play four teams from the top 11, along with No. 22 Auburn and No. 23 South Carolina.

ESPN FPI Rankings (Week 1)

  1. Ohio State Buckeyes
  2. Texas Longhorns
  3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
  4. Oregon Ducks
  5. Georgia Bulldogs
  6. Indiana Hoosiers
  7. Miami Hurricanes
  8. Alabama Crimson Tide
  9. LSU Tigers
  10. Texas Tech Red Raiders
  11. Texas A&M Aggies
  12. Oklahoma Sooners
  13. Ole Miss Rebels
  14. Michigan Wolverines
  15. Tennessee Volunteers
  16. Penn State Nittany Lions
  17. Florida Gators
  18. USC Trojans
  19. Clemson Tigers
  20. BYU Cougars
  21. Missouri Tigers
  22. Auburn Tigers
  23. South Carolina Gamecocks
  24. SMU Mustangs
  25. Iowa Hawkeyes

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