College Football Power Rankings: Week 1 (2025)

Week 0 teased college football fans with a five-game slate, with only one head-to-head Power 4 matchup between Iowa State and Kansas State. Now, there are dozens of games to anticipate ahead of Week 1, including No. 1 Texas vs. No. 3 Ohio State, No. 9 LSU vs. No. 4 Clemson, and No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 10 Miami, which will wrap up the weekend on Sunday night.

Since nearly all teams currently ranked inside the AP Top 25 polls have not played a game yet, there won’t be much movement from my Week 0 Power Rankings. However, the latest news and reports from around college football have resulted in a few minor adjustments leading up to Saturday. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more college football betting analysis and free picks.

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College Football Power Rankings: Week 1

(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

Team	AP Rank	Week 1 Rank	Diff
Texas	1	1	0
Ohio State	3	2	+1
Penn State State	2	3	-1
Clemson	4	4	0
Notre Dame	6	5	-1
LSU	9	6	+3
Georgia	5	7	-2
Michigan	14	8	+6
Alabama	8	9	+1
Oregon	7	10	-3

1. Texas

The University of Texas will kick off a new era with quarterback Arch Manning under center as the full-time starter in 2025. Running back Tre Wisner returns in the backfield, while the Longhorns’ defense will look to build off a highly impressive 2024 season, led by LB Anthony Hill Jr.

A Week 1 road game against Ohio State during Big Noon Kickoff will set the tone for the Longhorns’ season. Texas is currently +2.5 against the Buckeyes in a revenge matchup from last year’s College Football Playoff Semi-Final.

Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian is an experienced play-caller who will put Manning in position to succeed against last year’s No. 1 defense in the country. A revamped wide receiving corps and tight end room through the transfer portal should yield plenty of production throughout 2025.

2. Ohio State

Ohio State finally won a National Championship under head coach Ryan Day. However, his OC and DC are both gone, replaced by Brian Hartline and Matt Patricia.

QB1 Julian Sayin is a freshman transfer from Alabama who won the starting job this offseason. He’ll have the top wideout in the country to target, Jeremiah Smith, while DB Caleb Downs is Ohio State’s All-American talent on defense.

3. Penn State

Penn State has the most continuity on its offense amongst these top three teams heading into 2025. QB Drew Allar is back, along with RB Kaytron Allen and RB Nicholas Singleton, forming an experienced and explosive backfield under second-year OC Andy Kotelnicki.

Head coach James Franklin will lean on Zane Durant as the star player along the Nittany Lions’ defensive line unit. Franklin led Penn State to the College Football Playoff Semi-Finals against Notre Dame in 2024. However, a late series of miscues led to a last-second loss, keeping him the subject of mass scrutiny for failing to win high-stakes games.

4. Clemson

Clemson is getting a lot of praise from the AP and I tend to agree. While the offense returns most of its starters, most notably, QB Cade Klubnik, who dominated defenses through the air in most games last season, the Tigers’ defense needs to make a big leap in 2025.

Head coach Dabo Swinney will entrust edge rusher T.J. Parker to ignite Clemson’s defense. Playing in the ACC, undoubtedly the weakest amongst Power 4 conferences, should help the Tigers return to the College Football Playoff.

Clemson’s 34-3 loss to Georgia in Week 1 last year looms large ahead of another big matchup at home against No. 9 LSU. A win would boost confidence throughout the team and its fanbase, while a loss could crater momentum.

5. Notre Dame

Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love is back to lead the Fighting Irish offense following their National Championship loss to Ohio State. Head coach Marcus Freeman will likely continue to emphasize the line of scrimmage with redshirt freshman CJ Carr under center.

The Fighting Irish defense was an elite group in 2024. It held opponents to 15.5 points per game, fifth-lowest in the FBS. If Notre Dame can continue to limit opponent production, while feeding Love successful touches, they should be right back in the mix for a deep run in the College Football Playoff.

6. Georgia

Georgia gets a fresh start with QB Carson Beck transferring to Miami this offseason. Now it’s Gunnar Stockton’s time to shine for the Bulldogs. He filled in admirably during the SEC Championship Game and College Football Playoffs, so it’ll be interesting to watch his development as a full-time starter.

Smart landed former USC WR Zachariah Branch via transfer portal to beef up Georgia’s wide receiving corps in 2025, along with WR Noah Thomas from Texas A&M. Expect another top-20 defense, which could carry a new-look offense building rapport in the early stage of this season.

7. LSU

LSU head coach Brian Kelly needs to find a way to win a Week 1 game. Unfortunately, it’s a prime-time road tilt against No. 4 Clemson, so this feat won’t come easily. The Tigers return senior QB Garrett Nussmeier after he threw for over 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024.

LSU’s defense is another unit that needs to improve this season. They finished 2024 with 24.3 points allowed per game, ranked 59th in the country. Four defensive starters were added via transfer portal in an attempt to tighten up in 2025, with two along the defensive line and two more prospects in the Tigers’ secondary.

8. Oregon

The Oregon Ducks’ undefeated record was shattered during their College Football Playoff rematch against Ohio State. The Ducks’ lopsided loss has kept them a relatively quiet talking point for a team remaining ranked inside the AP Top 10.

QB Dillon Gabriel was drafted by the Cleveland Browns. Now, head coach Dan Lanning turns to sophomore transfer QB Dante Moore. Former Florida State WR Malik Benson and former Tulane RB Makhi Hughes were big skilled player additions via transfer portal for Oregon this offseason.

The big question is how much time it will take for the Ducks’ new offense to gel. A relatively soft schedule, before back-to-back games against No. 2 Penn State and No. 20 Indiana to open up conference play, could be enough time to build rapport.

9. Alabama

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer will be happy to leave his first season in Tuscaloosa in the rearview mirror. Now, redshirt junior QB Ty Simpson steps in as DeBoer’s QB1, replacing Jalen Milroe.

The Crimson Tide were a top-ten defense under DeBoer in 2024, holding opponents to 17.4 points per game. Losses Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Oklahoma derailed a lot of credit from this unit.

Now, it’s time for the offense to elevate in 2025. Alabama added Isaiah Horton from Miami (FL) to join WR Ryan Williams, while RB Jam Miller will continue to handle RB1 duties in 2025 after averaging 4.6 YPC last season.

10. Michigan