“Future Giants: Discover Which College Football Teams Are Poised to Dominate in 2025 According to ESPN’s Bold Predictions!”

As March Madness takes the spotlight, I can’t help but feel that there’s an itch in the back of my mind, reminding me that college football is just around the corner. Whether you’re chomping at the bit for football or simply basking in the hoopla of the NCAA tournament, one thing’s for sure: 2025 is shaping up to be a thrilling season. The 2024 season was nothing short of monumental—a historic Ohio State run culminated in an unforgettable 12-team College Football Playoff Championship! But the question is, can the Buckeyes handle the pressure and go for back-to-back titles? Or will we see a new powerhouse claim the College Football Playoff trophy? With ESPN’s SP+ rankings just released, let’s dive into which teams are poised to make their mark in the 2025-26 season. Spoiler alert: Ohio State tops the list, but who else made the cut? Let’s find out! LEARN MORE.

Meet The Wife Of Kirk Herbstreit (1:13)

It might be March Madness time, but it’s never too early to start talking college football.

The 2025 college football regular season will be here before you know it. The 2024 college football season was a historic one. Ohio State won the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, taking down Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame on way to a national championship. Will the Buckeyes be able to repeat in 2025-26 or will another team be holding up the College Football Playoff national championship trophy?

ESPN’s latest rankings model, the SP+, has come out with its top 10 teams for the 2025 season.

INGLEWOOD, CA – OCTOBER 24: ESPN analyst Kirk Edward Herbstreit during the Minnesota Vikings vs Los Angeles Rams on October 24, 2024, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Here’s who ESPN believes will be the 10 best teams in the country in 2025-26.

Ohio State
Alabama
Penn State
Georgia
Notre Dame
Oregon
Texas
Tennessee
Ole Miss
LSU

The SP+, created by Bill Connelly, uses three different things: returning production, recent recruiting and recent history.

“Using a chunk of information from previous seasons gives us a good measure of overall program health. It stands to reason that a team that has played well for one year is less likely to duplicate that effort than a team that has been good for years on end (and vice versa), right? This factor accounts for a little more than 20% of the projection, and it focuses only on what happened within the past three seasons. I used to use a weighted history stretching back five years, but that’s a less effective approach now with the changes in the sport,” he writes.

“I will update these numbers in May and August after there have been further transfers and roster changes, and my annual preview series will begin after the May numbers are posted. But for now, let’s establish the 2025 hierarchy.”

Who do you have as college football’s best teams in 2025-26?