Preseason AP Poll's No. 2 Team Almost Claimed First Spot

The 2025 Preseason AP Poll has been officially released, and the Texas Longhorns have earned the No. 1 spot. 

Fans and analysts alike brace for what could become a record-breaking season in Austin, and they seem to be emerging as the team to beat this college football season.

That being said, several talented rosters performed well in the preseason rankings, and one team fell just shy of beating Texas out of the top position in the Preseason AP Poll.

Texas’ margin of victory

The Penn State Nittany Lions claimed the No. 2 spot on the poll, and the Longhorns topped them by a margin of just five points. The teams’ respective point totals were 1,547 and 1,552.

This five point difference marked the closest margin between the Preseason AP Poll’s top two teams. 

Sportswriters and broadcasters from across the country vote individually to decide these rankings, and they assign points using a scale for their top 25 teams: a No. 1-ranked team earns 25 points, No. 2 gets 24, etc. The ballots are made public on a weekly basis throughout the season, which is how AP releases new rankings each week. 

Sarkisian said in a recent media availability that the preseason rankings don’t mean much to his team due to the fact that they have not yet proved themselves on the field. However, what the rankings do oftentimes provide, for the fans at least, is a better sense of how each team is expected to perform in relation to other top teams in 2025. 

The Nittany Lions approach this year with senior quarterback Drew Allar and an offense with many returning starters, and it appears that experts have taken an interest in their team as one of the nation’s best this year. They also tote a less excruciating schedule than some other top seeds, which will start with a home matchup against the Nevada Wolf Pack.

The Ohio State Buckeyes obtained the No. 3 spot, and the Clemson Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish followed at No. 4, 5 and 6. 

Texas will match up against both the Buckeyes and the Bulldogs this year. Their season opener will take place on the road against Ohio State in what could end up being a very interesting matchup to watch.

The Nittany Lions will face the Buckeyes later on in the season on Nov. 1, and their other matchup against a top-10 ranked preseason team will be with the Oregon Ducks on Sept. 27.

Depending on how the season goes, Penn State and Texas could see each other in the College Football Playoff. But for now, they will work to take care of regular-season contests and challenges.