ESPN has released its preseason Football Power Index ("FPI") rankings, and this paints a subdued picture for our beloved Syracuse football program ahead of the 2025 campaign.
The FPI, per ESPN's Web site, "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." Naturally, these ratings will ebb and flow throughout the upcoming term.
But in ESPN's preseason FPI rankings disclosed this week, the Orange resides at No. 62 around the country. In 2024, when the 'Cuse went 10-3 overall in Fran Brown's first stanza at the helm of Syracuse, the program had an FPI of No. 49 overall, which frankly, isn't super high, either.
On paper, the 'Cuse appears to have one of the more challenging dockets nationally in 2025, with some brutal road games and encounters against multiple teams that participated in this past season's 12-team College Football Playoff.
Syracuse football has a less-than-stellar preseason FPI.
The FPI projects the Orange to win fewer than five contests in 2025, as the 'Cuse eyes making a bowl game for the fourth straight season and second consecutive one under Brown. Syracuse football, per the FPI, has a 29.6 percent chance to attain six triumphs and qualify for a post-season bowl.
Among the Atlantic Coast Conference's 17 members in college football, that is tied with Wake Forest for the lowest percentage chance to get to a half-dozen victories in 2025. I recognize that the Orange will have a different roster this coming season, and record-setting quarterback Kyle McCord is in the NFL, but that's still fairly surprising to me.
Syracuse football's preseason FPI of No. 62 nationwide is also in the bottom half of the ACC. In fact, the 'Cuse is No. 14, with only Virginia, Stanford and Wake Forest trailing the Orange. Conversely, at the top of the conference, Miami is No. 1, followed by Clemson and then SMU.
In 2025, Syracuse football will battle five opponents that are in the FPI's preseason top 20. They are No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 9 Miami, No. 10 Tennessee, No. 11 Clemson and No. 20 SMU. None of these games will take place in the JMA Wireless Dome.
Yikes.
I don't necessarily envision the Orange tallying 10 victories again in 2025, but I do think that the 'Cuse will win at least six or seven contests and get to another bowl.