College Football Playoff Projection: Week 1

Week 1 of the college football season is on our doorstep and we will get our first look at the rest of the country that didn’t play a game in Week 0. Everybody is on an even playing field as the slate has been wiped clean, meaning everybody has hope for a brighter future at least for the time being.

That pesky G6 team that went a measly 4-8 and lost everyone in the portal? They’re as good as Indiana for all we know right now. 

That middling Big 12 team waiting to break through and show us that they’re for real? By all accounts, they’re as real as everyone else at the moment.

This is the point of a fresh start; everyone has a chance to be great before games start. 

College Football Playoff Projection: Week 1

So since everyone is on an even playing field for the moment, let’s take a look at what the College Football Playoff rankings look like (at least in our eyes) before most of the teams have even played a snap this season.

#1 Oregon Ducks (0-0)

Oregon returns Dante Moore who could’ve been a top two pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Dakorien Moore and Evan Stewart who could be the best receiving tandem in the nation, and they possess one of the best defensive front sevens in the entire sport.

The big concerns are on the offensive line and if Dan Lanning can get the team over the hump of getting blown out in the playoffs each season. 

While those are warranted concerns, the positives outweigh any negatives and because of it, Oregon begins the season at No. 1.

#2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0-0)

Notre Dame has a lot of pent-up aggression that I’m sure they’re foaming at the mouth to let out in Week 1 against Wisconsin and then in every week after that against the rest of their schedule.

They return more production and experience than almost anyone in the country, are led by a Heisman Trophy favorite and perhaps the best defensive player in the nation as well as a reshaped wide receiver room that could legitimately be Notre Dame’s best in quite some time.

This is a truly terrifying team and because of the new CFP rules which actually work to their benefit, they should be the biggest lock on the board to make it to the big dance. 

#3 Georgia Bulldogs (0-0)

Georgia was a young and inexperienced team last season but still won the SEC and made the CFP. Now they bring back a ton of experience and should once again be the favorite to win the SEC and advance to the CFP behind Gunner Stockton and Kirby Smart.

#4 Indiana Hoosiers (0-0)

The Indiana defense is unquestionably going to be amazing, and you know that the team will be among the most disciplined and tough in the nation on both sides of the ball because of Curt Cignetti. The worry for Indiana this season isn’t even really much of a worry, either, as some are scared of Josh Hoover’s turnover rate. 

That turnover issue should likely fade away this season with Indiana, but even if it does, can Hoover be a guy trusted to go win games in the biggest moments for his team just as Fernando Mendoza did last season? If so, Indiana could be looking at another very successful season.

#5 Miami Hurricanes (0-0)

Upgrade at quarterback, upgraded receiver room, returning a top five running back in the nation, and you still have Mario Cristobal setting the tone and building the identity of the program. Miami could be the perfect mix of 2024’s offense and 2025’s defense this season, and that spells trouble for the rest of the country. 

#6 Texas Longhorns (0-0)

Texas has the top-to-bottom best roster in the sport, but the late reports out of Fall camp about how sloppy the offense looked, how underwhelming Arch Manning was, and the drama surrounding Ty’Anthony Smith who is no longer on the team, are something we must take into account.

Because of the late drama, they’ve fallen quite a bit from what we believed them to be just a few short weeks ago, but we also aren’t putting much stock in them falling off a cliff this season because of a few bumps late in the Fall.

#7 Ohio State Buckeyes (0-0)

Ohio State has a lot of defensive turnover and a new offensive coordinator, but they return a top five coach in America, the best defensive coordinator in America, the best player in America, and one of the best quarterbacks in America. 

So there’s not a whole lot to worry about with this squad, we’re only putting them here for now because the other teams have a bit more continuity in key areas. 

#8 USC Trojans (1-0)

USC looked good in Week 0 and because of it they slide into the top 12 naturally being the only power team with an actual win on the board. Sure they let up and San Jose State chipped away at them by the end, but we all saw what we needed to see from USC in that small sample size.

#9 Texas Tech Red Raiders (0-0)

The Red Raiders roster is still the best in the Big 12, but we’d be lying if we said they can be trusted to be as great as they were last season. They lost a lot of very important players, especially on defense, but they still have a great coach and a great quarterback who’s not getting the respect he deserves. 

#10 Ole Miss Rebels (0-0)

Ole Miss returns the best backfield in college football and that alone gives them a chance to win basically any game this season. Beyond that, Pete Golding should be working with an improved defense as head coach, so it will be interesting to see how they do in his first full run. 

#11 Oklahoma Sooners (0-0)

Oklahoma should be even better this season than they were last season. With a healthy John Mateer back and a revamped offensive line and run game, Oklahoma fixed all of their major holes from last season, and on top of that, they still have Brent Venables calling the defense as one of the best defensive minds in the sport.

#12 Memphis Tigers (1-0)

Memphis benefits from already having a win on the board, and that win was against a fellow G6 team that was considered by many to be the best in the country and the one most likely to get into the CFO at season’s end, UNLV. Now it’s all about controlling your destiny and staying hot.