The 2025 college football season’s preseason ends and regular seasons begin on August 23rd, with the country eagerly awaiting kickoff. The Associated Press released its final preseason rankings poll, crowning Texas as the nation’s consensus No.1 team. USA Today’s Coaches Preseason Top 25 Poll also tabbed the Longhorns ahead of the season.
ESPN delivered an interesting update with its final 2025 Preseason SP+ Rankings, a “tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency.” The rankings prioritize sustainable and predictable aspects of football over traditional resume-based rankings. Here are ESPN’s top 25 teams:
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (26.1) – Projected win total: 10.0
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (25.5) – Projected win total: 9.4
3. Georgia Bulldogs (24.2) – Projected win total: 9.3
4. Penn State Nittany Lions (24.2) – Projected win total: 10.0
5. Texas Longhorns (23.1) – Projected win total: 8.6
Other top teams include Notre Dame, Oregon, Michigan, Ole Miss, Clemson, and several other programs with solid offense and defense projections.
The ESPN SP+ rankings emphasize the importance of finding a reliable quarterback, filling holes in the lineup, and having a strong defensive unit to make a team competitive in the 2025 season.
Source: https://www.on3.com/news/espn-reveals-final-update-to-preseason-top-25-college-football-rankings