RADIO
1. Ohio State
For obvious reasons, the Buckeyes take the No. 1 spot in the final AP Poll after defeating Notre Dame in the 2024-25 College Football Playoff National Championship. Ohio State rebounded from a crushing loss against Michigan and dominated Tennessee and Oregon before a close win over Texas. Notre Dame rallied late on Monday night to make it a game, but Ohio State came up clutch and won its first National Title since 2014.
2. Notre Dame
What a season it was for the Irish. The 2024 campaign began with a huge win against Texas A&M at Kyle Field, but the next week brought an embarrassing loss to Northern Illinois. Marcus Freeman’s squad won 13 consecutive games thereafter, including six against ranked opponents. The Irish were outmatched against Ohio State, but the future is bright in South Bend. The goal next year will be to replace senior quarterback Riley Leonard.
3. Oregon
Dan Lanning has compiled a 35-6 record in three seasons with the Ducks, and he captured the Big Ten title in the university’s first year in the conference. A 13-0 start brought National Championship aspirations, but Oregon was another victim of Ohio State’s late-season dominance. Still, it was a successful Year 3 for Lanning. Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel are gone, so the QB spot will be one to watch for Oregon next year.
4. Texas
Texas is yet another program that had its season ended by Ohio State, but Steve Sarkisian’s squad had an excellent Year 1 in the SEC. The Longhorns lost twice to Georgia but defeated every other SEC foe that stood in its path to the SEC title game. Now, the Arch Manning era begins in Austin, and a National Championship will be the expectation.
5. Penn State
James Franklin and Penn State racked up 13 victories in 2024-25, and their three losses (Ohio State, Oregon, Notre Dame) were all by one score. It was a great season for the Nittany Lions, but it still feels like they could have accomplished more. The good news is quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen have all decided to return for another season. Here’s another fanbase itching to get back the mountaintop of college football.
6. Georgia
Georgia finishes the season as the No. 6 team in the country, and based on what Kirby Smart and co. have accomplished over the last few years, it feels like a disastrous season. However, the Dawgs still won the SEC and had several big wins in 2024. Quarterback Carson Beck is headed to Miami, so it’ll be interesting to see who Georgia rolls out as its starting signal caller next season.
7. Arizona State
Arizona State is the most surprising team on this list so far. The Sun Devils were picked to finish last in the Big 12 by the media but went on to win the conference title and take Texas to overtime in the second round of the College Football Playoff. The 34-year-old Kenny Dillingham has quickly changed ASU into a formidable program, and how they replace all-world running back Cam Skattebo will be worth watching in 2025.
8. Boise State
Boise State was the most popular pick in the preseason to represent the group of five schools in the College Football Playoff. However, no one expected the Broncos to end up with the No. 3 seed and a first-round bye. Head coach Spencer Danielson looks to be a rising star, and he’ll have to do a masterful job in 2025 to replicate this season’s success without potential first-round pick running back Ashton Jeanty.
9. Tennessee
What head coach Josh Heupel has done in four years on Rocky Top is nothing short of exceptional. The Vols won 10 games this season, marking just the second time since 2007 the program has won double-digit games. The other time was Heupel again in 2022. Tennessee is back to being one of the best programs in the SEC, but Heupel will have to find a way to get it to the next level. The ceiling is high next season in Year 2 with Nico Iamaleava at QB.
10. Indiana
Indiana won a program record 11 games in the first year under head coach Curt Cignetti. While the Hoosiers were blown out by the only two ranked opponents it faced, they finished the season with the second-best point differential per game (+21.7). That has to be one of the most impressive stats of the season. Cignetti has a 130-37 overall record as a coach, so don’t be surprised if the Hoosiers continue to compete at the top of the Big Ten.
11. Ole Miss
Ole Miss finished the 2024-25 campaign with a 10-3 record yet fell short of expectations. The Rebels boasted one of the best rosters in the nation and had a “playoff or bust” mentality under Lane Kiffin this season, but inexcusable losses to Kentucky and Florida derailed that goal. The program is once again being aggressive in the transfer portal, and Kiffin must prove he has what it takes to compete for a National Championship next season.
12. SMU
After being picked to finish seventh in the ACC, the SMU Mustangs finished the regular season without a loss in the conference. Rhett Lashlee’s squad fell just short against Clemson in the ACC title game but still snuck into the playoffs. A road trip to Penn State ended with an embarrassing loss to close the season, but quarterback Kevin Jennings will be back in 2025, and the ACC looks winnable again. The Mustangs have nothing to be ashamed of after an 11-3 campaign.
