ESPN Releases Top 25 For Next Two College Football Seasons

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With the 2025 college football season almost here, ESPN has released its updated rankings with a twist.

ESPN has decided to rank college football teams for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Each program is judged by their quarterback situation, the likelihood of having a multiyear quarterback on their roster, their talent in the trenches, roster management, star power and coaching staff.

As of this June, ESPN values Texas over any other program in college football.

“Wouldn’t rule it out. Arch Manning finally becomes QB1 for the Longhorns, and he could position himself as a top NFL draft selection in 2026. But Manning is in a unique situation because of his background and the money he has already earned in college. He doesn’t need to rush off to begin his pro career and could benefit from a second season as the starter under coach Steve Sarkisian,” ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg wrote.

ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 07: TV Commentator Kirk Herbstreit before the SEC championship football game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas Longhorns on December 7, 2024 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Texas isn’t the only team receiving love from ESPN. Unsurprisingly, Ohio State and Georgia are inside the top five.

“[Ryan] Day is a new man after winning his first national title, which validates so much of his success,” ESPN said in regards to Ohio State. “He oversees one of the top personnel operations in the sport, although there are some renewed questions about his coordinator spots, with Brian Hartline returning as the primary OC and longtime NFL coach Matt Patricia coming in to run the defense.”

Here’s the top 25 from ESPN:

TexasOhio StateGeorgiaOregonNotre Dame Penn StateClemsonLSUTennesseeAlabamaMiamiArizona StateMichiganSMUFloridaOle MissIllinoisSouth CarolinaIowa StateIndianaKansas StateMissouriIowaLouisvilleBYU

A few notable programs, including Oklahoma and USC, just missed the cut for the top 25. The biggest issue for Lincoln Riley’s program is that he doesn’t have a guaranteed starter for the next two seasons.

It’ll be fascinating to see how these rankings from ESPN age once this season is over.

For now, Texas is on track to be the king of college football.

Related: ‘College GameDay’ Losing 2 Beloved Members For 2025 Season

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