Auburn Tigers Ranked Highly by ESPN’s Football Power Index

The inaugural Football Power Index from ESPN concurs that the Auburn Tigers are significantly better on paper as we approach the 2025 season.

In 2024, the Auburn Tigers failed to meet expectations. That point will be disputed by few. But it’s also true that Auburn’s entire roster fell short of the expectations that have propelled the Tigers to a top 15 program this century.

Hugh Freeze, in his third year as head coach, has worked tirelessly to improve a team that appeared hopeless under his predecessor. Keldric Faulk, a consensus top-10 draft pick for next year, was nonetheless signed by Freeze despite the first class being incomplete.

After that, he had two more top-10 classes and was also successful in attracting transfer students through the portal.
Jackson Arnold, a transfer quarterback who had five stars next to his name coming out of high school, is the most valuable player to the 2025 Tigers.

Predictions are made in June, and ESPN has already revealed the Football Power Index (FPI) for the first time. A college football team’s season can be best predicted, according to ESPN, by looking at the FPI.

If that’s true, Auburn is on the right track after four years in a row with seven losses. Auburn is ranked No. 14 by the FPI as we head into the summer.

The only bad thing about being 14th is that Auburn is 8th in the SEC.
The good news is that Auburn only plays those three teams: Georgia twice, Alabama four times, and Texas A&M eleven times. “If we’re looking for somewhat refreshed entries after down seasons, Auburn, Michigan, and Oklahoma are all among the 17 most likely champions after each finished outside the top 25 in the FPI last season,” said ESPN’s Neil Paine.

“All three made major moves in the offseason to spark their surges: Auburn brought in a top-10 transfer class headlined by former Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold.”

The FPI likes how balanced the Tigers are. At No. 16, the attack is the best in the top 20. This is the biggest jump from last year, when they were ranked last. The defense moved up 13 spots to 13th. Last year, Auburn lost close games because they turned the ball over at the wrong time, made mental mistakes, and kicked the ball badly. When looking at a depth chart, some of those things can’t be taken into account, but a simpler attack and a healthy kicker should ease some of the worries. The Tigers do look better on paper, but Freeze and his team need to make sure that’s not the case this fall.

The FPI is pleased with the Tigers’ balanced play. When compared to the other top 20 attacks, this one ranks 16th.

They were ranked dead last year, so this is a huge improvement. Defense jumped 13 ranks to take 13th. Auburn lost close games last season due to mental blunders, poor kicking, and a slew of turnovers.

A simplified offensive and a healthy kicker should alleviate some of the concerns, however they cannot be considered on a depth chart. Although Freeze’s squad has a superior record than the Tigers, they must ensure that this is not the case this season.