MisterGopher
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- Nov 12, 2008
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https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6558436/2025/08/18/college-football-rankings-preseason-136/
Welcome back to college football, and for the first time in a long time, the sport didn’t reshape itself in the offseason.
No major conference realignment. No major changes to the College Football Playoff (other than a seeding tweak). And although players are now getting paid directly by the schools, they were already being paid. The Football Bowl Subdivision has grown slightly once again, however, now up to 136. Welcome, Delaware and Missouri State.
I started these rankings in 2017, when I volunteered to handle it among our tiny new staff, because I was someone who would follow every team. (There were only a mere 130 teams back then.) I love an Alabama-Georgia game. I also love a mid-week MAC game. I enjoy all of college football. That means I take every spot in these rankings seriously, and I try to explain it as best I can. You probably don’t agree. I see it in the comments. That’s OK.
Some reminders: First, yes, this is a subjective exercise. I look at analytical rankings and take them into account, but what follows is just my opinion. As the season continues, I adjust based on whom teams have played and whom they’ve beaten. The preseason rankings are just an educated guess, and I don’t hold on to them. They’ll change, sometimes rapidly, as results come in, but it usually takes a few weeks for everyone to get enough data points to form strong conclusions.
I also hold myself accountable at the end. Each year’s final rankings also include the preseason ranking. I started Ohio State at No. 1 last year, and the Buckeyes won it all. Congrats to me. I also had Arizona State at preseason No. 89 and Indiana at No. 81. Anything is possible in this beautifully dumb sport we all love.
So who will win it all in 2025? Who will be comically overlooked? Who will make the Playoff, and who will finish at No. 136?
Week 0 is here, so let’s do it. For just this preseason edition, I will have a comment for every team.
29. Iowa: South Dakota State transfer QB Mark Gronowski was a big get, but can the Hawkeyes replace the production of running back Kaleb Johnson?
39. Nebraska: Year 3 has been coach Matt Rhule’s breakthrough at his previous stops. Quarterback Dylan Raiola has a year of experience on which to build, and the defense should remain solid.
44. Minnesota: A lot of top-level talent from last year is gone, but Darius Taylor could be the best running back in the Big Ten.
64. Wisconsin: The Badgers should move back to the kind of rugged offense we expect, but new faces and a very difficult schedule could make improvement harder to spot.
Welcome back to college football, and for the first time in a long time, the sport didn’t reshape itself in the offseason.
No major conference realignment. No major changes to the College Football Playoff (other than a seeding tweak). And although players are now getting paid directly by the schools, they were already being paid. The Football Bowl Subdivision has grown slightly once again, however, now up to 136. Welcome, Delaware and Missouri State.
I started these rankings in 2017, when I volunteered to handle it among our tiny new staff, because I was someone who would follow every team. (There were only a mere 130 teams back then.) I love an Alabama-Georgia game. I also love a mid-week MAC game. I enjoy all of college football. That means I take every spot in these rankings seriously, and I try to explain it as best I can. You probably don’t agree. I see it in the comments. That’s OK.
Some reminders: First, yes, this is a subjective exercise. I look at analytical rankings and take them into account, but what follows is just my opinion. As the season continues, I adjust based on whom teams have played and whom they’ve beaten. The preseason rankings are just an educated guess, and I don’t hold on to them. They’ll change, sometimes rapidly, as results come in, but it usually takes a few weeks for everyone to get enough data points to form strong conclusions.
I also hold myself accountable at the end. Each year’s final rankings also include the preseason ranking. I started Ohio State at No. 1 last year, and the Buckeyes won it all. Congrats to me. I also had Arizona State at preseason No. 89 and Indiana at No. 81. Anything is possible in this beautifully dumb sport we all love.
So who will win it all in 2025? Who will be comically overlooked? Who will make the Playoff, and who will finish at No. 136?
Week 0 is here, so let’s do it. For just this preseason edition, I will have a comment for every team.
29. Iowa: South Dakota State transfer QB Mark Gronowski was a big get, but can the Hawkeyes replace the production of running back Kaleb Johnson?
39. Nebraska: Year 3 has been coach Matt Rhule’s breakthrough at his previous stops. Quarterback Dylan Raiola has a year of experience on which to build, and the defense should remain solid.
44. Minnesota: A lot of top-level talent from last year is gone, but Darius Taylor could be the best running back in the Big Ten.
64. Wisconsin: The Badgers should move back to the kind of rugged offense we expect, but new faces and a very difficult schedule could make improvement harder to spot.
