If you needed more proof that ESPN’s Football Power Index isn’t just a ranking, look no further than the 2025 preseason Top 25.
20 teams. That’s how many hail from either the SEC or the Big Ten.
Do the math, and that leaves just five spots for the rest of college football. Three to the ACC. Two only two to the entire Big 12.
And somehow, that’s supposed to reflect objective data?
The Power Two is dominating the narrative
Let’s be clear, this isn’t just about numbers. It’s about who gets the benefit of the doubt before a single snap is played. It’s about which logos carry weight, and which conferences are fighting uphill battles against deepening pocketbooks.
Kansas State at No. 21. Arizona State at No. 24. That’s it. That’s all the Big 12 gets, no Utah, no Oklahoma State, no Iowa State, even no Texas Tech, which has spent a lot of money this year.
Meanwhile, the SEC loads up with 13 teams, including a few with questionable 2024 finishes, and the Big Ten walks in with seven more.
It’s not a top 25. It’s a country club list with gatekeeping dressed up as data.
What the FPI really tells us
ESPN’s FPI is supposed to be a predictive model, weighing returning production, coaching continuity, schedule difficulty, and efficiency metrics.
But when the output just happens to line up with the TV deals and media mega-conferences dominating the sport, you have to ask:
Is it analytics or is it just branding in disguise?
The Big 12 is a deep, competitive league. It’s not top-heavy, but that’s not a flaw. It’s a feature. Week in and week out, these teams beat each other up, and still, the league sends a champion into the playoff conversation. Last year, it was Arizona State, a team that now gets little to no respect at the bottom of the list.
The ACC, meanwhile, sneaks in just three. Combined, that’s five non-SEC/Big Ten teams in the FPI Top 25.
That’s not projection, that’s protection. Of the brands. Of the business model. Of the narrative.
What happens next for the Big 12?
For Big 12 fans, this is fuel. For coaches, it’s bulletin-board material. And for players? It’s an invitation to crash the party no one wants them invited to.
The playoff is expanding and should. But if ESPN’s algorithms are setting the tone, the selection committee won’t have to do much thinking when the time comes.
If you’re not in the “Power Two,” you’d better be as close to undefeated as possible, flashy, and undeniable.
Otherwise, enjoy the Gasparilla Bowl.
The FPI didn’t just snub the Big 12. It exposed what college football’s new world order looks like: a two-conference cartel with everyone else scrambling for scraps.