Ohio State captured its first national championship since 2014 with a win over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff National Championship, but the Buckeyes’ path to a preseason No. 1 ranking in 2025 won’t be easy. As many as 16 starters could be gone from the championship squad, but wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs will give them a chance.
Across the board, the race for the No. 1 team in the preseason top 25 will be closer than ever. Between NFL entries, transfer portal and plain old eligibility expiring, nearly every major team is experiencing major losses. Six of the top seven teams in the CBS Sports Way-Too-Early Top 25 are replacing quarterbacks, including both teams in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Two of the four major conference champions are also making a change at the position.
With so much turnover, there’s plenty of opportunity. In the last seven years, six different teams have won national championships. Six unique teams have played for national championships in the past three years. Three teams earned first-place votes in the preseason AP Top 25 in 2024 (Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon). The number could be even bigger in 2025.
Here are the teams that could be under consideration for preseason No. 1 in 2025. Keep in mind, plenty of rosters could still change via the transfer portal, especially with the spring window remaining.
College football rankings: Texas, Georgia, Miami lead way-too-early top 25 ahead of 2025 season
Dennis Dodd
The Buckeyes lose a generation of players to the NFL after retaining several for the 2024 championship run, but there’s plenty of talent left in Columbus. Ohio State returns Smith and Downs, each of whom rank as perhaps the best player in college football on their respective sides of the ball. A rash of injuries on the offensive line means there’s more experience returning than expected. The biggest question centers on reloading the defense as the Buckeyes could conceivably lose 10 starters, but defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has produced four straight top-15 defenses dating back to his time at Oklahoma State.
The Arch Manning era kicks off in 2025, which should make the Longhorns a popular pick from voters for the top spot. In limited action, Manning threw for nine touchdowns and two interceptions and showed off impressive deep-ball accuracy. The pieces around him will be the bigger picture as the offense loses its top three receivers and four of its top five offensive linemen. Steve Sarkisian’s squad similarly reloaded last year after losing national-caliber receivers and defensive linemen, so there’s plenty of reasons for optimism.
There’s one massive blessing related to Notre Dame’s injury-plagued run to the national title game: Young players across the roster are now oozing with experience. Outside of Leonard, Cross and Watts, the vast majority of the two-deep has eligibility remaining. Greathouse and Bowen lead a generation of young stars ready to take the mantle, while the secondary is stacked with underclassmen. The biggest question remains at the quarterback position, but the staff is enamored with both Steve Angeli and CJ Carr. This was only the beginning for Marcus Freeman.
The Nittany Lions received some key retentions heading into 2025, including quarterback Drew Allar and star running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Defensively, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton and linebacker Dominic DeLuca bring brack serious leadership. The biggest thing holding the Nittany Lions back from serious contention is pass-catchers. Penn State does not bring back a single wide receiver with more than 500 career yards. Will it be enough to help Allar take another step as a senior?
The Bulldogs managed to win an SEC championship during an inconsistent year but will have to do it next season without several mainstays dating back to their national championship-winning squads. The Bulldogs’ No. 30 total defense was the worst of the Kirby Smart era, and more than half of the starting lineup on defense is leaving. The offense has moved quickly to address pass-catchers after adding Zachariah Branch and Noah Thomas in the transfer portal, but first-year quarterback Gunner Stockton has to lead the show. There’s major upside for Georgia, but major downside, too.
The Ducks were perhaps the biggest loser of the expanded College Football Playoff; running into an Ohio State buzzsaw essentially erased the joy of an undefeated regular season. Still, coach Dan Lanning has stacked elite recruiting classes and the impact is only starting to be felt. The Ducks also pulled in another strong transfer class, headlined by safety Dillon Thieneman and running back Makhu Hughes. The quarterback battle between Dante Moore and Austin Novosad will be critical, but the Ducks have plenty to work with.
The Tigers got a major boost when Nussmeier and Perkins announced they would turn down the NFL Draft, and the offseason has reflected that momentum. LSU coach Brian Kelly reeled in the No. 1 transfer class in the country, including eight players rated four-star transfer recruits. The defense rose more than 40 spots in total defense under coordinator Blake Baker and should only continue to improve. If LSU’s offensive line can maintain after losing two NFL tackles, there’s championship upside in Baton Rouge.
At long last, Clemson’s wide receiver pipeline appears fixed heading into 2025. T.J. Moore, Antonio Williams and Bryant Wesco all had impressive moments playing next to quarterback Cade Klunbik. All four players return in 2025 to key an easy favorite to win the ACC and return to the College Football Playoff. Woods leads a youth movement on defense as well, and coach Dabo Swinney proved he still has allure by poaching defensive coordinator Tom Allen from Penn State. Adding another level of shock, Swinney is taking transfers for the first time in his career. Everything is coming up Clemson.
