The preseason hype continues to build for Penn State football.
ESPN recently released its updated Football Power Index rankings, a computer-generated ranking system, for the 2025 season. The model placed the Nittany Lions as the No. 5 team nationally to begin the year after they finished last season ranked No. 6 in the metric.
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Other Big Ten teams in the top 25 include No. 4 Ohio State, No. 6 Oregon, No. 17 Michigan, No. 19 USC and No. 25 Nebraska.
Penn State also trails a trio of SEC schools, No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Alabama. Per usual, the SEC makes up a large portion of the top 25 teams and has received backlash for being significantly overrated in these rankings.
If Penn State is able to maintain a top-six ranking through the end of the season, it would mark the fourth consecutive campaign with a top-six finish. Since the metric debuted in 2005, the Nittany Lions have made eight top-10 appearances, with a high of No. 4 in 2017.
Given Penn State’s national championship aspirations entering the year, it’s somewhat likely it will finish with its highest ever ranking by season’s end.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State ranked top-five in ESPN FPI
