ESPN's first College Football Power Index ratings of 2025 held the status quo for Penn State football, despite all the recent praise for the Nittany Lions' offs

If Penn State is able to maintain a top-six ranking through the end of the season, it would mark the fourth consecutive campaign with a top-six finish. Since the metric debuted in 2005, the Nittany Lions have made eight top-10 appearances, with a high of No. 4 in 2017.

ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) is the latest data model to spit out a top 25 that has Penn State in the top five. In fact, it puts the Nittany Lions right at No. 5 in its first version before the 2025 season.