The 2025 college football season will mark the 11th year of the College Football Playoff and the second year of the 12-team College Football Playoff on ESPN. Alabama leads the way with three national titles in the era, followed by Clemson, Ohio State and Georgia with two a piece. Michigan and LSU have also won a title in the CFP era.
Preseason is all about optimism, so why can’t your team make the Playoff this season? Well, ESPN has ranked the top 32 contenders that could make the College Football Playoff (and possibly win a national title) this season. Check out ESPN’s full list below:
Toughest Games: at Ohio State, at Georgia, at Florida. BetMGM National Title Odds: +500
Texas heads into the first year of the Arch Manning era fresh off a 13-3 (7-1) season and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. The Longhorns won two games in the Playoff before falling to Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. Along with Manning, the Longhorns return big-time playmakers in running back Tre Wisner, wide receiver Ryan Wingo, linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and defensive back Michael Taaffe. Coach Steve Sarkisian‘s team is seeking a third consecutive appearance in the College Football Playoff and its first National Championship since 2005, and ESPN favors the Horns.
Toughest Games: vs. Texas, vs. Alabama, at Tennessee. BetMGM National Title Odds: +700
Georgia finished with an 11-3 (6-2) record in 2024, but fell in the Sugar Bowl due to Carson Beck‘s untimely injury in the SEC Championship Game. Still, ESPN likes the Bulldogs. Quarterback Gunner Stockton has now had an entire offseason to prepare, aided by last season’s leading rusher, Nate Frazier. Georgia did lose its two leading receivers in Arian Smith and Dominic Lovett, but hauled in star receiver Zachariah Branch from USC. The Bulldogs are expected to be right there in the mix back at the top of the SEC and compete for a National Championship this season.
Toughest Games: vs. Texas, vs. Penn State, at Michigan. BetMGM National Title Odds: +525
Ohio State took advantage of the new 12-team College Football Playoff last season and won the National Championship as a No. 8 seed. The Buckeyes lost a ton of production to the 2025 NFL Draft, but still return a strong core led by two of the best players in the sport, DB Caleb Downs and WR Jeremiah Smith. There are still questions at the quarterback position and on defense, but Ryan Day‘s team should be heading into “The Game” this season as locks for the Playoff once again.
Toughest Games: at Georgia, vs. LSU, vs. Tennessee. BetMGM National Title Odds: +1200
The first year of the Kalen DeBoer era in Tuscaloosa was a tad disappointing (compared to Alabama‘s standards), as the Crimson Tide finished with a 9-4 (5-3) record and lost to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. DeBoer’s second team, however, is projected to get back near the top of the college football world as it ventures into the Ty Simpson era at quarterback. Simpson will have talented running back Jam Miller back in the backfield, along with superstar wide receiver Ryan Williams and second-leading receiver Germie Bernard down the field. With a talented defense led by returning linebackers Deontae Lawson and Justin Jefferson, the Tide should be back in the national title conversation this season.
Toughest Games: at Ohio State, vs. Oregon, vs. Indiana. BetMGM National Title Odds: +700
After a surprising run to the College Football Playoff Semifinal last season, Penn State opens its 2025 campaign as a trendy pick to win the National Championship. James Franklin‘s team returns one of the best cores in the country, including its starting quarterback Drew Allar, running back Nick Singleton and a handful of its best defensive players (Zakee Wheatley and Tony Rojas to name a few). The Nittany Lions are seeking back-to-back Playoff appearances and their first national title since 1986.
Toughest Games: at Penn State, vs. Indiana, at Iowa. BetMGM National Title Odds: +900
Of the Top 10 teams in this ranking, Oregon likely enjoys the easiest schedule, thus ESPN is watching it. This comes one season after the Ducks plowed through the Big Ten conference with a 13-0 record and a win in the conference title game. Dan Lanning‘s team, however, will look to bounce back from a disappointing 41-21 loss to Ohio State in its first College Football Playoff Game (Rose Bowl). The Ducks likely aren’t as talented as last season, but should still be back in the Playoff mix this season.
Toughest Games: vs. LSU, at Louisville, at South Carolina. BetMGM National Title Odds: +900
Following a three-year absence, Clemson made an appearance in the College Football Playoff last season but fell in the First Round to Texas. This has marked a return to national relevancy for the program, which returns a strong core and enters the 2025 season as one of the odds on favorites to win its third National Championship of the Dabo Swinney era. With an improved defense and a fourth-year Cade Klubnik, the Tigers seemed poised to be a true threat by season’s end.
Toughest Games: vs. Notre Dame, vs. Florida, vs. Louisville. BetMGM National Title Odds: +3000
Truly, the one eyebrow raiser on this list could be the Miami Hurricanes, but it did haul in a quarterback with College Football Playoff experience in Carson Beck this offseason. That has ESPN interested. If it didn’t suffer a brutal loss to Syracuse in the final week of the 2024 regular season, the Hurricanes would be seeking back-to-back Playoff appearances this year. If it can win just two of its three biggest games against Notre Dame, Florida, or Louisville, Mario Cristobal’s team could put itself in a great position to finally break into the Playoff bubble.
Toughest Games: at Miami, vs. Texas A&M, vs. USC. BetMGM National Title Odds: +1200
Other than an embarrassing home loss to Northern Illinois last season, the 2024 campaign was a brilliant one for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Marcus Freeman’s team landed in the National Championship Game for the first time since 2013, providing a true outlook for the future of the program. Although there are a few question marks on offense, a strong returning defense will have the Irish in a good position to make another trip to the Playoff by the end of the season.
Toughest Games: at Alabama, vs. Georgia, at Florida. BetMGM National Title Odds: +4000
Tennessee enters the 2025 season as one of the biggest questions in the entire conference. Starting QB Nico Iamaleava surprisingly entered the Transfer Portal in the Spring and headed to UCLA, leaving Appalachian State/UCLA transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar as the starter in Knoxville. The ‘Vols also lost their leading rusher in Dylan Sampson and their three leading receivers in Dont’e Thornton, Bru McCoy and Squirrel White, ensuring a blank slate for the offense. Josh Heupel‘s team, however, returns five of its six leading tacklers from last season, ensuring some consistency on that side of the ball.
Teams 11-32
11. Texas A&M Aggies
12. Ole Miss Rebels
13. LSU Tigers
14. Michigan Wolverines
15. Boise State Broncos
16. Tulane Green Wave
17. Kansas State Wildcats
18. Auburn Tigers
19. UNLV Rebels
20. SMU Mustangs
21. USC Trojans
22. South Carolina Gamecocks
23. Oklahoma Sooners
24. Arizona State Sun Devils
25. Florida Gators
26. Kansas Jayhawks
27. BYU Cougars
28. Virginia Tech Hokies
29. Baylor Bears
30. Nebraska Cornhuskers
31. TCU Horned Frogs
32. Texas Tech Red Raiders
