SEC Dominate Preseason College Football Rankings, Big Ten Trail

The 2025 college football preseason polls highlight strong expectations across multiple conferences. The SEC leads with nine teams ranked in the US LBM Coaches Poll and Texas ranked No. 1, but the Big Ten, with six ranked teams including four in the top 12, is considered equally competitive and potentially better positioned for playoff success. In the Northeast Conference, Duquesne University was picked to finish second in the NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll, with seven players named to the Preseason All-NEC Team, reflecting their status as two-time defending regular-season champions. Meanwhile, Harvard was selected as the preseason favorite in the Ivy League Football Preseason Media Poll and Coaches Poll, receiving the most points and first-place votes, continuing its strong performance after consecutive shared league titles. Dartmouth and Yale follow closely behind Harvard in the Ivy League rankings, with Columbia, Princeton, Penn, Cornell, and Brown rounding out the conference standings. The Ivy League will also feature six games on ESPN linear networks this season, marking increased visibility ahead of its inaugural FCS playoff appearance.