The Ohio State Buckeyes reclaimed their place at the pinnacle of college football Monday night, capturing their first national championship in a decade with a commanding victory over Notre Dame.
While the confetti was still falling in Atlanta, ESPN shifted focus to next season by releasing its “way-too-early” top-25 rankings for 2025.
Unsurprisingly, Ohio State claimed the No. 1 spot, fueled by the anticipation surrounding former top recruit Julian Sayin stepping into the quarterback role.
ESPN also cited the return of key underclassmen, including star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and standout safety Caleb Downs, as reasons for the Buckeyes’ promising outlook.
Trailing Ohio State in the rankings are the Texas Longhorns at No. 2. Texas, expected to be one of the most-watched teams next season, will rely heavily on quarterback Arch Manning to lead them back into title contention.
Penn State and Notre Dame, this season’s other two semifinalists, landed at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively.
Georgia, despite facing significant roster turnover due to the NFL Draft and transfer portal, rounded out the top five.
Programs such as Oregon, Clemson, LSU, BYU, and South Carolina completed the top ten, highlighting an interesting field of contenders heading into the offseason.
ESPN’s complete “way-too-early” top-25 goes as follows…
- Ohio State Buckeyes
2024 record: 14-2, 7-2 Big Ten - Texas Longhorns
2024 record: 13-3, 7-1 SEC - Penn State Nittany Lions
2024 record: 13-3, 8-1 Big Ten - Notre Dame Fighting Irish
2024 record: 14-2 - Georgia Bulldogs
2024 record: 11-3, 6-2 SEC - Oregon Ducks
2024 record: 13-1, 9-0 Big Ten - Clemson Tigers
2024 record: 10-4, 7-1 ACC - LSU Tigers
2024 record: 9-4, 5-3 SEC - BYU Cougars
2024 record: 11-2, 7-2 Big 12 - South Carolina Gamecocks
2024 record: 9-4, 5-3 SEC - Iowa State Cyclones
2024 record: 11-3, 7-2 Big 12 - Alabama Crimson Tide
2024 record: 9-4, 5-3 SEC - Illinois Fighting Illini
2024 record: 10-3, 6-3 Big Ten - Arizona State Sun Devils
2024 record: 11-3, 7-2 Big 12 - SMU Mustangs
2024 record: 11-3, 8-0 ACC - Kansas State Wildcats
2024 record: 9-4, 5-4 Big 12 - Indiana Hoosiers
2024 record: 11-2, 8-1 Big Ten - Florida Gators
2024 record: 8-5, 4-4 SEC - Tennessee Volunteers
2024 record: 10-3, 6-2 SEC - Louisville Cardinals
2024 record: 9-4, 5-3 ACC - Michigan Wolverines
2024 record: 8-5, 5-4 Big Ten - Texas A&M Aggies
2024 record: 8-5, 5-3 SEC - Miami Hurricanes
2024 record: 10-3, 6-2 ACC - Boise State Broncos
2024 record: 12-2, 7-0 Mountain West - Ole Miss Rebels
2024 record: 10-3, 5-3 SEC
For the Buckeyes, Monday night’s win not only cemented their status as champions but also set the tone for what could be another dominant season in 2025.
What are your thoughts on ESPN’s early top-25 rankings?
Can you see Ohio State repeating as national champs???
