College Football Preseason Rankings of 2025 Favorably Lean Towards the SEC and Big Ten Conferences
The 2025 college football season is shaping up to be an exciting one, with the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Big Ten Conferences leading the way in the preseason polls.
The SEC's dominance is evident in the preseason rankings, with multiple top-ranked teams such as No. 1 Texas, No. 5 Georgia, No. 8 Alabama, and No. 9 LSU. The conference's depth is further showcased by the presence of teams like South Carolina, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and Tennessee in the preseason Top 25. This broad strength, even beyond the elite programs, has secured the SEC's top spot in the preseason rankings, despite recent postseason shortcomings [1][4].
The Big Ten's emergence as a formidable contender is underscored by its impressive performance against the SEC in 2024. The Big Ten won 6 out of 10 games against the SEC, including a dominant 5-1 postseason record. Successes by Ohio State, Michigan, Illinois, and USC against SEC teams have reinforced the Big Ten's growing dominance. The conference's addition of powerhouse programs like USC, Oregon, and Washington, combined with traditional strengths, has enhanced its talent base and stadium atmosphere. Urban Meyer highlighted that recruiting and coaching levels have become nearly even with the SEC, closing previous gaps [2].
The competitive balance at the top is another factor contributing to the dominance of these two conferences. The Big Ten's top programs—Ohio State, Penn State, and Oregon—compare favourably to SEC powers like Georgia, Texas, and Alabama. While the SEC still likely has a slight edge in the second tier of teams, the Big Ten has solid middle-tier teams like Iowa, Nebraska, and USC that can rival the SEC's depth [4].
Both conferences face challenging schedules in 2025, adding to the challenge and emphasizing their depth, resilience, and talent. Teams like Wisconsin, Florida, Arkansas, Ohio State, and South Carolina will confront some of college football's toughest lineups, making performance in these games a major factor in preseason perceptions [3].
Notable mentions in the preseason polls include Notre Dame, Illinois, the Alabama Crimson Tide, Oklahoma, Arizona State, and SMU. Notre Dame is the highest ranked non-Big Ten/SEC team, with Marcus Freeman turning to a new starting quarterback. Illinois returns a bevy of starters on both sides of scrimmage, including QB Luke Altmyer and DB Xavier Scott. The Alabama Crimson Tide do not open as a top-five team for the first time since Nick Saban's initial season in Tuscaloosa [1]. Oklahoma is outside the top 10 in the preseason polls for the third consecutive year, something that last happened 1996-2000. The Arizona State Sun Devils are ranked No. 11/11 in the preseason polls, their highest since 1998. SMU is ranked in the preseason polls for the first time in 40 years, after a series of conferences and NCAA-imposed bans [1].
The top-ranked Texas Longhorns and No. 3/2 Ohio State Buckeyes will meet in the season opener on August 30. Texas Tech is ranked in the preseason polls for the first time since 2018. They last appeared in the preseason top 25 in 2008. Boise State is the only non-power conference team ranked in either preseason poll [1].
The SEC and Big Ten conferences occupy 16 spots in the AP preseason poll and 15 in the coaches' preseason poll, with Texas leading the Big Ten and SEC, occupying seven of the top nine spots in both polls, and 11 of the top 15 [1]. The SEC expanded to 16 teams by welcoming Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12, and the Big Ten swelled to 18 teams with the addition of USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington from the Pac-12 [1].
Indiana's 11-2 campaign in 2021 was the first time in their school history they won more than nine games. Bret Bielema's Fighting Illini had a 10-3 season last year, their first such season since 2001. Florida returns to the preseason polls after a three-year hiatus, finishing 2024 with four straight wins. Illinois and Indiana are both ranked in the preseason polls for the first time together [1].
The super conference model is not yet a part of the college football landscape.
[1] - Source: ESPN College Football Power Rankings [2] - Source: Urban Meyer Interview, Fox Sports [3] - Source: CBS Sports College Football Schedules [4] - Source: USA Today College Football Analysis
- The Texas Longhorns, currently ranked number one, will face stiff competition from the Ohio State Buckeyes in the season opener on August 30, a highly anticipated matchup amidst the 2025 college football rankings, with both teams being prominent in both the AP and coaches' polls.
- Headlining the college football top 25, star-studded actors like Matthew McConaughey, who graduated from the University of Texas, have expressed excitement about the football season, with conferences such as the SEC and Big Ten filling the rankings with exceptional teams like the Texas Longhorns, Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Notre Dame football, among others.
