Texas Longhorns Are Nation's Favorite For No. 1 in College Football

According to preseason rankings, the Week 1 matchup between the Texas Longhorns and the Ohio State Buckeyes could be a showdown between the best two teams of 2025.

Some might be skeptical of this, especially since preseason rankings vary by publication and are limited by the fact that neither of these teams has had the opportunity to demonstrate what they’re capable of in a real game yet this year.

While it’s impossible for each publication to get it exactly right, absorbing general patterns throughout different ranking systems can help fans and experts more accurately anticipate 2025’s top programs. 

General Consensus for 2025

The Sporting News has constructed a composite 2025 preseason top 25 list based on the rankings across 11 major websites, and their findings have affirmed what many already believed: the Longhorns and the Buckeyes will be the respective No. 1 and No. 2 programs in college football this season.

They created a point-based system in which they allotted 25 points to a No. 1 selection, 24 for a No. 2 selection, all the way down to one point for a No. 25 selection.

Of the 11 websites that The Sporting News pulled from, seven voted Texas as the No. 1 program. Three named Ohio State to the No. 1 spot, and the remaining publication selected Penn State as their first-place prediction.

The Buckeyes approach this season looking to defend the national title they earned in 2024, while the Longhorns look to dethrone them and claim their own championship victory.

They have reached the College Football Playoff semifinal for two consecutive years now, and they look to build upon the foundation created during their 2024 and 2025 postseason runs. 

With redshirt sophomore quarterback Arch Manning finally at the helm, along with promising returners and newcomers taking the field for the Longhorns, this could be the year. 

Unknown Variables

That being said, it’s important to once again consider the fact that no one has actually seen this new group play together in a regulated game. The same goes for Ohio State, making it impossible to know with certainty what will happen on Aug. 30 and beyond. 

The programs faced each other in the College Football Playoff semifinal back in January, but with 14 Buckeyes and 12 Longhorns being selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, it’s safe to say each team has dealt with quite a few personnel changes between then and now.

The season ahead is a long one, and too many variables exist to determine which college team will be crowned national champion next January. 

But, if preseason rankings indicate anything, the Longhorns and the Buckeyes will be teams to watch in Week 1 and beyond.