Texas Tops AP Preseason College Football Poll

The 2025 Associated Press preseason Top 25 college football poll has Texas ranked No. 1 for the first time to open a season, narrowly edging Penn State by just five points in the closest preseason vote since 1998. Texas received 25 first-place votes and 1,552 points, marking the Southeastern Conference's fifth consecutive year with the preseason No. 1 team. Penn State is No. 2, Ohio State is No. 3, Clemson fourth, and Georgia fifth, with the SEC leading all conferences with 10 teams ranked, including four in the top 10. The Longhorns will face a tough opener against defending champion Ohio State, ranked third, in a rematch of last season’s College Football Playoff semifinal. Oklahoma is ranked No. 18, continuing its streak of preseason rankings for the 27th straight season, despite finishing unranked last year. The Big Ten has six teams in the top 25, and the SEC boasts the most teams ever in the preseason poll, reflecting strong competition between these conferences as the season starts on August 23.