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Where Arizona ranks in initial 2025 ESPN Football Power Index

Arizona has a lot of work to do in 2025 to move up in the ESPN Football Power Index that was released on Tuesday.
ByAlan Rubenstein|
Nov 30, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (11) against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the Territorial Cup at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Nov 30, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (11) against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the Territorial Cup at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Arizona is 69th nationally and 15th in the Big XII among 16 teams in the ESPN Football Power Index released on Tuesday. The Wildcats were 80th nationally and last among Big XII teams in the final 2024 ESPN FPI. With 36 players lost to the transfer portal and 27 coming in, Arizona will have a different look in 2025.

The FPI is a predictive rating system that estimates each FBS team's strength (in points per game relative to the national average) on offense, defense and special teams, making adjustments for starters lost, recruiting talent and other personnel changes, per ESPN

ESPN then simulates those numbers 20,000 times to determine an average projection of how well each team will perform during the season. Arizona was 59th and projected to go 5.5-6.5 in 2023 but finished 10-3. Arizona was 24th, projected with a 7.9-4.3 record and finished 4-8 in 2024.

The ESPN FPI projects Arizona with 4.9 wins and 7.1 losses during the 2025 season. Arizona is projected with a 37.7 percent chance to earn six wins and become bowl eligible, a 0.5 percent chance to win the Big XII and earn a College Football Playoff berth and 0.0 percent for anything else.

Arizona opens the season versus Hawaii and also hosts Weber State and Kansas State for non-conference games. Arizona is at Iowa State on September 27 to begin Big XII play. October 18 at Houston, November 1 at Colorado, November 15 at Cincinnati and Friday, November 28, at Arizona State are the other 2025 road games for Arizona.

Oklahoma State on October 4, BYU on October 11, Kansas on November 8 and Baylor on November 22 are the Big XII opponents for Arizona at home in 2025. Arizona plays the top four Big XII teams in the ESPN BPI. Kansas State is first among Big XII teams, ranked 21st nationally.

Arizona is projected to have the 65th toughest strength of schedule nationally, which is 11th in the Big XII. The remaining FPI metrics will not be calculated until the beginning of the season. Arizona ranks favorably in the ESPN SP+ metrics that calculate returning production on defense, offense and special teams.

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