Kentucky football moves up in ESPN’s FPI rankings after week one

Kentucky football climbs five spots in ESPN’s FPI rankings after a week one win.

It was a decisive victory on Saturday night for the Kentucky football team as they dominated Southern Miss and won 31 – 0. The Wildcats controlled the game on both sides of the ball, and it was never really close.

This week’s top 25 polls aren’t out yet, so it isn’t clear what kind of effect the game will have on the voters. However, one set of rankings liked the Wildcats play in week one. Kentucky saw a jump in ESPN’s Football Power Index after the win.

Related: Five things we learned from Kentucky’s week one win

Previously, Kentucky was ranked 34th, but after the win over Southern Miss, they jumped five spots to 29th. That makes them the 11th ranked team in the SEC, which still has ten teams ranked in the top 20.

The FPI gives Kentucky a 71% chance at a six-win season, which would land them in their eighth consecutive bowl game. It only gives them a 6% chance of making the College Football Playoffs. If they defeat South Carolina next week, those numbers could change even further.