Notre Dame sits at the top of ESPN’s Football Power Index after Week 9 with a rating of 26.8, edging undefeated Miami by only 0.4 points at 26.4, DAZN News Japan reported. The gap between the two programs is the narrowest at the summit of the rankings, and both teams meet head-to-head this Saturday in South Bend, Indiana, in what the report calls the season’s biggest game.
The index, which ESPN uses to estimate each team’s strength based on its remaining schedule, moved sharply after a turbulent Week 9. Notre Dame’s rise came after a 35-13 win over Navy in which the Midshipmen managed just one touchdown. Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns, but the running game carried the day: the team’s lead back ran nine carries for 107 yards and two scores.
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Notre Dame’s 26.8: A dominant win over Navy
Notre Dame is 7-1 on the season, and ESPN’s model projects it to finish 10.4-1.6. Whether that is enough for the College Football Playoff remains unresolved, the report notes. The Fighting Irish’s next test is the showdown with Miami, which will be their first ranked-opponent game of the season.
Miami at 26.4: unbeaten, but with an injury cloud
Miami escaped North Carolina 38-35 to stay perfect on the year. Quarterback Darius Mensah threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns. Receiver Malik Tony, who suffered a high-ankle sprain and whose availability for the rest of the season is undetermined, still produced 75 yards and two touchdowns. ESPN’s model projects Miami at 12.0-1.0, the best projected record among the top five, yet the Hurricanes still sit behind Notre Dame in the index.
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Ohio State falls to third at 26.2 after losing to USC
Ohio State dropped to No. 3 after a 30-18 loss to USC played without star quarterback Julian Sayin, the Buckeyes’ second defeat of the season. Freshman quarterback Luke Farkas threw for 260 yards and one touchdown, and Jeremiah Smith added 83 yards and a score, but it was not enough. The model projects Ohio State at 9.8-2.9, leaving its playoff standing on a knife’s edge. The Buckeyes host Oregon in Columbus on Saturday in their fifth ranked matchup of the year.
Georgia and LSU complete the top five
Georgia beat Florida 27-8 in Gainesville to stay 7-1 and hold No. 4 at 25.4. Quarterback Gunner Stockton was held to 101 passing yards, but Nate Frazier and Bo Walker each scored touchdowns. The model projects the Bulldogs at 10.6-2.1, with Ole Miss, Missouri and South Carolina still on the calendar; Georgia plays Ole Miss in Oxford on Saturday. LSU rounds out the five at 24.7 after a bye week and a 38-17 win over Auburn two weeks ago, when quarterback Sam Laffitt threw for 388 yards with three passing touchdowns and one rushing score, and Jackson Harris caught nine passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns. At 6-2, LSU is projected at 8.9-3.3 and faces Alabama in Baton Rouge this weekend.
The full top 25 after Week 9
| Rank | Team | FPI |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 26.8 |
| 2 | Miami Hurricanes | 26.4 |
| 3 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 26.2 |
| 4 | Georgia Bulldogs | 25.4 |
| 5 | LSU Tigers | 24.7 |
The rest of the top 25: Wake Forest 17.5, Oregon 17.4, Texas Tech 16.8, Tennessee 16.7, USC 15.0, BYU 15.0, Nebraska 14.7, Louisville 14.2, Missouri 14.1, Houston 14.0, Florida 13.9, Iowa 13.8, Texas A&M 13.8, Northwestern 13.5 and South Carolina 13.5.
What the Power Index measures
ESPN’s Football Power Index rates a team’s true strength as its expected scoring margin against an average opponent on a neutral field, expressed on a net-points scale. It is not a poll and not a resume ranking — it is a forward-looking forecast of how each remaining game is likely to go, which is why a team like Miami can be unbeaten and still rank behind a one-loss Notre Dame.
Week 10 will test the new order
Four of the top five play ranked opponents this weekend: Notre Dame hosts Miami, Ohio State hosts Oregon, Georgia visits Ole Miss, and LSU hosts Alabama. The results will determine whether the 0.4-point gap between Notre Dame and Miami closes, widens, or flips — and whether Ohio State’s playoff hopes survive another ranked test in Columbus.
What remains unanswered is the playoff picture itself: Notre Dame’s path is still unclear at 7-1, Ohio State’s is described as on a knife’s edge, and Miami’s unbeaten record has not translated into the top spot in a metric that looks ahead rather than back.
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