The First Power Rankings of the 2025 college football season

The Buckeyes finished last year on top, and there’s no real reason not to have them there to start his year. Yes, they’re having to play a new quarterback, but so are half of the top ten here. Ohio State has the advantage of having the two best players in college football on its team in Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs.

2. Texas (13-3) (Ranked #1 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

The Longhorns are also returning a lot of talent around a new quarterback. Despite some package plays and a couple of starts in layup games, Arch Manning is a new starter, too. And realistically, these top four are almost interchangeable. While the Cotton Bowl rematch in Columbus will be bi g, both teams will likely be in the top four when playoff time arrives.

3. Penn State (13-3) (Ranked #2 and #3 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

PSU has a massive advantage in returning Drew Allar, Kaytron Allen, and Nicholas Singleton. Of the final four teams from 2024, they return the most talent. The only reason they’re not #1 is that beating SMU and Boise State were their biggest wins since 2016. I need to see just a little bit more from James Franklin’s teams before I’m willing to put them ahead of teams they are neck and neck with.

4. Notre Dame (14-2) (Ranked #6 and #5 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

College football will learn a lot about Marcus Freeman this year as he reloads Notre Dame. He’s got a highly recruited legacy starting at quarterback and a monster running back in Jeremyiah Love, who I expect to be a Heisman contender this season. There’s no reason the Irish can’t be in the CFP again this season.  

5. Clemson (10-4) (Ranked #4 and #6 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

Dabo Swinney and Clemson have a very favorable hand this year. They should win the ACC like they did in 2024, and more emphatically in 2025. Cade Klubnik is the best returning quarterback in college football and a Heisman contender. This should be the best team Dabo and Clemson have had since Trevor Lawrence moved on to the NFL.

6. Georgia (11-3) (Ranked #5 and #4 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

The SEC is Georgia’s to lose. I know Texas is ahead of them, but they had taken care of the Longhorns twice last year, and are still the baddest dog in the fight. Kirby Smart is the best coach in college football right now and will have the dawgs and Gunnar Stockton ready to rock.

7. Oregon (13-1) (Ranked #7 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

Like Georgia, Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas, and Ohio State, the Ducks are breaking in a new quarterback. Dante Moore had some good experience when he was at UCLA, but was off all last year when he was backing up Dillon Gabriel . He’s not as much of a known quantity as Drew Allar and Cade Klubnik. Still, Oregon is likely to remain a perennial Big Ten and national power.

8. Arizona State (11-3) (Ranked #11 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

When you’re talking about good quarterbacks in 2025, you have to include Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt. With steady improvement from him, the Sun Devils will be near the top of the Big 12 again, and therefore in the College Football Playoff again.

9. Illinois (10-3) (Ranked #12 in the AP and Coaches Polls) Bret Bielema’s squad is a playoff contender.

Illinois returns 18 starters from a team that went 10-3 last season. This includes their entire offensive line and their starting quarterback, Luke Altmyer. He’s started 22 games for Illinois and is 14-8 with 35 passing touchdowns and seven rushing touchdowns in that span. Underestimate Illinois this season at your own peril.

10. SMU (11-3) (Ranked #16 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

Another young quarterback who had a good 2024 and is looking for a great 2025 is SMU’s Kevin Jennings. Jennings had a tough day in SMU’s playoff loss at Penn State but don’t let that overshadow that he had over 3,200 passing yards and 28 total touchdowns last season for the Mustangs. The schedule is tough, though, with six road games and two non-conference games against rivals from the Big 12, TCU and Baylor.

11. LSU (9-4) (Ranked #9 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

Garrett Nussmeier is looking to lead LSU to an even better year than last season, where he threw for over 4,000 yards and 32 total touchdowns. They got a tough slate of road games this season, though, opening on the road at Clemson, traveling to both Ole Miss and Alabama before finishing the year with a visit to Oklahoma.

12. Tennessee (10-3) (Ranked #24 and #16 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

Josh Heupel and the Vols are ranked lower for most because the last time they took the field, they got run out of Columbus, and because they traded quarterbacks with UCLA in the offseason. They’ll have to prove themselves quickly with an opener against Syracuse and Georgia coming to Knoxville in week three on September 13^th.

13. Alabama (9-4) (Ranked #8 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

Kalen DeBoer and the Tide are going to live and die with Ty Simpson this season. The good news is stars like Kadyn Proctor will protect Simpson, and a star like Ryan Williams will be his main target. Their non-conference schedule of Wisconsin and Florida State looks a lot tougher four or five years ago than now. Still, it will be enough to gauge Alabama’s potential before heading to Georgia to finish September.

14. BYU (11-2) (Unranked and Ranked #23 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

The Cougars would probably be top ten if they didn’t have to replace their quarterback about halfway through the offseason. Bear Bachmeier is going to make history as the first true freshman to start a season opener for BYU. BYU did really well in the transfer portal this offseason, and if that works on the field as well as it did on paper, BYU will compete for the Big 12 title.

15. Iowa State (11-3) (Ranked #22 and #21 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

ISU is another team that can win the most open conference in college football, the Big 12. They kick off their season with a big rivalry game in Dublin against K-State, and it will be interesting to see how well they handle the early game and big spotlight. Matt Campbell’s time at Iowa State and quarterback Rocco Becht will be the key factors for the Cyclones this season.

16. Indiana (11-2) (Ranked #20 and #19 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

Curt Cignetti has Indiana poised and ready to prove that 2024 was more of a turning point for the Hoosiers and not a fluke. Another transfer quarterback,  Fernando Mendoza from Cal, will try to lead the Hoosiers back to the CFP.

17. Miami (10-3) (Ranked #10 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

Many are high on The U and the building they’re doing under Mario Cristobal. They got Carson Beck from Georgia and have a big stage on opening weekend when Notre Dame comes to town. They’ll have plenty of chances to prove themselves this year.

18. Kansas State (9-4) (Ranked #17 and #20 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

We will learn a lot about K-State on Saturday in Ireland, too. Like their rivals from Ames, Iowa, they have a good, experienced quarterback and a good, experienced coach leading the way in 2025 with Avery Johnson and Chris Klieman. The Big 12 has a lot of contenders for its championship and is a much stronger league than most expect it to be.

19. Boise State (12-2) (Ranked #25 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

The defenders of the Smurf Turf are the favorite to repeat as the Group of Five’s playoff representative. Their legend, Ashton Jeanty, is gone, but his sidekick from 2024, Maddux Madsen, is still there. The Broncos will live and die in 2025 with Madsen.

20. Navy (10-3) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)

If anyone is set to challenge Boise State this year as the best Group of Five team, it’s Navy. Like their Army rivals last year, they’re poised to have a big season behind a veteran quarterback in Blake Horvath.

21. South Carolina (9-4) (Ranked #13 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

LaNorris Sellers and look to have another good year, but have a brutal schedule. They consecutively play LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M before finishing the season against Coastal Carolina and Clemson.

22. Texas A&M (8-5) (Ranked #19 and #21 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

Year two in the Mike Elko Era will be tougher than year one, particularly on the road. They play at Notre Dame, Arkansas, LSU, Missouri, and Texas. Marcel Reed and the Aggies will have to be road warriors to have success in 2025.

23. Louisville (9-4) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)

Jeff Brohm does well when underestimated. He has Miller Moss coming in to take over at quarterback after transferring from USC. Louisville will be more competitive in the ACC than most think behind Brohm and Moss.

24. TCU (9-4) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)

Sonny Dykes and TCU had a quiet nine-win season last year, and they return their best player from that team, quarterback Josh Hoover. Hoove r had over 3,900 yards passing and 31 total touchdowns in 2025 for TCU.

25. Florida (8-5) (Ranked #15 and #17 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

I am just not as high on the Gators as most people are. But Florida is hoping their strong finish in 2024 carries over to 2025. Can DJ Lagway get it done in Gainesville?