Ranking college football's 10 realistic national champions in 2025

College football just wrapped up its national championship campaign, with Ohio State emerging the historic winner of the first 12-team field, and while the 2025 season doesn’t begin until August, it’s never too early to get a leg-up on what teams could be in contention this time next year.
The SEC and Big Ten accounted for 7 of the 12 places in the College Football Playoff this year, and it’s expected that both conferences will be heavily represented again in 2025.
As with any early list involving college football teams, everything is subject to change as the transfer portal and NIL environments should force plenty of change across rosters from now until kickoff in August.
But as we come out of one national championship, let’s look ahead to another, and project what 10 college football teams have a realistic path to the title.
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Ranking college football’s 10 realistic national title contenders in 2025
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10. Alabama
No list of title contenders is complete without the Crimson Tide, although that possibility grew more plausible after Kalen DeBoer’s debut season ended 9-4 with a loss in the bowl as a favorite.
And there are roster questions heading into 2025, especially at quarterback, where DeBoer will have to replace Jalen Milroe, but he has solid receiving talent and skill in the defensive front seven to build out from.
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9. LSU
It’s rash to say Brian Kelly is on the hot seat, but a 9-4 outing in his third year does represent a decline in output after winning 10 games in each of his first two seasons.
The good news is he gets Garrett Nussmeier back under center to lead a dynamic passing attack, and will bring on some needed transfer skill to a defense that was 12th in the SEC against the rush.
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8. Clemson
Cade Klubnik will return at quarterback in 2025, putting the Tigers back in the ACC title picture as defending conference champions after he had 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns this past season.
And while Dabo Swinney should get the core of his defensive rotation back for 2025, they have room for improvement after their worst showing in more than a decade, but could get a bump in production under new coordinator Tom Allen, in from Penn State.
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7. Miami
The decision by quarterback Carson Beck to pull out of the NFL Draft and transfer to the Hurricanes could prove to be the most consequential portal switch of the 2025 offseason.
Beck will be aided on offense by returning tailback Mark Fletcher, who head coach Mario Cristobal singled out as a team leader in ‘25, but Miami has some work to do patching up a defense that allowed almost 31 points per game against conference opponents.
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6. Notre Dame
Marcus Freeman has the Fighting Irish on a much-surer foundation after taking the program to a national championship game, but now has to replace his quarterback and fill some vacancies on the defensive side of the ball amid several expected departures.
Still, the Irish should have one of college football’s strongest offensive lines once again, tailback Jeremiyah Love will return to the backfield, and there is some quality receiving talent to help settle in whoever replaces Riley Leonard under center.
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5. Oregon
Dante Moore, a former five-star recruit, is in line to likely replace Dillon Gabriel at quarterback, but the Ducks will undergo some major changes at the skill positions.
And on the defensive side of the ball, too, but Dan Lanning should get some quality reinforcements in transfers like lineman Bear Alexander and defensive backs Dillon Thieneman and Theran Johnson.
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4. Penn State
James Franklin proved he can make a run in the College Football Playoff after coming just 3 points away from making the national championship game.
Drew Allar returns at quarterback, as do star tailbacks Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, all working behind a solid line, and the linebacker rotation looks solid, but the Nittany Lions need to get better at receiver, and replace defensive coordinator Tom Allen and edge rusher Abdul Carter.
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3. Georgia
This is Gunner Stockton’s offense now, inheriting the QB1 role since the end of the SEC Championship Game, but Kirby Smart needs to drastically upgrade his rushing capacity after fielding one of the SEC’s least-productive ground attacks.
Likewise at receiver, although the transfers of Zachariah Branch from USC and Noah Thomas from Texas A&M are key additions, and Georgia needs to find more continuity on a defense that has slipped from its ruthless dominance of the two title years.
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2. Texas
It’s Arch Manning time, as the Longhorns finally look ahead to the former No. 1 overall recruit taking the reins from Quinn Ewers, boasting a dual-threat capacity that he’ll need to exploit with talent at running back and receiver leaving for the NFL.
Week 1 finds Texas on the road against national champion Ohio State, and the five blockers in front of Manning are a notable concern, but this defense returns key personnel at all three levels.
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1. Ohio State
We could finally see five-star quarterback prospect Julian Sayin get on the field and show that he was worth the hype, and he’ll have tremendous help with wide receiver Jeremiah Smith back on the field in addition to transfers like tailback CJ Donaldson and tight end Max Klare.
Ohio State has plenty of talent on the defensive side of the ball to replace, but Caleb Downs will be back in the secondary for Jim Knowles to build his unit around.
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