ESPN FPI has some new love for the Alabama Crimson Tide

How much the Alabama Crimson Tide improved against Western Kentucky can be debated by fans. A not 'fan opinion', the ESPN FPI calculated the Crimson Tide's 63-0 win as an uptick. Going into the contest, Alabama was rated by the FPI as college football's No. 5 team. Now Alabama is ranked No. 2.

The latest FPI has six SEC football teams in the top nine teams, including Georgia, Alabama, and Texas in the top three spots.

Based on the updated FPI, only six college football teams have a better than 50.2% probability of making the Playoffs. The Georgia Bulldogs are at 87%. Alabama is next at 78.2%, followed by Texas at 76.8%, Notre Dame at 70%; Penn State at 69.6%, and Ohio State at 68.5%. Tennessee (50.2%), Ole Miss (43.8%), and Miami (42.8%) are the only other teams projected to have a higher than 34.7% probability of making the Playoffs.

Double-digit movers in the FPI rankings are the Florida Gators (down 23 spots), South Carolina (down 15 spots), Arkansas and Mississippi State (up 13 spots), and Miami (up 12 spots).

SEC Football Teams - Current FBS, ESPN FPI Ranking

• No. 1 - Georgia Bulldogs - FPI Rating 29.6

• No. 2 - Alabama Crimson Tide - FPI Rating 27.2

• No. 3 - Texas Longhorns - FPI Rating 25.8

• No. 7 - Tennessee Vols - FPI Rating 20.2

• No. 8 - Ole Mis Rebels - FPI Rating 17.9

• No. 9 - Oklahoma Sooners - FPI Rating 17.3

• No. 12 - Missouri Tigers - FPI Rating 15.5

• No. 14 - LSU Bengal Tigers - FPI Rating 14.6

• No. 16 - Auburn Tigers - FPI Rating 12.4

• No. 18 - Texas A&M Aggies - FPI Rating 11.3

• No. 29 - Kentucky Wildcats - FPI Rating 8.6

• No. 31 Arkansas Razorbacks - FPI Rating 8.4

• No. 36 - Mississippi State Bulldogs - FPI Rating 6.4

• No. 43 - Florida Gators - FPI Rating 4.4

• No. 48 - South Carolina Gamecocks - FPI Rating 3.1

• No. 68 - Vanderbilt Commodores - FPI Rating -0.2

ESPN's FPI needs at least a few weeks of games before the ratings become definitive. So far, the strength of the SEC, relative to the other three Power Four conferences is stunning. The SEC has one team (Vandy) ranked below South Carolina at No. 48. The Big 12 has six; the Big Ten has seven, and the ACC has nine teams ranked below 15 of the SEC's 16 teams.