The 2025 college football season begins this weekend. Technically, it started last weekend with a few games played during Week 0, but this weekend marks the official kickoff of every single program’s season.
But who are the teams that are going to be in the race for the National Championship this season?
Here are four teams that could be crowned National Champions
Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns are coming into this season as the favorites to win the national championship this year. This is not a surprise. For the last two seasons, Texas has been one of the strongest programs in the country, making the semi-finals of the College Football Playoffs both years, losing these games on the last play of the game.
The hype surrounding the Longhorns this year all stems from one player. Arch Manning. The nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning (who have a combined four Super Bowls) finally gets his chance to lead the team after two seasons on the bench. Manning was the top prospect of the 2023 recruitment class, and what fans have seen of him play has been impressive. If Manning can live up to his reputation, then Texas, who have a potent offense and defense without Manning, is likely to have a good chance of winning their first National Championship since 2005.
The Longhorns’ success this year could rest heavily on their performance in the opening game. They face Ohio State to open the season. This is one of the biggest season openers in College Football history, and a win here can set up Texas to go all the way.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the reigning national champions, having won the National Championship after defeating Notre Dame in a one-sided game. The Buckeyes are always in contention for the national championship, and this year is no exception.
As with Texas, Ohio State will have a new quarterback this season, as Will Howard has entered the NFL. His replacement is another top prospect, Julian Sayin. Initially committed to Alabama, but after Nick Saban retired, decommitted from the Crimson Tide and came to Columbus. The Buckeyes are blessed with one of the best young wide receivers in the country in Jeremiah Smith. Smith was a key part of the Buckeyes’ success last year. Expect him to perform even stronger this year.
Schedule-wise, it is the usual easy Big Ten schedule for Ohio State this year, with games against Penn State and Michigan (alongside their season opener against Texas) that could cause any headaches for Ryan Day’s team.
Penn State Nittany Lions
For years, the Penn State Nittany Lions were the third wheel in the Big Ten, behind Ohio State and Michigan. However, over the last few years, the Nittany Lions have become a real contender for the conference. If they are going to do it, this year is their best chance.
While their conference rivals have replaced at least one of their star players from last year, Penn State has not. The leading trio of Drew Allar, Kaytron Allen, and Nicholas Singleton have returned to “Happy Valley” for one more year and is likely to lead the team again.
The schedule is massively helpful for the Nittany Lions. The only game they need to worry about is their November 1 trip to Ohio State. A strong regular season, paired with a slip-up from Michigan and Penn State, will make the Big Ten Championship game. A CFP spot should be certain, and they could very much go all the way if everyone delivers.
Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers returned to their usual strong form last year. They made a return to the ACC Conference Championship game, where they defeated SMU to claim the title and secure a spot in the CFP. If they had not won this game, they would not have made the playoffs. Their playoff run ended in the first round at the hands of Texas.
However, the Tigers have a potential Heisman winner in their ranks. Quarterback Cade Klubnik has been able to develop into one of the strongest quarterbacks in college football, and this year should be a powerful one for Klubnik. He needs to replicate his performances from last year; doing so should be enough to make Clemson a very competitive team.
The Tigers open their season against LSU (another program with a Heisman-likely quarterback), and this should be the litmus test for this success. They are likely to be the strongest team in the ACC this year and have a reasonably easy season. One massive unknown is North Carolina, which is now coached by former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick. His influence could very much make the Tar Heels the biggest competitor in the ACC.
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