Expectations are high for Penn State football ahead of the 2023 season.

On Tuesday, the Nittany Lions ranked No. 10 on ESPN’s preseason college football Football Power Index (FPI) rankings. They trail in-conference rivals Ohio State (No. 1) and Michigan (No. 6) on this list.

The Football Power Index is a metric used to measure a team’s true strength on a net points scale. It is calculated by a team’s expected point margin versus its average opponent on a neutral site. This index uses 20,000 simulations of the season, previous results, and the remaining schedule to determine a team’s strength.

The FPI rankings project Penn State will finish the season with an estimated record of 9.3-2.7, with a 0.9% chance to go undefeated. FPI says Penn State has a 4.6% chance to win the Big Ten, a 10.7% chance to make the College Football Playoff, and a 1% chance to win the CFP National Championship.

The Nittany Lions will look much different this season from the team that won the Rose Bowl just months ago. Even with losing long-time quarterback Sean Clifford, starting wide receivers Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley, tight end Brenton Strange, center Juice Scruggs, and star corner Joey Porter Jr. to the NFL Draft, the high expectations remain.

The offense will feature former five-star quarterback Drew Allar under center, along with an outstanding defense with only surrendered 10 total points this past weekend in the Blue-White Game.

The Big Ten has four total teams in the FPI rankings’ top 25, with Wisconsin coming in at No. 20. The Pac-12 and Big 12 each have five programs, and the SEC has the most on the list with seven programs in the top 25.