(Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

Kirk Herbstreit Names Best College Football Team

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 1:04 PM ET

Key Points

Two top ESPN voices disagree on who the nation’s best team is.
One analyst says the real No. 1 has already proven itself this season.
The Big Ten program has dominated every opponent since Week 1

Since the end of Week 1 of the 2025 college football season, the Ohio State Buckeyes have held the top ranking in the AP Top 25. Although they were ranked No. 3 in the preseason poll as the defending national champions, they took over the No. 1 spot after defeating the then-No. 1 Texas Longhorns at home, winning 14-7.

Since that victory, the Buckeyes have been dominant, winning every subsequent game by at least 18 points. Despite this impressive performance, not everyone agrees they deserve the top ranking. ESPN's Matt Barrie expressed on his podcast on Sunday that he believes the No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies are actually the best team.

In contrast, on the "Nonstop" podcast, ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit disagreed with Barrie, stating that he believes the best team is indeed located in Columbus, Ohio.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day.Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

"Nothing changed for me," Herbstreit said. "I think those top three teams are very, very challenging to try to separate. I think with Ohio State's resume, at first it looked like, 'Hey, this is great.' But as the season has gone on, it's not as impressive. But they're playing every single week, pretty much the same team. In a dominant fashion. They've been great."

Ohio State’s best offensive players are notably young this season. The Buckeyes feature redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin, who has thrown for 1,872 yards with 19 touchdowns and three interceptions. He boasts an impressive completion rate of 80%, which is on pace to set an FBS record.

The running game is led by true freshman Bo Jackson, who has gained 433 yards and scored two touchdowns. Sophomore Jeremiah Smith tops the receiving group with 49 receptions for 602 yards and seven touchdowns.

Defensively, the team has excelled, ranked No. 1 in total defense, No. 3 in passing defense and No. 8 in rushing defense. After a bye week, they are set to face the Penn State Nittany Lions at home, with the game scheduled for noon ET on Saturday on Fox.

With an undefeated record and complete control in all phases of the game, this powerhouse continues to look every bit like the nation’s true No. 1, no matter what the polls or pundits say.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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