College Football Power Rankings: Clemson Football, Ohio State Football Sit Atop the 136 FBS Teams

With the slamming shut of the transfer portal window and spring football truly in the rearview mirror, we’ve never had a clearer indicator of where teams are heading into the 2025 college football season than we have right now. There are still quarterback battles to decide and depth charts to be revealed, but right now is the best time to release our early 1-136 College Football Power Rankings.

136) Kent State Golden Flashes

Despite boasting one of the most underrated pass catchers in college football, Chrishon McCray, the Kent State Golden Flashes went winless last fall and finished near the bottom of the FBS for almost every conceivable metric.

Now, they’ve lost their best player after the talented pass catcher headed to the Michigan State Spartans via the transfer portal. An offseason of turmoil also included head coach Kenni Burns being fired for violations of contract. Offensive coordinator Mark Carney was elevated to replace him, but he’ll need more than “interim luck” to propel the team out of the college football dungeons.

135) Marshall Thundering Herd

Just 29 players who contributed to the Marshall Thundering Herd’s 2024 Sun Belt title return for the 2025 CFB campaign. Of those, just three played over 300 snaps a year ago. The transfer portal has ravaged the program, with the departure of head coach Charles Huff providing a catalyst for an exodus.

Tony Gibson added some talent from the portal since taking over, with former McNeese State running back Jo’Shon Barbie (914 total yards, nine touchdowns in 2024) providing some juice to a dilapidated offense. However, there aren’t many — if any — teams that have to deal with such a devastating overhaul this season.

134) Kennesaw State Owls

Jerry Mack returns to the head coaching arena in 2025 after replacing Brian Bohannon at the helm of the Kennesaw State Owls. Mack will be charged with transforming the fortunes of a program that had some exciting moments (like beating the Liberty Flames) in 2024, but ultimately struggled in Year 1 at the FBS level.

Mack has a 31-15 overall record and three MEAC titles under his belt, but hasn’t led a program since 2017. He inherits a roster that returns star linebacker Garland Benyard. Still, for a head coach whose recent coaching gigs have seen him develop running backs, there isn’t much to be excited about from an offensive perspective. We’ve seen Year 2 turnarounds in CUSA, but that might be a stretch for the Owls.

133) UMass Minutemen

Joe Harasymiak gets his first shot at a head coaching role with the UMass Minutemen in 2025 and will be tasked with guiding the program through a conference schedule for the first time since 2015. The Minutemen return to the MAC following what was essentially a test run they failed last fall, losing all six of their matches to conference teams.

The new head coach inherits a team that only beat non-FBS teams a year ago and lost 68% of their total snaps. The former Rutgers Scarlet Knights defensive coordinator should shore up that side of the ball, and AJ Hairston vs. incoming transfer Grant Jordan should be an interesting quarterback battle. Yet, they face multiple probable MAC frontrunners on what could prove a difficult 2025 schedule.

132) Delaware Blue Hens

The Delaware Blue Hens finished their final FCS campaign before moving to CUSA with an unblemished home record amid a 9-2 overall campaign. Both quarterbacks who saw significant snaps (Nick Minicucci and Zach Marker) make the leap with the program. While leading rusher Marcus Yarns departed, Jo’Nathan Silver is a talented running back who could be a star for the program.

That said, Ryan Carty’s team faces a baptism of fire in their first FBS season, with trips to the previous two CUSA champions on their conference schedule and the consistently strong Western Kentucky Hilltoppers making the journey to Newark. The program has added very little FBS experience to the roster this offseason, which could come back to haunt the Blue Hens in their debut campaign.

131) Missouri State Bears

Last season, the Missouri State Bears were predicted to finish ninth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, but finished the year fifth with an 8-4 record. It’s a cautionary tale about ruling out Ryan Beard’s side ahead of the transition to the FBS in CUSA, especially after they proved they could mix in with Group of Five programs during a close game with the Ball State Cardinals last fall.

Quarterback Jacob Clark is a 6’5″, 220-pound difference-maker who shone in his first full season under center. The return of the former Minnesota Golden Gopher should give the Bears a better shot at early success than the other FCS convert. However, they’ll need to run a gauntlet that includes the USC Trojans in Week 1 and the SMU Mustangs in Week 3.

130) Akron Zips

There are very few certainties in college football, especially in the modern era, where NIL and the transfer portal can change the fortunes of a program in the blink of an eye. However, we know for certain that the Akron Zips won’t be eligible for a bowl game in the 2025 season due to academic issues within the football team.

While that might not seem a big deal for an outfit that hasn’t been to a postseason showcase game since 2017, Joe Moorhead’s team had shown signs of competitiveness last fall, compiling its best record since 2018. Quarterback Ben Finley is back on the roster for the upcoming campaign, but the loss of his go-to target (Adrian Norton) is a significant disadvantage for the MAC program.

129) Tulsa Golden Hurricane

After tying the program’s worst American Athletic Conference record (1-7) and compiling a 7-16 overall record, the Tulsa Golden Hurricane cut bait with Kevin Wilson. He’ll be replaced by former East Tennessee State head coach Tre Lamb, who led the team to their first winning record since 2021 in his only season in charge.

Lamb added Brad Robbins to his coaching staff, fresh off a season where he extracted the maximum out of UConn Huskies quarterback Joe Fagnano. The duo will have their work cut out for them establishing an offensive identity with an o-line lacking experience. However, they made some portal moves to remedy a defense that ranked 133rd in the country for points allowed a year ago.

128) Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

The good news for Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders fans is that the program returns 67.6% of its 2024 production for the upcoming campaign. The bad news is that production resulted in a 3-9 record in Derek Mason’s first year, with the team declining in several metrics and featuring near the bottom of the FBS across a raft of basic and more advanced measurements last fall.

Nonetheless, there is some positive news with the return of quarterback Nicholas Vattiato, a gunslinger who has tallied over 3,000 passing yards in successive seasons despite changing coaching staffs. He led CUSA in completions, attempts, and passing yards per game a year ago and has game-changing potential. However, he also led the conference in interceptions and guided the offense to just 18.1 points per game a year ago.

127) New Mexico State Aggies

After the highs of a run to the CUSA Championship Game in 2023, the New Mexico State Aggies came crashing back to earth last fall with a 3-9 campaign that lacked the swashbuckling excitement of Diego Pavia’s influence. Running back Seth McGowan did provide an offensive spark, and it looked like Tony Sanchez would have his standout weapon at his disposal when he was on the spring roster.

However, McGowan entered the portal in the spring window and found a new home with the Kentucky Wildcats. With several starting offensive linemen also no longer on campus, the Aggies’ offense has plenty of question marks hanging over it as they attempt to navigate a schedule that features road trips to Liberty and Western Kentucky.

126) UTEP Miners

When Scotty Walden took over ahead of last season, there were high hopes for exciting football in El Paso. However, the result was a 3-9 record, an offense that struggled to put points on the board due to QB injuries and inconsistency, and a defense that hemorrhaged 32.3 ppg on average despite facing a schedule with an opponent win percentage below .500.

There’s an element of similar excitement heading into the 2025 season, too, following the capture of former five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson from the transfer portal. That should be tempered, with the former USC and Boise State passer yet to establish himself at the college level. The Miners lack the hard-nosed rushing attack that has often been successful, and also lost Kyran Duhon to the portal.

125) Ball State Cardinals

After going 3-9 in the 2024 campaign, it’s been an offseason of change for the Ball State Cardinals. Mike Uremovich takes over from Mike Neu, fresh off a season where he guided the Butler Bulldogs to their first-ever national ranking in football history with a 9-3 record. The new head coach added some exciting offensive playmakers while addressing a defense that ranked 132nd in the nation in 2024.

However, the Cardinals lost their starting quarterback (Kadin Semonza) and one of the top tight ends in college football (Tanner Koziol) to the transfer portal. They also face a schedule containing road trips to Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, Toledo, and Miami (OH) — all programs expected to challenge for a MAC title. As such, another three-win campaign might be the ceiling for this team.

124) UAB Blazers

Once a consistent challenger at the forefront of Group of Five football, the UAB Blazers have had a rough go of it in the past two seasons, with their three-win 2024 campaign the worst overall record since 2013. The transition to the AAC from CUSA hasn’t been smooth, and head coach Trent Dilfer is regularly the subject of hot-seat coaching conversation around the sport’s media landscape.

Dilfer turned to the transfer portal and two-time Super Bowl champion Steve Russ (defensive coordinator) to try to overhaul a defense that allowed 34.2 points per game (120th) last fall.

A Week 2 matchup against Navy will be an early test of how successful those changes have been. They added talented Group of Five playmakers, and some offensive additions have Power Four experience, but UAB’s offense will still go through Jalen Kitna, which might be a problem.

123) New Mexico Lobos

2024 was a highlight year for the New Mexico Lobos behind Bronco Mendenhall and one of the most exciting offenses in CFB. The program recorded its best finish since 2016 and secured some notable victories. Yet, 2024 is already a distant memory for a team that saw more offseason turnover than most, including some of the integral parts of last fall’s success.

Offensive coordinator Jason Beck parlayed a top-25 scoring unit into a new job with the Utah Utes. Quarterback Devon Dampier quickly followed him to the Big 12 outfit, while Mendenhall landed the Utah State job.

Former Idaho HC Jason Eck arrives in Albuquerque, and he’s bolstered the team with a ton of talent. But how quickly can that team come together amid a schedule that features road trips to Michigan, Boise State, and UNLV?

122) Nevada Wolf Pack

Jeff Choate’s team made some college football waves last fall, registering landmark wins against Troy and Oregon State. However, they fell away down the stretch, losing six consecutive games and ending the year with a 3-10 overall record. Nevada also went winless in the Mountain West, the only team to not register a win in the conference, and two games behind Wyoming.

Since then, they’ve lost starting quarterback Brendon Lewis to the Memphis Tigers, with several of their most talented players leaving the program in both portal windows. Hosting both Boise State and UNLV is better than playing them on the road, but the presence of both teams, plus San Jose State and a road trip to Fresno State, makes for a tough road to anything more than three wins in 2025.

121) Wyoming Cowboys

Replacing a Wyoming Cowboys legend like Craig Bohl was never going to be easy for Jay Sawvel. So it came to pass that his first season as the head coach in Laramie contained few bright spots.

The defense was poor, the offense was worse, and although they beat New Mexico and Washington State (and were involved in some close defeats), a 3-9 record was the worst 12-game season since 2015.

The return of tight end John Michael Gyllenborg is a huge bonus for the program, and they boast an offensive line with experience (five players with over 450 snaps last fall) to protect second-year starter Kaden Anderson. However, the departure of Harrison Waylee and several other key players could mean another difficult campaign for the Cowboys. At least they avoid Boise State on the schedule.

120) Oklahoma State Cowboys

The Oklahoma State Cowboys recorded just their second losing season of the Mike Gundy era in 2024, as poor performance and questionable opinions from their head coach shrouded the program in question marks. The charismatic leader of the Big 12 outfit took a pay cut to remain at the helm for the 2025 season, but it might be too much to expect a return to winning ways.

The addition of Duhon, the former UTEP standout, bolsters a defense that lost some key parts, while the transfer portal provided several experienced and talented offensive linemen. Former Georgia State RB Freddie Brock gives them a dangerous backfield weapon, but the QB room is extremely unproven in a conference with plenty of high-powered passers.

119) Georgia State Panthers

On the face of it, the first season of the Dell McGee era was far from a success for the Georgia State Panthers. After beating Vanderbilt early, the Panthers recorded a 3-9 season, the worst for the program since 2018, with just one conference win (against Texas State on the road) and several blowouts in conference play.

McGee is building something at Georgia State, that’s for sure. He’s done a phenomenal job recruiting during his brief spell in charge. Meanwhile, he managed to lure several Power Four playmakers from the transfer portal this offseason, including Georgia running back Branson Robinson.

Yet, they also lost some talent, need an answer at quarterback, and face a difficult out-of-conference slate to start the year that could set the tone for their Sun Belt campaign.

118) Oregon State Beavers

The Oregon State Beavers remain in a Pac-12 no-man’s land from a national perspective, and after the scheduling agreement with the Mountain West fell apart (after a year where the program only managed a 5-7 record), they’ll face road trips to the reigning Big Ten champion Oregon Ducks and a Texas Tech team that had arguably the best season of any team.

Of course, there are some winnable games, but a difficult road lies ahead. Returning Anthony Hankerson and Trent Walker to the roster is a significant boost (both could have attracted attention in the transfer portal), and head coach Trent Bray has put his faith in former Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy to provide some impetus for the 95th-ranked scoring offense in the country from 2024.

117) FIU Golden Panthers

After three successive four-win seasons under Mike MacIntyre, the FIU Golden Panthers opted for a change of direction for the 2025 season, bringing in Willie Simmons from the Florida A&M Rattlers. Although he had some offseason wins, Simmons has his work cut out to establish a team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2018 as a legitimate contender in a growing Conference USA.

Retaining the services of quarterback Keyone Jenkins after a dalliance with the transfer portal is a definite win, as is Simmons’ ability to attract some Power Four talent to the roster. However, they lost electric wide receiver Eric Rivers to Georgia Tech, and the best parts of a defense that could create difficulties at times last fall are no longer there. The CUSA schedule is suboptimal, too.

116) Temple Owls

Through two different head coaches, the Temple Owls have failed to register more than three wins in a season since 2019. The program cut bait with Stan Drayton before the end of the 2024 campaign, and turned to legendary FCS head coach and former Sam Houston Bearkats leader K.C. Keeler in an attempt to return the team to the highs of the mid-2010s Matt Rhule era.

Keeler is absolutely the man to get the job done. However, it could take a year to get the program turned around and competitive.

He added some experience and productivity on both sides of the ball, with running back Jay Ducker an upgrade on anything the Owls had offensively last year. Avoiding Memphis on the schedule is a bonus, but Temple still faces Tulane, Navy, and a strong East Carolina outfit.

115) Central Michigan Chippewas

The Central Michigan Chippewas made one of the best offseason hires of any team, bringing in former Army offensive line coach Matt Drinkall to replace Jim McElwain. Under Drinkall’s tutelage, the Black Knights have had one of the most dangerous OL units in the country, with a Joe Moore Award finalist spot a testament to his influence for a traditionally undersized unit.

MORE: Best College Football Transfer Portal Pickup for All 136 Teams

The new Central Michigan HC has already rebuilt the left side of the Chippewas’ offensive line in the transfer portal, while adding some key components to the ground game. The return of linebacker Jordan Kwiatkowski after a flirtation with the transfer portal is huge. Yet, there’s a substantial transition in place for the MAC team that could take until past midseason to settle.

114) Charlotte 49ers

Tim Albin made the Ohio Bobcats one of the top Group of Five teams in the country and will now look to repeat that standard with a Charlotte 49ers team that didn’t quite get it right with Biff Poggi. While expectations will be high amid the excitement of his hire, Albin has his work cut out for him with the 49ers, and it’s worth noting that his first year with Ohio ended in a 3-9 campaign.

A similar road map to turning the program around might be Charlotte’s ceiling this fall. The 49ers’ out-of-conference slate is rough (North Carolina and Georgia), while their AAC schedule features road trips to Tulane, East Carolina, and Army. The 49ers have very little returning production, and their portal moves to date feature players with promise who have yet to prove anything at the collegiate level.

113) Southern Miss Golden Eagles

If you’re looking for a team to make a substantial leap up our CFB power rankings, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles might well be them. They’re already substantially higher than where they ended the 2024 campaign, a season that saw a galling 1-11 record with a winless Sun Belt slate. The only win last fall was against FCS opposition, and Will Hall paid the price with his job.

The Golden Eagles bring in Huff, fresh from winning the conference with Marshall. The highly regarded coach has brought a good chunk of that Herd team with him, with 58% of pre-spring window transfers arriving from Marshall. After the team averaged 174.9 passing yards per game with just seven passing touchdowns, Braylon Braxton is the most critical acquisition.

112) Purdue Boilermakers

After a three-year head coaching sabbatical, Barry Odom parlayed a two-year stint in the Mountain West with the UNLV Rebels into a return to the Power Four with the Purdue Boilermakers.

The Big Ten outfit parted ways with Ryan Walters after two diabolically poor seasons and should see some immediate improvement under their new HC. The question is, how much and how quickly?

Odom has enlisted a large transfer portal class consisting of standout Group of Five players and some unproven talents. Keeping RB Devin Mockobee is also key to establishing this team early. However, there are five preseason-ranked teams on their schedule, which doesn’t include a trip to a strong Washington Huskies team and a visit from USC. A one-year turnaround will be tough.

111) Washington State Cougars

The trio of Jake Dickert, Ben Arbuckle, and John Mateer worked miracles for the Washington State Cougars last fall, making them one of the most exciting teams to watch in the country despite them languishing in the remnants of the disbanded Pac-12. Sadly for Cougars’ fans, the trio all left town this offseason, with the head coach headed to Wake Forest and the other two to Oklahoma.

The program found a high-level replacement in Jimmy Rogers, who tasted FCS national title success at South Dakota State. However, he inherits a shell of a team decimated by the transfer portal and NFL departures, and many of the replacements are making a leap in level this fall. There’s talent among them, including Kirby Vorhees and Angel Johnson, and a light schedule will help ease the transition.

110) Stanford Cardinal

In 2023, it was the start of the Troy Taylor era. In 2024, it was the start of the ACC era. In 2025, a new era of Stanford Cardinal football begins, except there’s a sense of familiarity this time.

Legendary quarterback Andrew Luck returns to the university to have a significant hand in the program’s direction. Can the record-setting former Cardinal transform Stanford’s fortunes immediately?

It feels unlikely. They’ll operate under an interim HC for the 2025 campaign, with Frank Reich announced at the end of March. Since then, the Cardinal snagged Dylan Rizk from the transfer portal, arguably an upgrade at the QB position.

Still, there’s much uncertainty about the roster, and 33% of Stanford’s 2025 schedule features teams that are currently ranked, including ACC frontrunners SMU and Miami. On the positive side, they avoid Clemson.

109) Mississippi State Bulldogs

After going 2-10 and winless in the SEC last fall, the Mississippi State Bulldogs enter the 2025 season staring up from the basement of the conference. After an offseason that posed more questions than answers regarding a Year 2 leap under Jeff Lebby, there is little optimism about a turnaround coming soon in Starkville.

After missing most of last season, quarterback Blake Shapen returns to the program, offering some familiarity even if most Bulldogs fans would have preferred not to let promising young passer Michael Van Buren Jr. out the door.

Mississippi State’s schedule features seven preseason-ranked teams, including four that played in the College Football Playoff in 2024. Brutal.

108) Air Force Falcons

The Air Force Falcons haven’t had consecutive losing seasons under Troy Calhoun since the 2017 and 2018 campaigns, which is the sort of psychological boost a team coming off a 5-7 record could use. Furthermore, the Mountain West outfit won the last four games of the season (three by more than one score) to carry momentum through the offseason and hopefully into 2025.

Those hopes are boosted by continuity, with Quentin Hayes now firmly entrenched as the starter — and a dangerous one at that. Some potent defensive playmakers return, including Daniel Grobe and Payton Zdroik.

However, Air Force is likely to be the third-best service academy, meaning two probable defeats before you even get to the rest of a schedule featuring Boise State (home) and UNLV (road).

107) Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks

Bryant Vincent did an incredible job early on in his first season with the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks, beating teams expected to contend at the top of the Sun Belt and giving fans a slim glimpse of a potential postseason berth. Sadly, it slipped away down the stretch as the program encountered the two eventual title protagonists as part of a six-game slide.

Vincent’s team suffered a significant loss with star running back Ahmad Hardy entering the transfer portal. The Warhawks looked to have found a highly productive replacement in Antonio Martin Jr., but he was in and out in the space of the spring, landing with Kansas State. Offseason losses outweigh the sum of Louisiana-Monroe’s incoming talent, and a tough three-game stretch to end the year could prove costly.

106) Rice Owls

After seven seasons in charge of the Rice Owls, Mike Bloomgren left the program to be replaced by Scott Abell. The former Davidson Wildcats HC compiled an impressive record in the FCS, transforming a program that hadn’t won more than two games in a season since 2011 into a regular in the FCS playoffs, leaning on a strong ground game to have consistently dangerous offenses.

While a celebrated hire, Abell is inexperienced at the FBS level. Meanwhile, running back Dean Connors, arguably Rice’s top player for the past two seasons, is gone, as are starting quarterback E.J. Warner and several important offensive linemen. Abell hasn’t added much from the transfer portal and faces stern tests on the road at Louisiana, Navy, and UTSA, with Memphis at home on Halloween.

105) Hawaii Rainbow Warriors

The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors haven’t been bowl-eligible since 2020, and certain pitfalls could see them extend that run this fall. They lost two of their best players to Power Four teams in the transfer portal, alongside some losses to exhausted eligibility. Hawaii has a strong out-of-conference schedule, and its Mountain West slate opens against Fresno State and features several tough road games.

Those factors power their positioning in our college football power rankings. However, there is potential for a move up.

A lack of Boise State on the schedule is a bonus. Meanwhile, young quarterback Micah Alejado has the legitimate talent to run Timmy Chang’s offense. Plus, the Rainbow Warriors retained two important playmakers in Pofele Ashlock and Nick Cenacle.

104) Florida Atlantic Owls

Tom Herman didn’t even last two seasons in Boca Raton before being replaced, and the capture of Zach Kittley as the new head coach is certainly a tick in the offseason plus column for the Florida Atlantic Owls. The highly regarded former OC has been around some of the more high-powered units in recent college football history, returning some excitement to the AAC outfit.

Kittley grabbed former Western Kentucky quarterback Caden Veltkamp out of the transfer portal, a passer more than capable of powering his new head coach’s offense. However, just one offensive lineman played over 400 snaps last fall, they lost star running back CJ Campbell Jr., and the Owls’ schedule features Navy, Tulane, and Memphis, which could hamstring any chance of Year 1 success.

103) San Diego State Aztecs

In Sean Lewis’ first season in charge of the San Diego State Aztecs, the program saw some minor improvement from a previously sluggish offense. However, it wasn’t the significant step most expected (116th for scoring offense), and the defense took a step backward in allowing 29.6 ppg after averaging just 26.8 in 2023 and 20.5 in 2022.

Marquez Cooper ended his college football journey this offseason, while talented young quarterback Danny O’Neil entered the portal. Those departures won’t help the Aztecs’ second-year growth under Lewis, nor will road games at Washington State and Fresno State. The addition of Bert Emanuel Jr. and the retention of star EDGE Trey White were huge offseason moves.

102) Northwestern Wildcats

David Braun was the feel-good story of the 2023 CFB season, but he felt the fickle nature of the sport last fall as his Northwestern Wildcats ranked in the bottom half of the FBS across a raft of basic and advanced metrics while slumping to a 4-8 record. They averaged just 17.8 points per game due to mediocre QB play.

The Wildcats will ride or die on the back of their solution to that issue. Preston Stone was a significant addition from the transfer portal, depending on which version of the former SMU quarterback turns up in 2025. His form took a dip in 2024 following injury, but when he’s at his best, Stone is a dangerous and talented passer.

Northwestern will need that in an ultra-competitive Big Ten.

101) Kentucky Wildcats

The Wildcats recorded their worst record since 2013 and the second-worst of the Mark Stoops era last fall. That ended a run of eight consecutive bowl game appearances, a program record. In some ways, Stoops became a victim of his own success, with an elevated sense of expectation for a football program that has historically played second fiddle to basketball.

The offseason saw an influx of highly regarded Group of Five offensive linemen (notably Alex Wollschlaeger and Shiyazh Pete) and former Oregon and Nebraska rusher Dante Dowdell. But the biggest roll of the dice will be gambling on Zach Calzada being able to replicate his FCS form on his return to the SEC.

An early test against Ole Miss might provide the answer sooner rather than later, while consecutive road games at South Carolina and Georgia are potential will-breakers as September turns to October.

100) Houston Cougars

Year 1 of the Willie Fritz era with the Houston Cougars didn’t match up to expectations. However, to be fair to the former Tulane head coach, he inherited a dumpster fire of a program with little to work with. Injuries and inconsistencies at quarterback didn’t help, and Fritz snagged former Texas A&M starter Conner Weigman from the transfer portal hoping to remedy that situation.

Houston added a ton of talent this offseason, which could help bolster its place in the power rankings once the season gets underway, especially as they avoid Kansas State and Iowa State this year. Still, the Cougars also lost some of the most important pieces from last fall, including defensive back A.J. Haulcy, while Texas Tech and Arizona State loom as legitimate obstacles.

99) Eastern Michigan Eagles

It’s always ill-advised to rule out a Chris Creighton team, but the Eastern Michigan Eagles look to be in a difficult spot coming off the back of a 5-7 campaign. The team hasn’t missed out on bowl eligibility in consecutive seasons since Creighton’s initial two campaigns, but anemic offense from 2024 doesn’t look set to be improved, especially with a downgrade at QB.

Cole Snyder could only conjure up 25.9 points per game a year ago and is now gone, with Noah Kim and Cameron Edge arriving to compete for the QB1 role. At least Terry Lockett Jr. returns as a legitimate outlet for whomever wins that job.

Defense has been the hallmark of successful Eagles teams under Creighton, and that unit was subpar last fall. Road trips to Buffalo and Miami (OH) will define any chances of success, while Eastern Michigan could be 1-3 out of conference.

98) Utah State Aggies

Nate Dreiling was thrust into the spotlight following the dismissal of Blake Anderson ahead of the 2024 season, hardly setting the interim HC up for success. He’ll be replaced by Mendenhall, who arrives in Logan after helping New Mexico to an impressive season in the Mountain West. Circle the Oct. 25 clash between the two teams as one of the spicier games on the conference schedule.

Mendenhall added several experienced and productive parts to a defense that ranked 129th in the country last year. While they should see some improvement on that side of the ball, question marks around an offense that lost Jalen Royals to the NFL and Rahsul Faison to South Carolina linger, especially with a schedule that ends with UNLV, Fresno State (both on the road), and Boise.

97) Wake Forest Demon Deacons

As we go through these 2025 college football power rankings, it will become apparent that the ACC is extremely top-heavy this fall, with the potential for some teams to be left behind.

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are entering uncharted territory this fall, preparing for their first campaign without Dave Clawson at the helm. While a necessary change, this could be something of a transitional season.

Dickert was a solid hire after guiding Washington State through a difficult 2024 campaign in an uncertain landscape. Yet, he’ll have to completely rebuild the roster with less than 40% of the total snaps from last fall returning.

It could take some time for the team to gel, but the return of Nick Anderson and Demond Claiborne is significant, as was the capture of quarterback DeShawn Purdie.

96) Appalachian State Mountaineers

A perennial contender in the Sun Belt, the Appalachian State Mountaineers finished at .500 or below twice in the last two seasons, hastening Shawn Clark’s departure. After masterminding the development of LaNorris Sellers with South Carolina last fall, Dowell Loggains gets his first shot as a college football head coach as Clark’s replacement.

Loggains must work his magic on the Mountaineers’ QB room, which replaces Joey Aguilar (Tennessee) with unproven talent JJ Kohl or the experienced but ceiling-limited AJ Swann. Wide receivers Dalton Stroman and Jaden Barnes will make a nice 1-2 punch, while former Miami pass rusher Thomas Davis returns to lead the defense. A manageable schedule might help power a rise in our rankings as the season progresses.

95) Maryland Terrapins

For three seasons, Mike Locksley made the Maryland Terrapins a plucky, likeable team in the Big Ten, compiling back-to-back eight-win campaigns in 2022 and 2023. However, in 2024, the reality of the stature of the program (and perhaps Locksley’s ceiling as a coach) was plain to see in the expanded conference landscape.

None of Maryland’s offseason moves point towards an improvement in 2025. Only one quarterback who saw the field last fall returns, with just 1,124 yards and eight touchdowns worth of offensive production back on the roster.

That would be fine if the Terrapins had raided the portal for replacements, but that simply isn’t the case. There’s some talent on defense, but not enough to carry the team past a schedule that avoids some of the key contenders, but has its banana skins.

94) Michigan State Spartans

On paper, the Spartans should be a relatively strong team in 2025. They made some nice offseason moves in the transfer portal, adding a duo of talented pass catchers (Omari Kelly and McCray), plus experienced pieces on the offensive line and at defensive back.

Some of Michigan State’s top talent from last fall is back, too, including standout wide receiver Nick Marsh, who impressed in 2024. They also bring back talented passer Aidan Chiles, which is where the Spartans’ standing in the CFB power rankings hinges.

In his first season in the Big Ten, the former Oregon State passer was a turnover machine, leading the conference in interceptions. The talent is plain to see, but Chiles needs to eradicate the mistakes if the Spartans are to navigate the Big Ten. After all, the games (which include Penn State, Michigan, and Indiana, but not Ohio State or Oregon) aren’t played on paper.

93) USF Bulls

Alex Golesh is one of the top offensive minds at the Group of Five level, and he’s guided the USF Bulls to consecutive 7-6 seasons. However, with an out-of-conference schedule that features Boise State, Florida, and Miami, and AAC road games at North Texas, Memphis, and Navy, South Florida could be facing the legitimate possibility of sliding back beneath .500 for the first time in his tenure.

Returning five offensive linemen with over 500 snaps from last season helps bring consistency where it’s needed most. Mac Harris is back to help lead the defense, and incoming transfer Boogsie Silvera knows how to be disruptive. All those elements are important, but the direction and success of the season may rest with the health of quarterback Byrum Brown, one of the AAC’s most electric talents.

92) Colorado State Rams

The Colorado State Rams lost just one Mountain West game a year ago, remaining in contention for a spot in the title game until late November. It was a stellar turnaround after a brutal 2023 campaign, but can they now sustain that into the 2025 season?

Jay Norvell is back at the helm, and quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi continues to resist reported NIL offers to return under center. That’s important for the Rams. Yet, they relied on the ground game a lot more last year, and a key component of that success (Avery Morrow) is no longer on the roster.

Justin Marshall should step up to fill that breach, but there are enough question marks on both sides of the ball to forecast several defeats on a schedule that features both Boise State and UNLV, whom they avoided last season.

91) Virginia Cavaliers

While they are one of the lowest-ranked ACC teams in our college football power rankings, there are reasons to be cheerful for Virginia Cavaliers fans. Tony Elliott couldn’t decide the best option at quarterback for the past two seasons, but that issue has been resolved with Anthony Colandrea transferring to UNLV and the arrival of a highly productive passer in Chandler Morris.

The former Oklahoma, TCU, and North Texas passer led the AAC across multiple categories last fall. Yet, it’s worth pointing out that Morris’ Power Four experience led to less than 2,500 yards in four seasons.

Although the Cavaliers added some options at wide receiver for their new quarterback, the departure of Malachi Fields is suboptimal. They do, however, avoid Clemson, SMU, and Miami.

90) Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

2024 was the worst season since 2019 for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers team, where winning has become the standard. The program finished in the bottom half of the 134 FBS teams across a number of metrics, with their inability to keep opponents off the scoreboard a legitimate problem that they never cured.

The best players from a unit that allowed 31.6 points per game are all gone. That could be a problem that dogs the program again this fall. However, they should improve on offense.

Legendary Coastal quarterback Grayson McCall joins the coaching staff, and Emmett Brown and MJ Morris offer upside regardless of who wins the job. Despite those upgrades, the loss of playmaking back Braydon Bennett could hamstring the efforts at improvement this fall.

89) Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

It felt like Louisiana Tech Bulldogs HC Sonny Cumbie was on the college football hot seat. However, his team eased the pressure on the third-year leader by pulling off wins over Western Kentucky and Kennesaw State, securing the program’s best overall and CUSA records since 2020.

Can they push on and compete in a conference that saw a lot of offseason change?

Potentially. Louisiana Tech wasn’t immune to the lure of the transfer portal and also lost some players due to exhausted eligibility, while Cumbie didn’t bring in much the other way. However, in Evan Bullock, the Bulldogs have a talented option under center who has at least some of his offensive line back in front of him. Louisiana Tech’s most challenging CUSA games are at home, helping pave a path to six wins.

88) Jacksonville State Gamecocks

The Jacksonville State Gamecocks were one of the most entertaining teams to watch last fall, combining a high-octane ground game with some of the most ferocious defensive play we saw at any level of the game. That 2024 team would have been much higher on our power rankings, but there have been many changes at the CUSA champions this offseason, muddying their outlook.

You can’t lose dynamic playmakers like Tyler Huff (3,887 offensive yards) or star running back Tre Stewart (1,872 yards, 26 touchdowns) and not see a drop-off in play, especially when combined with the departure of a head coach in Rich Rodriguez, whose hurry-up offense bamboozled teams all year long. Cam Cook is a fun addition, but this simply isn’t the same outfit as last year.

87) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

The CUSA runner-up Hilltoppers’ roster was absolutely ravaged by the forces of eligibility and transfer portal this offseason, with just 21.6% of the total snaps from last season returning to the program for 2025. The loss of Veltkamp to Florida Atlantic is a particularly difficult pill to swallow as Tyson Helton’s team attempts to capture a CUSA crown.

That said, the Hilltoppers made some eye-opening moves of their own over the winter. Rick Bowie arrives as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, a role he executed to a high standard with Abilene Christian a year ago. Bowie brings quarterback Maverick McIvor with him, and if the two can replicate the fruits of their relationship in the FBS, Western Kentucky will be tough to beat.

86) Texas State Bobcats

GJ Kinne is one of the top coaches in college football and has led an elevation of the Texas State Bobcats football program unlike anyone else in the university’s short FBS history. He’s engineered two successive eight-win seasons, with back-to-back bowl wins. The program hadn’t been to a bowl game before his arrival.

With Kinne in charge, anything is possible, but there are hurdles to clear this year. Firstly, they enter the season with QB uncertainty, with multiple transfers vying to replace Jordan McCloud. At least they have some offensive line consistency with Tellek Lockette leading the way for whoever picks up the pieces left behind by Ismail Mahdi’s departure.

The wide receiver room was also gutted. Texas State added plenty of portal pieces, but how quickly can this team gel when faced with tests early and often, both in and out of conference?

85) West Virginia Mountaineers

After several seasons of mediocrity under Neal Brown, the West Virginia Mountaineers return to a familiar well to try and compete in the Big 12. Rodriguez compiled a 60-26 record the first time around in Morgantown, and hopes are high that he can return the program to the Sugar Bowl, double-digit-win campaigns enjoyed in the mid-2000s. However, there needs to be an expectation level set.

MORE: Can West Virginia Be the Next Arizona State?

It’s easy to forget that amid his success at West Virginia, Rodriguez opened his first stint with a 3-8 record. He’ll be working with an almost unrecognisable roster from last fall, bolstered by many portal additions with several yet to prove themselves at the Power Four level.

Jahiem White’s return should make him the centerpiece of the offense, but a better class of rushing defense than the new West Virginia head coach saw in CUSA might cause issues.

84) Fresno State Bulldogs

After suffering their first losing season since 2019, the Fresno State Bulldogs hit it out of the park with the full-time hire of Matt Entz to lead the program in 2025. A two-time FCS national championship winner with North Dakota State, Entz arrives at the Mountain West frontrunner with a 60-11 overall record and a year of FBS experience as a positional coach with USC.

Entz already got two wins this offseason, with defensive back Alzillion Hamilton and running back Elijah Gilliam rescinding their entry into the transfer portal. Gilliam and Rayshon Luke have explosive potential for the Bulldogs’ backfield, while Warner is more than capable of leading an offense. Road games at Boise State and San Jose State should define Fresno State’s season.

83) Old Dominion Monarchs

If I were playing college fantasy football this offseason, I would want all the Colton Joseph stock. He led all Sun Belt quarterbacks with 11 rushing touchdowns a year ago and flashed his arm talent by averaging 10.0 air yards per pass attempt.

Arguably one of the most underrated dual-threat QBs in the nation, the Old Dominion Monarchs have a game-changer on the offensive side of the ball. They also return one of college football’s most accomplished defensive players.

Jason Henderson is back for another go-around after suffering a season-ending injury early in the 2024 season. He will likely set the record for career total tackles this fall. Head coach Ricky Rahne has solid foundational pieces to build on, but the roster still has some holes ahead of some tough Sun Belt games in 2025.

82) UTSA Roadrunners

Jeff Traylor was a hot coaching name in the past two hiring cycles after leading the UTSA Roadrunners to unprecedented glory from 2021 to 2023. The program kept hold of the coveted coach, but 2024 didn’t yield the expected results. It’s not a wise man to rule out any outfit led by Traylor, who has harnessed the power of the San Antonio community, but 2025 could be another rough year.

On the plus side, quarterback Owen McCown might not be Frank Harris, but he showcased the ability to take a game by the scruff of the neck in his first full year as the starter. With the experiences of last year behind him, McCown could become one of the better passers at the Group of Five level. The defense, however, lacks the elite playmakers that have powered previous winning UTSA teams.

81) Arkansas State Red Wolves

It might have taken a minute, and come with clamour for a change of direction, but the Butch Jones era at the Arkansas State Red Wolves is finally returning the program to the levels seen under Blake Anderson, Gus Malzahn, and Hugh Freeze. Last fall, the Sun Belt outfit hit eight wins for the first time since 2019, recording more conference wins than the previous two campaigns combined.

There are reasons to believe that the Red Wolves can replicate that success in 2025 and fly up our CFB power rankings in the process. The combination of Jaylen Raynor and Corey Rucker gives Arkansas State one of the best QB-WR pairings at the Group of Five level, but a defense that allowed 32.2 ppg (112th) has to be better for this team to realize its true potential this fall.

80) North Texas Mean Green

The North Texas Mean Green lost their starting quarterback (Morris), leading rusher (Shane Porter), and star wide receiver (DT Sheffield) this offseason, severely handicapping an offense that averaged 33.5 points as the 23rd-ranked scoring unit in the country. It’s not often that you lose that amount of talent without taking a step back, and that factors into the ranking here.

There is some excitement around Drew Mestemaker after his bowl game performance, and incoming pass catcher Simeon Evans is undoubtedly talented. Head coach Eric Morris made it a priority this offseason to address a defense that hemorrhaged points and lost top cornerback Ridge Texada, adding six DBs from the portal. Avoiding Memphis and Tulane on the schedule might be the most important factor in defining what success looks like.

79) San Jose State Spartans

Ken Niumatalolo overcame preseason expectations to take the San Jose State Spartans to a bowl game in his first season in charge. The long-time Navy head coach spurned the triple-option offense that was the hallmark of his time at the service academy and unleashed aerial hell on his opponents, averaging 42.5 pass attempts per game behind quarterback duo Walker Eget and Emmett Brown.

Brown is gone (Coastal Carolina), but Eget returns for 2025. However, the QB position becomes largely irrelevant when you factor in the loss of All-American wide receiver Nick Nash. That said, Matthew Coleman and TreyShun Hurry should be primed for breakout seasons while a large chunk of last season’s team returns.

Avoiding both Boise State and UNLV should give the Spartans a path to the Mountain West Championship Game.

78) Georgia Southern Eagles

Clay Helton led the Georgia Southern Eagles to their best record since 2020 and the most Sun Belt wins since 2018 last fall, and the conference schedule gives them a great shot at repeating in 2025. There’s no Texas State, Louisiana, Troy, or South Alabama for the Eagles after an out-of-conference slate featuring USC that could see them enter Sun Belt play with a 3-1 record.

Although leader rusher Jalen White has gone, much of the talent that averaged 28 points per game returns, including starting QB JC French, talented WR Josh Dallas, and most of the offensive line. The defense was harder hit, with Marques Watson-Trent transferring to Nebraska and several other key cogs leaving this offseason.

77) UConn Huskies

UConn spent the best part of a decade being college football’s whipping boys, but since Jim Mora arrived in 2022, he’s transformed this program into a legitimate team. Their nine wins last fall were the most for the Huskies since 2007, and they won their first bowl game since 2009 after knocking off North Carolina in the Fenway Bowl.

Is there more in store from the team from Storrs this fall?

There’s been a major defensive overhaul since last season, with tackle-for-loss leader Tui Faumuina-Brown and tackle leader Jayden McDonald both gone. Yet, some portal additions with Power Four experience should soften the blow.

On offense, no quarterback in college football last season with over 200 attempts had a higher touchdown percentage than UConn’s Joe Fagnano, who gets his star receiver, Skyler Bell, back after a flirtation with the transfer portal.

76) Virginia Tech Hokies

As they look to kick on and establish themselves as more than just a middling ACC team, the Virginia Tech Hokies quietly had a fascinating and potentially exciting offseason. Brent Pry added Philip Montgomery as offensive coordinator, fresh off winning a UFL title with the Birmingham Stallions in 2024.

Some prime beef arrived from West Virginia to bulk up the offensive line, which should pave the way for former Bowling Green juggernaut Terion Stewart.

Former Tennessee pass catcher Cameron Seldon and Wake Forest wide receiver Donavon Greene are legitimate targets for Kyron Drones. At the same time, Ben Bell should replace the production lost by Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr.

But despite all the offseason additions, it’s Drones’ health that could cripple the potential of this Hokies team after a minor medical procedure disrupted spring practice.

75) Northern Illinois Huskies

Thomas Hammock and the Northern Illinois Huskies will dine out on their Week 2 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for years to come, but more than a standalone win, it powered the program’s best overall record in three seasons. That said, they dropped a game in the MAC compared to 2023, and in 2025, they face a schedule with road trips to Ohio and Toledo, plus Miami (OH) at home.

Furthermore, quarterback Ethan Hampton, leading rusher Gavin Williams, and do-it-all playmaker Trayvon Rudolph are all gone. However, they boast a star in the making with running back Telly Johnson Jr.

The biggest concern for this 2025 Huskies team is how they replicate the 14th-ranked scoring defense with only Roy Williams returning to the program for the upcoming campaign.

74) Troy Trojans

A perennial pacesetter in the Sun Belt under Jon Sumrall, the Troy Trojans struggled to adjust to life with a new coach early last season. The program didn’t get its first FBS win until November before labouring to a 4-8 campaign. Although Goose Crowder returns after injury, the loss of leading rusher Damien Taylor and star wide receiver Devonte Ross is crippling for Troy’s offense.

The defense has suffered its own losses, although there are several key components returning from a unit that ranked 92nd in points allowed. Safety Justin Powe directs the unit from the secondary, and Devin Lafayette is a player to get on your radar to replace lost production.

With conference frontrunners Clemson (ACC), Memphis (AAC), and Buffalo (MAC) on Troy’s early schedule, another slow start shouldn’t be ruled out before Sun Belt play opens at South Alabama.

73) Arizona Wildcats

2024 was a rude awakening for the Arizona Wildcats, who slipped from a Pac-12 frontrunner and 11th-ranked team in the final AP poll to a bottom dweller in the Big 12 with just four wins. Arizona’s offensive struggles last fall were especially troubling given that they returned a talented quarterback/receiver duo, Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan. With McMillan now gone, those troubles grow further.

Brent Brennan has at least tried to change things up for 2025, bringing in two new receivers (Kris Hutson and Luke Wysong) to share the passing game load around, while adding Ismail Mahdi gives the Wildcats a legitimate all-purpose back. However, a defense that allowed 31.8 ppg didn’t receive much of an overhaul ahead of a brutal Big 12 schedule.

72) North Carolina State Wolfpack

After a mediocre season that placed pressure on head coach Dave Doeren, the North Carolina State Wolfpack made moves to improve what was an abysmal defense last fall.

D.J. Eliot joins the ACC outfit after spending a season working with Baylor. He is just two years removed from coaching a dangerous Philadelphia Eagles linebacker group. He’s the sort of hire a team that allowed 30.2 points a game needed to make.

MORE: Offseason Grades for All ACC Teams

The Wolfpack also added double-digit defensive players from the portal, while retaining talented players like Sean Brown and Travali Price. CJ Bailey and Daylan “Hollywood” Smothers give NC State two creative talents on offense, but losing KC Concepcion hurts for a team that has Miami (FL) and Notre Dame on its schedule. Thankfully, they avoid SMU and a Clemson team they lost to in 2024.

71) Sam Houston Bearkats

As the Sam Houston Bearkats prepare for life after Keeler, they turned to a familiar face as their new head coach. Phil Longo was responsible for one of the most prolific offenses in program history as offensive coordinator, and the school will hope to rekindle that romance in the 2025 season.

Longo currently holds a 7-14 overall record from a two-year stint at La Salle and was most recently fired as OC at Wisconsin. His transition back into a head coaching role is helped significantly by the return of quarterback Hunter Watson, one of the most exciting dual-threats in the Group of Five.

However, they lost two talented running backs in Jevyon Ducker and DJ McKinney, and the defense hemorrhaged even more talent. A Week 0 CUSA clash with Western Kentucky shortens Sam Houston’s offseason of acclimatization.

70) UCLA Bruins

After opening the 2024 season 1-5, the UCLA Bruins picked up some steam down the stretch with three wins and a close-fought loss to USC. However, their offensive struggles all season led to their involvement in one of the offseason’s biggest talking points.

The transfer acquisition of former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava heaps expectations on DeShaun Foster’s team, but are they fair?

Iamaleava might not even be the best quarterback that was on the team’s roster this spring, with Joey Aguilar reentering the portal after his arrival.

The Bruins added former Cal wide receiver Mikey Matthews as weaponry while beefing up the offensive line. Nonetheless, the running game still offers little threat, and the defense lacks the star talent of previous UCLA units. It could be a tough year, especially facing Ohio State, Penn State, and Indiana.

69) Wisconsin Badgers

Madison expects, and after two seasons at the helm of the Wisconsin Badgers, Luke Fickell hasn’t delivered, and the pressure is building. With road trips to Alabama, Michigan, Oregon, and Indiana on the schedule, not to mention clashes with Ohio State and a strong Illinois team, there aren’t many opportunities to better the five-win 2024 season that ignited hot seat conversation.

A trio of returning offensive linemen helps build confidence for whoever wins the quarterback competition between O’Neil and Billy Edwards Jr. Still, there isn’t a workhorse back for Wisconsin, and elite TE Tanner Koziol came and went this offseason, leaving little in the way of game-changing weaponry.

Wisconsin defenses are always solid, and the return of some key pieces helps there, but they might be sorely tested as the season goes on.

68) Western Michigan Broncos

The Western Michigan Broncos have always been at their very best when running the football, and that tradition should continue as they embark on Lance Taylor’s third season with the program.

Although their 2024 leading rusher, Jaden Nixon, got a Power Four opportunity at UCF, Jalen Buckley returns as one of the most dangerous rushers in the MAC. He’s joined by former Michigan running back Cole Cabana, a former four-star who never cracked a deep rotation with the Wolverines.

Tight end Blake Bosma is a legitimate go-to threat when the Broncos don’t run the rock. However, all the offensive firepower in the world will be for naught if Taylor doesn’t shore up a defense that allowed 31.3 points per game last fall.

67) James Madison Dukes

Curt Cignetti made the James Madison Dukes a force in their first FBS seasons, and Bob Chesney continued that tradition of success last fall. The former Holy Cross head coach reunites with his Crusaders quarterback after Matthew Sluka signed to the program following an ill-fated season with UNLV. They also added productive Richmond passer Camden Coleman to a spicy summer QB battle.

The return of 980-yard rusher George Pettaway will help smooth a QB transition if incumbent Alonza Barnett III is ousted. Meanwhile, a good chunk of the 21st-ranked scoring defense in the country is back despite losing sack leader Eric O’Neill and interception leader Terrence Spence.

There’s no Troy or South Alabama on the schedule, but a road trip to Texas State could make or break James Madison’s campaign by the end of October.

66) Bowling Green Falcons

After leading the Bowling Green Falcons to within a win of reaching the MAC Championship Game, head coach Scot Loeffler opted to leave the program for the NFL, setting in motion the most significant change of their offseason. The Falcons tabbed College Football Hall of Famer Eddie George to take over, fresh off a season where he led Tennessee State to the FCS playoffs and earned conference honors.

George will have his work cut out for him to replace talent lost all over the field, headlined by tight end Harold Fannin Jr.’s departure to the NFL. Nevertheless, Drew Pyne and Arlis Boardingham bring experience from the highest level of the game, and Dayton transfer Gideon Lampron is a productive force at linebacker.

65) UCF Knights

Are the UCF Knights about to make that age-old mistake of returning to your ex in the hope you can rekindle once-held passions while the reality proves something far from romantic?

Scott Frost navigated the program through unprecedented success, and he’s back to replace Malzahn, who couldn’t provide the program with any in the Big 12. It’s worth pointing out that Frost had fewer wins in his final four years at Nebraska combined than in 2017 with the Knights.

While the coaching personnel changed, the on-field product will look substantially different in 2025. As many as 17 transfer portal recruits could start for UCF this fall, headlined by Nixon and former Pitt pass rusher Sincere Edwards. At the same time, projected starter Rizk left in the spring window, and the schedule features road trips to Baylor, Texas Tech, BYU, and Kansas State — which is suboptimal for the Knights.

64) Cincinnati Bearcats

Scott Satterfield added two wins to the 2023 total last season, but can the Cincinnati Bearcats now take the next step into becoming a competitive force in the Big 12? The program made some moves in the transfer portal to help its cause, notably adding Tawee Walker to the RB room, Jeff Caldwell to the WR room, and bolstering the secondary by capturing Matthew McDoom.

Dontay Corleone’s return should be a significant boost to the defensive front, while quarterback Brendan Sorsby is hugely underrated as a game changer under center.

The schedule avoids reigning champions Arizona State, but road trips to Kansas and Utah aren’t easy, and neither are matchups with Iowa State, Baylor, and BYU. Six wins might be the ceiling for this Bearcats team.

63) East Carolina Pirates

Watch out for the East Carolina Pirates, arguably the Group of Five’s form team after a commanding end to the season. After ditching Mike Houston for Blake Harrell, the Pirates went 5-1 down the stretch, losing only to Navy and beating NC State in an ugly rivalry game. In a rare turn of events, they’ll face their in-state nemesis to open a campaign that could see them compete for an AAC title.

East Carolina’s 2024 fortunes turned with Katin Houser securing full-time starting QB duties. He returns as one of the best quarterbacks in the AAC.

A velocity-generator with alluring tight-window capability, Houser welcomes back his top target from last fall. Losing Zakye Barker hurts the defense, but safety Ja’Marley Riddle is a stud who impacts the game in multiple facets.

62) South Alabama Jaguars

In his first season in charge of the South Alabama Jaguars, Major Applewhite matched Kane Wommack’s final season at the helm with seven wins and actually accomplished a better conference record.

The program looked set to build on that foundation in 2024, until the spring transfer portal hit and quarterback Gio Lopez reneged on his commitment to the program, throwing 2025 into turmoil.

Former Georgia Tech goal-line go-to Zach Pyron will battle Bishop Davenport for QB1 honors, with the latter proving his worth to the program in the Salute to Veterans Bowl. Although the Jaguars lost three potent weapons to surround the winner of that QB competition, at least Devin Voisin and Kentrel Bullock return.

61) UNLV Rebels

The UNLV Rebels pushed Boise State for a Mountain West title a year ago, and could have conceivably been in the College Football Playoff. Fast forward a few months, and it’s all change in Las Vegas.

Odom is out, the team returns just over 4,000 total snaps from last year, and the architects of their success — like linebacker Jackson Woodard and receiver Ricky White III — are on to pastures new.

In comes Dan Mullen (out of coaching since 2021) and over 30 transfer portal additions to shake up UNLV’s roster and take on a schedule that features a road trip to Boise in mid-October and a visit to Fort Collins to face Colorado State. Alex Orji and Colandrea will play out college football’s most exciting summer quarterback battle, a fight that will decide how the Rebels’ season unfolds.

60) Buffalo Bulls

The first year under Pete Lembo produced the most wins in a season since 2018 and returned the team to the forefront of the MAC. Can they push on and make it to Detroit in 2025?

While key contributors like Shaun Dolac, Cole Snyder, and C.J. Ogbonna are all gone, the core of last year’s successful team returns to take on a schedule that avoids Toledo and forces Miami (OH) and Ohio to come to Buffalo.

While Dolac rightly received many plaudits in 2024, Red Murdock is an equal force with a place in college football history in his sight. Al-Jay Henderson is back after racking up over 1,000 yards, and Trevor Brock heads a trio of returning offensive linemen with over 750 snaps apiece last year. Quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson is an under-the-radar MAC Offensive Player of the Year candidate.

59) Liberty Flames

Ignore a Jamey Chadwell-led team at your peril. The Liberty Flames had a target on their back last fall after an exceptional 2023 season, and it showed.

Somewhat free from the shackles of elevated expectation, and with some dissenting voices removed from the locker room, we should see a Liberty team that is once again a contender for the CUSA crown behind Chadwell’s innovative offense.

With a multitude of portal defections, most notably quarterback Kaidon Salter and several key offensive linemen, Liberty will look much different in 2025. The Flames added several players with Power Four experience to replace the departures headed the opposite way.

Although Ethan Vasko wasn’t at Coastal Carolina with Chadwell, he has enough ground game capability to help run Liberty’s offense against a schedule that importantly avoids Western Kentucky and Sam Houston.

58) Ohio Bobcats

The Ohio Bobcats won a MAC title after suffering heartache at the final hurdle five times. This time, the pain came after the game, with head coach Albin departing for Charlotte.

Albin has been a pivotal part of making the Bobcats a consistent challenger in the MAC, and his loss can’t be ignored when compiling our college football power rankings. At least Brian Smith already has a win under his belt after leading the team to victory in the Cure Bowl.

Like most Group of Five teams, the Bobcats lost a ton of talent this offseason. However, they’re something of a rarity after managing to keep QB Parker Navarro in Athens, Ohio. A true dual threat, he was the only MAC passer to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards last fall.

Sieh Bangura returning to the program is also a boon for the Bobcats. However, the biggest question mark hangs over a defense that was one of the best in the country last season.

57) Toledo Rockets

It speaks volumes about the impact of Jason Candle on the Toledo Rockets football program that an eight-win campaign with a bowl victory is almost a disappointment for a team with MAC title aspirations every year. Despite losing star wide receiver Jerjuan Newton, the Rockets are well-positioned to make a run to Detroit for the MAC Championship Game this coming season.

Although the schedule has a trip to Oxford to face the Miami (OH) RedHawks, Toledo avoids Buffalo and Ohio, which is significant. Newton may be gone, but Junior Vandeross III is back, and the Rockets snagged dynamic receiver Rudolph to boost the offense (and special teams). Braden Awls and Nasir Bowers both took interceptions back for a score last fall, and their return to the secondary helps mitigate the loss of Maxen Hook.

56) California Golden Bears

Life in the ACC got off to an entertaining start for the California Golden Bears, as a winning start was followed by close-fought games in the conference, fueling Calgorithm and Ott-To-Go fever.

However, when you strip back the reality of a 6-7 campaign, Cal’s wins came against competition that mainly rank lower than them in our rankings for the 2025 campaign.

Nearly all of the most talented players on the 2024 roster are gone, with the departures of Fernando Mendoza, Jaydn Ott, and Jack Endries particularly hard to replace. The OL will be four parts transfer portal additions, requiring some time to gel into a cohesive unit. The return of Cade Uluave and the capture of FIU cornerback Hezekiah Masses boost the defense.

California avoids Clemson on the schedule, but it could be tough sledding this fall.

55) Miami (OH) RedHawks

The RedHawks have been to the MAC Championship Game in successive seasons, and it would be a fool who bets against them making it three in a row at Ford Field. There have been some significant losses for Chuck Martin’s team this offseason, and they’ll have to overcome a brutal schedule that features road trips to Ohio and Buffalo, but Miami enlisted some MACtion royalty to help out.

Dequan Finn spent an unsuccessful year away from the conference in 2024, but he’s a familiar face after years of terrorizing teams for Toledo. His arrival and a restocked wide receiver room should ensure the offense doesn’t miss a beat.

After losing stalwart linebacker Matt Salopek, the defense might see some drop-off, but Martin’s teams have overcome losses to remain a top-35 unit for scoring defense in the last three seasons.

54) Arkansas Razorbacks

Sam Pittman set such a high standard in his second season with the Arkansas Razorbacks that everything that has come after has been seen almost as a disappointment. Arkansas hasn’t been ranked since late September 2022, and it would be a surprise to see the program break that streak this fall.

There’s talent on the team for sure, but there are also some serious pitfalls to navigate in the 2025 season. Taylen Green will give the Razorbacks a fighting chance in any game when healthy. Arkansas got him a catch-everything deep threat to weaponize his skill set in O’Mega Blake, and the return of Fernando Carmona is important.

Yet, navigating a schedule featuring road trips to Ole Miss, Texas, LSU, and Tennessee could see a slump back below .500 this year.

53) Nebraska Cornhuskers

It’s easy to say that the 2025 Nebraska Cornhuskers will go as Dylan Raiola goes. The former five-star showed some flashes of brilliance during a 7-6 season, but there were also some very real teachable moments that he can’t repeat this fall if Rhule’s team is to have any success.

Nebraska got to a postseason game (and won the Pinstripe Bowl) despite only averaging 23.5 points per game. The Cornhuskers achieved a first bowl berth since 2016 on the back of a defense that ranked 17th in the country for points allowed. Although they return almost all of a highly talented secondary, they lost enough from the front seven to raise significant questions about how they’ll perform this fall.

A Big Ten opener against Michigan should provide some answers, and if it doesn’t, the Cornhuskers could get brutally exposed by a late November trip to Penn State.

52) Vanderbilt Commodores

2024 was something of a dream for the Vanderbilt Commodores, a college football fairytale that enraptured the nation and transported the Nashville-based program back over a decade to a time when James Franklin made being a top 25 team a reality not seen since the 1950s.

Franklin had the ‘Dores ranked in successive seasons. Can Clark Lea do the same with a repeat performance in 2025?

Pavia winning his eligibility waiver was easily the biggest offseason event that helped steer the team toward that potential eventuality. They also added some key parts on both sides of the ball while retaining playmakers like Sedrick Alexander to help the cause.

Still, the Commodores’ schedule features five potential top 10 teams, three of which they’ll play on the road. Vanderbilt beating Alabama in consecutive seasons would be unthinkable, wouldn’t it?

51) Rutgers Scarlet Knights

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights haven’t had three consecutive seasons at .500 or above since Greg Schiano was last in Piscataway, but stand on the verge of achieving the feat with a strong 2025 campaign.

The program lost some key contributors ahead of the season and has four preseason-ranked teams on a demanding schedule that threatens to derail their chances of success. Road trips to Ohio State and Illinois stand out, but they’ll also need to overcome Oregon and Penn State at home.

On a positive note, Rutgers’ OL is experienced, they snagged two highly productive Group of Five offensive playmakers (Sheffield, Campbell), and completely rebuilt the defensive front, including two juggernaut defensive ends in O’Neill and Bradley Weaver.

50) Duke Blue Devils

With a 9-4 record and five conference wins, the first season of the Manny Diaz era at Duke should be considered successful, especially given the program lost starting quarterback Riley Leonard to Notre Dame.

Murphy threw for just shy of 3,000 yards, but also led the ACC in interceptions. The capture of former Tulane passer Darian Mensah should improve the QB status. Mensah will get to work behind an offensive line that returns four of five starters, with several incoming targets.

Defense has been Diaz’s calling card, and CSN All-American Chandler Rivers returns to bolster that unit. The key to the Dukes improving their position in our college football power rankings will be their ability (or not) to beat ranked opposition.

Three of their four defeats last fall came against ranked opponents, and they have two (Illinois and Clemson) teams ranked in the preseason on a schedule that avoids Miami and SMU.

49) North Carolina Tar Heels

A lackluster 2024 campaign has given way to arguably the wildest offseason in North Carolina Tar Heels history. Legendary former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick arrives on Chapel Hill tasked with returning the program to the top of the ACC, but all the last few months have brought is tabloid-style razzmatazz thanks to off-field issues surrounding the head coach’s significant other.

MORE: Insider Makes Bold Prediction on Bill Belichick’s Tenure at UNC

Belichick secured the signature of top QB prospect Bryce Baker, but the transfer portal acquisition of Lopez could be the propellant behind any on-field fireworks this season. Still, transfer portal gains haven’t outweighed the program’s losses, and the departure of Omarion Hampton removed the only real offensive spark the team had from last year.

48) Kansas Jayhawks

The Kansas Jayhawks were one quarter of football away from ending the 2024 campaign with five wins in six games. Lance Leipold’s team struggled to open the campaign. Still, it took down three ranked opponents in a second-half-of-the-season salvage operation — a testament to the strength of Kansas’ schedule, having faced the third-highest opponent win percentage in the FBS last fall.

Ordinarily, that would be the basis for excitement and trigger talk about momentum building. While there is some of that buzz due to the return of quarterback Jalon Daniels, the departure of program-leading rusher Devin Neal hurts the offense substantially and several defensive dynamos could spell a tough season, especially with road trips to Lubbock and Ames on the schedule.

47) Florida State Seminoles

From the verge of the College Football Playoff to one of the worst years in program history, last season was undeniably one to forget for the Florida State Seminoles. Mike Norvell enters the 2025 campaign with a weight of pressure upon him, but as our college football power rankings suggest, a swift return to the pinnacle of the sport might not be something to expect once the action starts.

It’s an entirely new look offense, with Malzahn arriving as coordinator and former Boston College dual-threat Tommy Castellanos taking over at quarterback. Seminoles fans will hope to see him used the way Malzahn maximized the talents of John Rhys Plumlee at UCF, while Squirrel White and Duce Robinson offer speedy big-play threats at wide receiver.

Although the coaching staff changes extended to the defense with the highly regarded Tony White coming in as coordinator, a schedule containing two SEC outfits, the resurgent Hurricanes, and a road trip to the hotly fancied Clemson Tigers could cap Florida State’s ascension from the pit of the FBS at a maximum of eight wins.

46) Army Black Knights

The 2024 Army Black Knights made program history. A first-ever 12-win season produced a conference championship at the first time of asking in the AAC, a feat they never managed to get even close to during their brief sojourn from independence to CUSA.

Jeff Monken’s team combined dominant offensive line play with ferocious defense and an unstoppable dual-threat to be a devastating force.

Success like that is difficult for service academies to maintain, with players leaving to fulfill military obligations and those standards handicapping recruitment and portal acquisition. With a good chunk of the 2024 team gone, including Bryson Daily, a drop from their final College Football Playoff ranking is to be expected. Yet, you can never rule out a Monken-led team.

45) Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns

The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns returned to near the summit of the Sun Belt last fall after a couple of difficult seasons, logging just the fourth double-digit win season in program history. As is becoming the case for all successful Group of Five teams, the program was looted of its best players in the portal, with several key contributors landing Power Four opportunities at playoff-contending outfits.

Nonetheless, there should be a belief that last season was the start of a winning reign for head coach Michael Desormeaux. A talented RB trio led by Bill Davis returns, as do three offensive linemen with over 500 snaps each last fall. Safety duo Tyree Skipper and Kody Jackson power a secondary that added some strength this offseason.

However, Louisiana needs to overcome a difficult schedule that includes road trips to most of the Sun Belt’s top teams.

44) Washington Huskies

The drop-off from challenging for a national title in 2023 to barely contending in the Big Ten in 2024 was substantial, but also to an extent expected, as the Huskies underwent an unprecedented offseason of change.

Jedd Fisch saw a leap in fortunes between Year 1 and 2 when he was at Arizona, and he has the roster to get back to winning ways in 2025.

Demond Williams Jr. was used sparingly last fall, but a breakout season is to be expected for the exciting young quarterback. It might not be the triple-headed monster of 2023, but the receiving room boasts a dominant pass catcher in the form of Denzel Boston, while Jonah Coleman contributes in all facets. Ephesians Prysock and Tacario Davis, meanwhile, form one of the top cornerback duos in the country.

43) TCU Horned Frogs

Sonny Dykes team will look to return to the summit of the Big 12 conference this fall after early defeats to some of their less challenging opponents prevented them from reaching the title game.

Josh Hoover has the arm talent to lead TCU’s offense to significant heights, and Eric McAlister is one of the top receivers in the country. They also added Joseph Manjack IV to the WR room. Defensively, the Frogs return some of their most productive players from a unit that allowed 24.6 ppg, including tackle-for-loss and sack leader Devean Deal.

The roster is more than capable of competing, but the schedule throws some brutal curveballs, including road trips to Arizona State, Kansas State, and BYU, with the Iowa State Cyclones coming to Fort Worth in early November.

42) Pittsburgh Panthers

2024 was a tale of two halves for the Pittsburgh Panthers, leaping out to a 7-0 record before losing six straight to end the year. Thankfully for Pat Narduzzi, three of those defeats aren’t on the schedule in 2025 (Clemson, SMU, and Virginia), and they’ll seek revenge for the defeat to Louisville at home in late September.

Does the program have the roster to compete for a title shot this fall?

In running back Desmond Reid and linebacker Kyle Louis, the Panthers had two players on the CSN Top 100 Returning Players for 2025. Reid was a do-it-all back last fall, providing a reliable outlet in the passing game for quarterback Eli Holstein while rampaging over defenses with the ball in his hands. However, the roster lacks the depth required to compete with the likes of Clemson in the ACC.

41) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are a team heading in the right direction. After beating Florida State to open the 2024 campaign, they secured an impressive win against Duke, took down a Miami team ranked fourth at the time, and were cruelly denied a landmark win over Georgia by some questionable officiating. If they can be more consistent this fall, big things could be coming their way.

The core of last season’s team remains. Haynes King and Jamal Haynes are one of the top backfield duos in the country. Although they lost Eric Singleton Jr. to the portal, Malik Rutherford returns and is joined by former FIU receiver Eric Rivers.

Georgia Tech’s defense will need to tighten up if it’s to challenge at the top of the conference in 2025 after giving up 25.6 points per game last year.

40) USC Trojans

As the Trojans look to build on a disappointing inaugural season in the Big Ten, the 2025 schedule does offer a small amount of relief. There’s no Ohio State or Penn State to navigate, and some of the more hostile environments in the conference are avoided by hosting the likes of Michigan and Iowa in the Coliseum. Still, road trips to Illinois, Oregon, and Notre Dame offer three potential losses.

Although they lost some talent to the portal this offseason, the Trojans added two potential starters on the interior OL, snagged former Boise State receiver Prince Strachan to form a terrifying trio with Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon, and grabbed Kennedy Urlacher from bitter rival Notre Dame. The most pivotal offseason move, however, might be locking down defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn.

39) Memphis Tigers

The Memphis Tigers recorded back-to-back double-digit win seasons for the first time in program history last fall. But with defeats to UTSA and Navy, they came up short of an appearance in the AAC Championship Game.

Although they finished ranked in the final AP Poll Top 25, Memphis will be almost unrecognizable from that team when the 2025 season starts. Former Nevada dual-threat quarterback Lewis will be tasked with replacing Seth Henigan under center, while linebacker Drue Watts headlines the defensive additions. As many as 15 transfer portal acquisitions could be Day 1 starters this fall.

38) Auburn Tigers

After ranking 71st in the country with 27.8 ppg last fall, head coach Freeze made upgrading the Auburn Tigers’ offense a key point of business this offseason.

Former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold gets a fresh start on the Plains, and despite some struggles in Norman, he’s a clear upgrade on what the program had under center in 2024.

Cam Coleman had a standout freshman season and returns alongside Georgia Tech transfer Singleton to form a deadly WR duo. Freeze has always thrived as a recruiter, and a stellar defense that allowed 21.3 points per game features several homegrown talents.

The Iron Bowl and the clash with Georgia both being home games is a boost on the schedule, as is avoiding Texas.

37) Florida Gators

The Florida Gators won four games in a row to end the 2024 campaign, relieving pressure on head coach Billy Napier and taking momentum into the 2025 college football campaign.

The upcoming schedule isn’t without challenges, including seven games with teams ranked in the preseason, five of which will come away from the Swamp. At least they don’t have to travel to Austin or Knoxville.

MORE: Projecting the 12-Team CFP Bracket After Seeding Changes for 2025-2026

DJ Lagway’s second-year development will be key to any success. Florida returns the heart of its offensive line, leading running back Jadan Baugh, and boasts a trio of talented receivers. If their second-year quarterback reaches his potential, this Gators team may be tough to stop. Caleb Banks is about to become a household name as the defensive leader at the heart of a promising unit.

36) Boston College Eagles

The Boston College Eagles lost their way a little in the middle of the 2024 season, but finished the year strong with two convincing wins over North Carolina and Pittsburgh. While defensive juggernaut Donovan Ezeiruaku and multiple offensive linemen headed to the NFL, a decent talent base remains to build on in Year 2 under Bill O’Brien.

Grayson James and Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan will battle for the QB1 spot in the summer, and whoever wins will have the unique talents of Reed Harris (486 yards, four touchdowns, 28.6 yards per catch in 2024) to rely on in the passing game.

The safety duo of KP Price and Carter Davis will lead the defense from the back as the Eagles embark on a schedule with the most formidable opponents (Clemson, Notre Dame, and SMU) all at home.

35) Utah Utes

Coming off a 5-7 campaign that matched the worst of Kyle Whittingham’s tenure with the program, the Utah Utes needed to change something for the 2025 season. With the addition of Jason Beck as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, they changed everything. The former New Mexico State coordinator is set to bring a pace of football to Salt Lake City not seen in recent years.

Beck brings his 2024 quarterback Dampier with him to the Utes. The dual-threat led all FBS quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns a year ago, but he also has the arm talent to dissect a defense.

Utah also added running back Wayshawn Parker to the offense, creating a deadly backfield that can compete with any in the Big 12 — especially operating behind two elite-level offensive tackles.

34) Michigan Wolverines

Hosting “The Game” seems like a good place to start with the positives for the Michigan Wolverines in the 2025 season. The Big Ten schedule has also been kind to them with no Penn State, Indiana, or Oregon, while after their trip to the Pacific Northwest last season, Washington will have to come to Ann Arbor. As such, there’s an easier path to carve to Indianapolis.

However, there are still troubles surrounding this Wolverines team. Head coach Sherrone Moore will serve a two-game suspension this season, and after seasons of pumping out NFL talent for fun, the roster is a little less deep in talent than we’ve been used to seeing.

Approaching the end of May at the time of writing, Moore still has a decision to make between Mikey Keene and Bryce Underwood as QB1.

33) Syracuse Orange

Fran Brown has done incredible things for the Syracuse Orange early in his tenure, orchestrating one of just three seasons in the 21st century where the AP ranked the program following the regular season.

However, between an exodus of playing staff and an ACC schedule that was made fresh from the depths of hell, Syracuse might have trouble replicating the 10-win 2024 campaign this fall.

Three pass catchers who tallied over 900 yards apiece last season are gone, as is LeQuint Allen, who ran the rock for over 1,000 yards while leading the ACC in rushing yards, and quarterback Kyle McCord headed to the NFL. Rickie Collins is an unproven commodity as a replacement passer for a team that will have to head out on the road to face Clemson, Miami (FL), SMU, and Notre Dame.

32) Colorado Buffaloes

As much as Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders may preach that he can’t wait to coach without his sons on the team, there is no doubt that this 2025 Colorado Buffaloes team will look much different without Shedeur Sanders leading the offense.

The bigger loss is do-it-all Heisman Trophy-winner Travis Hunter, who leaves a hole at wide receiver and cornerback that will be tough to replace.

MORE: Has Colorado Found Its DB Replacement in CB DJ McKinney?

The Buffaloes added NFL experience to the coaching staff this offseason. As the standard under Sanders, Colorado rebuilt through the transfer portal. It will sport an 80% new offensive line for the winner of the Salter vs. Julian Lewis quarterback battle. However, the schedule is rough, with BYU and Iowa State early and an Arizona State and Kansas State double-header at the end.

31) Minnesota Golden Gophers

The Minnesota Golden Gophers haven’t been ranked since the 2022 season, and they start outside the top 25 of our CFB power rankings for the 2025 campaign. However, P.J. Fleck’s team is a potential riser after an offseason where they loaded up on offensive playmakers, including wide receivers Javon Tracy and Logan Loya, while building an electric running back room.

Darius Taylor and A.J. Turner should form a one-two punch that gives defensive coordinators nightmares. Meanwhile, the Golden Gophers boast one of the most versatile weapons in college football with safety Koi Perich.

Road trips to Ohio State and Oregon may cap the ceiling of this 2025 Minnesota team, and quarterback Drake Lindsey is something of an unknown with five career pass attempts.

30) LSU Tigers

While this may seem ludicrously low for the LSU Tigers, there are some legitimate concerns facing the program this coming season. Before you even dig into the roster, Brian Kelly’s team is staring down the barrel of a schedule that features seven teams with a preseason ranking. Road games at Clemson, Ole Miss, Alabama, and Oklahoma all hold potential pitfalls that could derail the season.

On the plus side, Kelly has one of the top quarterbacks in the country leading his offense. That said, Garrett Nussmeier needs to cut down on critical interceptions. He’s got a decent receiving group, but LSU lost several of its top pass catchers and both starting offensive tackles. Whit Weeks and Harold Perkins Jr. are monster linebackers, but the secondary isn’t as scary as we’ve seen recently.

29) Missouri Tigers

Double-digit win seasons have now become the expectation for the Missouri Tigers under 2023 SEC Coach of the Year Eli Drinkwitz. A schedule that avoids Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, and Ole Miss certainly helps toward that aspiration. Still, South Carolina and Alabama are no pushovers, and a road trip to Norman to face the Oklahoma Sooners is a test that the Tigers have never passed.

Drinkwitz loaded up defensively in the transfer portal, adding Jalen Catalon to an impressive secondary and Nate Johnson, Damon Wilson II, and Josiah Trotter to the front seven, ensuring another season of solid defensive play.

While Hardy was a significant get at running back, we may be about to see just how instrumental Brady Cook has been for Missouri now that he’s no longer there.

28) Texas Tech Red Raiders

While this might seem like a lowly ranking for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, it’s a preseason assessment tinged with a hint of reservation after the program didn’t quite meet high expectations a year ago.

Under Joey McGuire, Texas Tech has become one of the college football outfits that have routinely won the offseason — both recruiting and the portal — but need to put it all together in the fall.

McGuire paid particular attention to a defense that allowed 34.8 points per game in 2024, rebuilding the entire defensive front in the portal. David Bailey and Romello Height should eat off the edge with Skyler Gill-Howard and Lee Hunter attracting attention inside, while Cole Wisniewski should marshal the secondary.

27) Oklahoma Sooners

Just two wins in the conference and a losing season culminating with an Armed Forces Bowl loss to Navy wasn’t what anyone expected from Oklahoma, and head coach Brent Venables made about as many adjustments to his coaching staff without firing himself as humanly possible. The pressure’s on entering 2025, but there are some reasons to be optimistic about the team this fall.

After fielding one of the worst offenses in the country (24.0 ppg; 97th nationally), the addition of OC Ben Arbuckle and his quarterback of last fall, John Mateer, should light an offensive fire inside the Sooners. They also added former Cal running back Ott to boost the unit. Although some pieces of a strong defense return, it remains to be seen how Oklahoma performs without the leadership presence of linebacker Danny Stutsman.

26) Iowa Hawkeyes

The Iowa Hawkeyes finished outside of the final AP Poll Top 25 for just the second time in seven seasons after an 8-5 campaign against a relatively vanilla schedule that should have resulted in something better for Kirk Ferentz’s team.

A tale as old as time, Iowa was solid defensively, but despite some flashes of improvement, still ranked just 72nd in the country for scoring offense. A second consecutive season outside the top 25 college programs is a legitimate possibility.

The main spark of their offensive “success” last fall, Kaleb Johnson, is gone, and the Hawkeyes don’t have a natural successor. Quarterback addition Mark Gronowski is a proven winner, but he’ll need to run the gauntlet of a much more difficult schedule, with four opponents ranked in the preseason.

25) Tulane Green Wave

By the recent standards of excellence that they’ve set for themselves, the 2024 campaign was disappointing for the Tulane Green Wave, especially losing the final three games of the season, which included the AAC Championship Game blowout against Army. Jon Sumrall’s team was still a top-25 unit in both points scored (16th) and points allowed (24th), and that potency should translate into the 2025 season.

With Mensah gone, the biggest question hanging over the Green Wave is at the quarterback position. However, anyone who watched Ball State last fall will know that incoming passer Kadin Semonza can sling it. The former Cardinal is part of a deep transfer portal class that can help carry Tulane through an AAC schedule that has a Nov. 7 trip to face the Memphis Tigers as its make-or-break.

24) Texas A&M Aggies

During the Jimbo Fisher era, the Texas A&M Aggies recruited well but never seemed to extract the best out of those players, with preseason expectations often dashed by midseason. Things feel different under former Duke head coach Mike Elko, who led the team to a 7-1 record that fell away down the stretch against strong South Carolina and Texas teams (and Auburn).

Elko’s team returns multiple key players, including quarterback Marcel Reed, most of their OL starters, the top of the RB depth chart, and defensive standout Taurean York. Texas A&M also mined the transfer portal well this offseason and is well equipped to handle an SEC schedule that doesn’t feature Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, or Ole Miss.

23) Illinois Fighting Illini

The Big Ten got bigger and better last fall, but the Illinois Fighting Illini somehow put together its first 10-win season in over two decades. Bret Bielema led the team to a bowl win for the first time since 2011, and the program recorded its highest postseason AP ranking since 2001.

There is a good chance Illinois will prove last season was no fluke in the 2025 campaign. Luke Altmyer’s return was a significant coup for Bielema. He’ll play behind an offensive line that returns four players who racked up over 750 snaps each last season.

Although they lost Pat Bryant from the WR room and leading rusher Josh McCray, there’s talent waiting in the wings. Returning the trio of Gabe Jacas, Xavier Scott, and Miles Scott was critical for a unit that allowed just 21.7 points per game.

22) Boise State Broncos

The coverage of Boise State’s run to the College Football Playoff centered predominantly on one man: Ashton Jeanty. With the tackle-breaking monster off to the NFL, it’s easy to undervalue the chances of the Broncos repeating a similar success.

However, Spencer Danielson’s team was more than a one-man band last fall, and they have the talent to thrive in 2025.

Maddux Madsen was a top-25 quarterback a year ago for dropback EPA and throw EPA while ranking 17th for touchdown-to-interception ratio (3.8). Of his pass attempts, 36.9%  resulted in a first down or a touchdown, ranking 16th nationally.

The running back room is talented and deep, led by Sire Gaines, and Matt Lauter is one of college football’s top tight ends. Boise State’s defense also returns enough talent not to be concerned about a drop-off.

21) Baylor Bears

After the Baylor Bears opened their 2024 Big 12 campaign with four consecutive losses (2-4 overall to start the year), Dave Aranda was an early head coach hot seat candidate. However, they rallied down the stretch, turning over all but one (TCU) of their final six Big 12 opponents by more than one score. A lot of the talent that led that resurgence returns for the 2025 campaign.

Excitement around Baylor begins with quarterback Sawyer Robertson, who might be the long-shot Heisman Trophy contender no one is talking about enough. He’s a pocket passer-sized signal-caller with the power and athleticism to do severe damage on the ground. Selling out to prevent Robertson only opens up the game for Bryson Washington, a talented rusher with game-changing ability.

20) Louisville Cardinals

Jeff Brohm has returned successful, exciting football to the Louisville Cardinals in the past two seasons. Last fall, the program ranked in the top 10 in the country for scoring offense, averaging 36.5 points per game. Although quarterback Tyler Shough and several pass catchers are gone, Louisville returns a dynamic RB duo of Duke Watson and Isaac Brown, two of the best in the business.

Brohm turned to the transfer portal to rebuild a roster that ranks near the bottom of the FBS for returning production, notably bringing in former USC passer Miller Moss to replace Shough and landing seven defensive players who could be regular starters for the Cardinals this fall. Louisville’s path to the ACC title game, however, is as rough as they come, playing Clemson, Miami (FL), and SMU.

19) BYU Cougars

Two one-score losses late in the season deprived the 2024 BYU Cougars a shot at the Big 12 title and a place in the College Football Playoff, ultimately ranking 13th in the final AP poll. Although they face Iowa State and Texas Tech on the road this fall, BYU avoids both Kansas State and Arizona State, providing a roadmap to AT&T Stadium on the back of a good chunk of returning production.

Jake Retzlaff will lead the offense once again. If he can clean up his decision-making and cut down on costly interceptions (a Big 12-leading 12 in 2024), then his combination with Chase Roberts should be a difficult one to stop.

Kalani Sitake’s team is always well-disciplined on defense, and although they lost some starters on the line, Isaiah Glasker and Jack Kelly might be one of the better one-two punches at linebacker in all of college football.

18) Navy Midshipmen

A stellar season from the Navy Midshipmen in Year 2 under Brian Newberry saw the program hit double-digit wins for the first time since 2019 and end a five-year bowl game drought.

While part of a strong offensive line graduated this offseason while Rayuan Lane III and Colin Ramos earned NFL opportunities, there should be no drop-off in expectations for the AAC program in the 2025 campaign.

That’s because of the return of dual-threat quarterback Blake Horvath, that rare Navy product who can actually throw the ball as well as traditional passers while being virtually unmatched on the ground.

Eli Heidenreich and Alex Tecza are also back to run amok. There’s some change on defense, but Landon Robinson is the lynchpin at the heart of the line, and the rare athlete is set for big things this fall.

17) Kansas State Wildcats

After being ranked in the AP Poll Top 25 for most of last fall, the Kansas State Wildcats’ season fell away from them down the stretch, losing three of their final four games and putting them out of Big 12 contention.

Only one of those opponents is on their 2025 schedule, and despite some potential banana skins (at Utah, at Baylor, at Kansas), Chris Klieman’s team starts 2025 as one of the favorites.

Much of that faith comes from the return of Avery Johnson, who contributed over 3,000 total yards and 32 touchdowns last fall. They also have speedy running back Dylan Edwards and transfer wide receiver Jerand Bradley as offensive weapons. Meanwhile, there is plenty of returning defensive production on the roster, and national championship-winning pedigree in transfer linebacker Gabe Powers.

16) Iowa State Cyclones

The Iowa State Cyclones came up one win short of a Big 12 title last fall but are well-positioned to challenge atop the conference once again. The loss of the WR duo of Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins to the NFL is a tough pill to swallow. Still, Matt Campbell landed Chase Sowell (East Carolina) and Xavier Townsend (UCF) from the portal as weapons for quarterback Rocco Becht.

The Cyclones quarterback should be considered a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender, and his “leave it all on the field” style always gives you the impression that Iowa State is never out of a game.

We’ll see the Farmageddon rivalry in Week 0, which should provide us with an early indication of the program’s credentials for a title tilt — as will the Nov. 1 Big 12 title rematch with Arizona State.

15) Indiana Hoosiers

Exit Kurtis Rourke, enter Fernando Mendoza. Cignetti has been able to extract every bit out of underrated quarterbacks no matter where he has coached, but he’s doing it on the national stage with the Indiana Hoosiers right now.

The program has lofty expectations to live up to after the 2024 campaign, but Mendoza has the talent to exact Cignetti’s vision for a high-scoring offense in the Big Ten. He’ll have Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. at his disposal, one of the top wide receiver duos in the land.

Retaining the core of a top-10 scoring defense (15.6 ppg) will be critical for repeating the success of last fall, with Aiden Fisher, D’Angelo Ponds, and Mikail Kamara all returning. There’s no Ohio State or Michigan on the schedule, but road trips to Oregon and Penn State will be the biggest test of the Hoosiers’ mettle.

14) Tennessee Volunteers

There’ll be a tendency to ding the Tennessee Volunteers in college football power rankings after their offseason shenanigans at the quarterback position. Still, in all honesty, they may have emerged as the winners of the Iamaleava and Aguilar saga. The former Mountaineer arrives on Rocky Top via UCLA and has the arm talent to turn heads in the SEC this season.

Tennessee also has the offensive line and running back room set up to continue the success seen in recent years under Josh Heupel. Losing James Pearce Jr. and Omarr Norman-Lott stings for a defense that allowed just 16.1 points per game and may be the bigger concern for the Vols. Yet, the return of Jermod McCoy and Joshua Josephs should allay some of those fears.

No Texas on the schedule and Georgia at home also offer hope for a successful campaign.

13) Miami (FL) Hurricanes

After the exciting antics of the Cam Ward era, the Hurricanes returned to the transfer portal well this offseason to find the less entertaining, steadier hand of former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck to lead their attack on the ACC and College Football Playoff. Mario Cristobal is banking on a full recovery from injury for the standout passer, who received a notable NIL deal to come to Miami.

MORE: CFB Analyst Reveals Top 5 Players Primed for ‘Massive’ Bounce-Back Seasons, Carson Beck Included

Although the Hurricanes lost some talent to the portal, there are notable playmakers around Beck to navigate a schedule that misses Clemson but opens with a clash against Notre Dame and features a road trip to Texas to take on SMU.

Francis Mauigoa is a rock-solid protector, CJ Daniels is an acrobatic pass catcher, and Rueben Bain Jr. is one of the more dangerous pass rushers you’ll see this year.

12) Ole Miss Rebels

Lane Kiffin has made the Ole Miss Rebels one of the most must-see teams in college football, and his mastery of the transfer portal has no comparison. The program added impact makers on both sides of the trenches, at wide receiver, and in the secondary, this offseason, as they look to keep the pressure on at the top of the SEC while tallying a third successive double-digit win campaign — something never done before in Rebels history.

The schedule has some glaring difficulties, such as a three-game span at Georgia and Oklahoma and against South Carolina. However, this Ole Miss team is likely to ride and die on the development and talent of quarterback Austin Simmons.

Replacing Jaxson Dart won’t be easy, but the Rebels at least bolstered the RB room to shoulder the load, and Simmons has a feet-finder against Georgia State to open the campaign.

11) Alabama Crimson Tide

Kalen DeBoer enters Year 2 with the Alabama Crimson Tide, looking to exorcise the demons of a difficult first season stepping into Nick Saban’s significant shoes. The program again avoids Texas and Ole Miss on the schedule, which is a bonus, but trips to Athens and Columbia to take on Georgia and South Carolina, respectively, offer problematic potential.

Five of Alabama’s opponents are ranked in the preseason. But three months out from the season, the Crimson Tide’s biggest question mark is who will replace Jalen Milroe.

The former Alabama quarterback had his critics, but Milroe’s dual-threat athleticism will be missed. DeBoer has yet to name a starter with Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, and Keelon Russell vying for QB1 honors. At least wide receiver Ryan Williams has the talent to carry the offense this fall.

10) SMU Mustangs

If the SMU Mustangs are to return to Charlotte for consecutive ACC Championship Game appearances, they’re going to have to do it the hard way. Rhett Lashlee’s team travels to Clemson in mid-October and faces Louisville and Miami on its conference schedule. At the same time, two in-state out-of-conference games are no gimmes by any stretch of the imagination.

Yet, the Mustangs return enough talent to repeat the success of their inaugural ACC campaign. Kevin Jennings’ dual threat under center makes the offense exciting and unpredictable, while RJ Maryland is back after missing the 2024 campaign with injury.

Lashlee raided conference rival Miami for Zion Nelson and Chris Johnson Jr., while Zakye Barker should replace some of the lost defensive production.

9) Georgia Bulldogs

Ruling out a Kirby Smart-led Georgia Bulldogs team is never a good idea. The program has been a bastion of consistency in recent seasons, establishing itself annually as a contender in the conference. However, the reigning SEC champions won’t have an easy run to a repeat, with Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss, and a road trip to Tennessee (opening SEC fixture) all on their 2025 schedule.

Monroe Freeling and Earnest Greene III’s return on the offensive line is significant. The Bulldogs added dynamic wide receiver Zachariah Branch to the roster, and Nate Frazier leads the Georgia ground game.

Yet, uncertainty over Gunner Stockton’s ability to elevate the offense and a defense that lacks the usual depth of talent factor into what some might consider a lowly ranking here.

8) South Carolina Gamecocks

A program on the rise under head coach Shane Beamer, the South Carolina Gamecocks have a legitimate shot at being one of the best teams in the SEC (and the country) this fall. Although they lost secondary superstar Nick Emmanwori to the NFL, the defense is just as talented as the unit that ranked 12th in the nation, with 18.1 points per game allowed during a standout 2024 campaign.

Jalon Kilgore led the team in interceptions last year and returns, while several transfer additions join Freshman All-American Dylan Stewart. There shouldn’t be a drop-off in defensive performance at all.

Meanwhile, LaNorris Sellers has Heisman Trophy potential leading the Gamecocks’ offense if Jared Brown and Nyck Harbor step up this fall. Avoiding Georgia and Texas on the 2025 schedule could be key to an SEC title run.

7) Arizona State Sun Devils

After emerging as the breakout story of the 2024 college football season, the Arizona State Sun Devils are now in expectation territory. Kenny Dillingham’s team might have lost do-it-all running back Cam Skattebo to the New York Giants, but they return enough talent to enter the season as one of the frontrunners in the Big 12.

MORE: Arizona State Reloads for Another CFP Run With Key Stars Returning From Breakout 2024

The excitement around the program centers around one of the country’s top QB/WR duos. Sam Leavitt can lead a team from under center, while Jordyn Tyson will catch anything thrown at him (or just in his general direction).

Don’t be surprised if Army transfer Kanye Udoh steps up as the main back while defensive leaders Clayton Smith, Keith Abney II, and Javan Robinson return for this season.

6) Penn State Nittany Lions

Arguably, the 2025 season is there for the taking for James Franklin’s Penn State Nittany Lions. Offensively, they have more cohesion and fewer question marks than any other top team in our power rankings.

Drew Allar, Nicholas Singleton, and Kaytron Allen spurned the NFL to return to the program for another season, giving Penn State a dangerous offensive foundation.

Franklin turned to the transfer portal to solve some WR issues, and Ross could be the playmaker who sets Allar alight. The loss of Abdul Carter is significant, but Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant are the next great defensive products out of Penn State.

A home tilt with Oregon and a road trip to Ohio State loom as the schedule bumps that could derail the journey to the playoff.

5) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish came up short of the Holy Grail last fall, but there are enough reasons to believe they can again mount a shot at the College Football Playoff in 2025.

Leonard will take some replacing, and Marcus Freeman’s quarterback room is light on experience, but when you have the best running back in the country, Jeremiyah Love, how much does that really hamstring you?

The Irish dominated on the ground last season and return Love and running mate Jadarian Price. They’ll feast behind a reworked offensive line that lost some key parts but is both experienced and talented. The defensive line gets some reworking, but linebacker Drayk Bowen and the DB duo of Leonard Moore and Adon Shuler are more than capable of powering a potent defense.

4) Texas Longhorns

All eyes are on Arch Manning, but you might be looking in the wrong direction if you want to tell the true story of what the 2025 Texas Longhorns could be.

The 2024 defense was comfortably one of the best units in the country, and a good chunk of the pivotal parts of that juggernaut return this fall. If the adage that defenses win championships has any factual merit, Texas might finally be back.

Colin Simmons was a force as a freshman and is set to be one of the top five players in college football this season. Trey Moore has the career sack record in his sight (kind of), and Anthony Hill Jr. is the do-it-all linebacker any team would want on their roster.

Michael Taaffe returns to run the secondary, giving the Longhorns a defensive spine to be envious of. Manning may need to be merely average for this team to return to the postseason tournament.

3) Oregon Ducks

Losing Dillon Gabriel’s experience and playmaker ability is a massive blow to the Oregon Ducks. Yet, is it enough of a loss to plummet Dan Lanning’s program down the college football power rankings?

Several outlets are not enamoured by the outlook for the reigning Big Ten champions. Still, considering the remaining talent on the roster and a schedule avoiding Ohio State, the Ducks can fly again.

Dante Moore will be well protected behind a line led by Iapani Laloulu and has new running back Makhi Hughes to help lessen any reliance on the passing game. High-profile recruits (Na’eem Offord), All-American transfers (Dillon Thieneman), and returning monsters (Matayo Uiagalelei) all make for a potentially dominant defense that will help smooth a path to another playoff appearance in 2025.

2) Clemson Tigers

Dabo Swinney has had his detractors due to an archaic attitude toward the transfer portal. However, 2025 is the season when the Clemson Tigers return to the forefront of the college football landscape.

Cade Klubnik and Nussmeier go head-to-head in a battle of NFL Draft quarterbacks in a Week 1 showcase that should quantify the reality of preseason expectations for the ACC team.

Klubnik is one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and a supporting cast of experienced offensive linemen and talented wide receivers should allow him to power a high-scoring offense.

Yet, it’s on the defensive side of the ball where things get really exciting, with playmakers from front to back, led by T.J. Parker, Peter Woods, and Avieon Terrell, who are all among the best at their position.

1) Ohio State Buckeyes

The reigning national champions are not the No. 1 team on multiple versions of college football power rankings you can find elsewhere, and there’s undoubtedly some merit to being cautious about the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2025.

After all, they’ll start an inexperienced quarterback behind a line that lost key parts to the NFL, without two of the best running backs in recent years. However, Julian Sayin could throw the ball into triple coverage with the wonkiest release known to man, and Jeremiah Smith would make it a touchdown.

There is simply too much talent on both sides of the ball to write off the Buckeyes. The secondary, led by Caleb Downs, is the best in the business. Opening against Texas will be an early test, but they avoid Oregon and get Penn State in Columbus, with a path to the playoffs mapped out all the way to “The Game.”