ESPN's Computer Model Changes Its College Football Playoff Prediction

ESPN's computer model has changed it up.

by Andrew Holleran

Oct 25, 2026

ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit in Pasadena.

ESPN’s computer model, the Football Power Index, has changed its prediction for the top of the College Football Playoff.

Week 8 of the 2026 college football regular season is in the books.

Only a few undefeated teams remain, which means that we could get a lot of drama down the stretch, when it comes to picking the 12 College Football Playoff teams.

ESPN’s computer model, the Football Power Index, has changed its projection for the top 12 teams on Sunday.

INGLEWOOD, CA – OCTOBER 24: ESPN analyst Kirk Edward Herbstreit during the Minnesota Vikings vs Los Angeles Rams on October 24, 2024, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

ESPN’s computer’s new Top 12 teams

ESPN’s computer’s new College Football Playoff Top 12 after Saturday’s games:

Miami
Ohio State
Indiana
Notre Dame
Georgia
Alabama
Utah
Texas
Kentucky
UCLA
BYU
Boise State

How does ESPN’s computer projections work?

The FPI is a projection-based model.

“The Football Power Index (FPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 20,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections update daily. FPI data from seasons prior to 2019 may not be complete,” it writes.