PFF leaves Baylor off of its top-25 list, ranks Auburn for a big Week 1 showdown
The Baylor Bears will kick off the 2025 season in less than two weeks. And it's going to be a major Week 1 clash with SEC foe Auburn. The Tigers had a disastrous season, winning just five games, and head coach Hugh Freeze is in must-win mode. In his two seasons with the Tigers, Freeze won six and five games, respectively.
Despite the Tigers not being great under Freeze, Pro Football Focus came out with its preseason top-25 teams, and according to Max Chadwick, Baylor will be facing the No. 25 team in the country in Week 1. Chadwick ranked Auburn 25th, but somehow, Baylor was left on the outside looking in.
Auburn isn't the only ranked team PFF says Baylor will face this year. Arizona State (16), SMU (19), Utah (20), and Kansas State (21) are all ranked in Chadwick's top 25.
PFF’s FULL Preseason Top 25👀 pic.twitter.com/XHIyuztdB4
— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 18, 2025
Obviously, like all preseason rankings -- it means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Like the AP Top 25 Poll, the Bears didn't get any respect, which called for national analysts to talk about it.
Baylor could have one of the most explosive offenses in college football this season with returning QB Sawyer Robertson at the helm. He has several elite playmakers surrounding him like RB Bryson Washington and WRs Josh Cameron and Ahstyn Hawkins.
Assuming the Bears' defense can get better under Dave Aranda, Baylor could be competing for a Big 12 title and a spot in the CFP. But beating Auburn in Week 1 will be the telltale sign for the Bears this year. Most recently, CBS Sports predicted the outcome and it didn't favor Baylor.
But on a Friday night in Waco, the crowd will be rocking, and Aranda will have his team ready to play the Auburn Tigers. Playing in a blackout with new chrome helmets -- yeah, the Bears want to win the opener against PFF's 25th-best team.
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Trent is the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI and also serves as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines on SI. His work has additionally been featured on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.