College Football’s Preseason Top 25 And When Each Ranked Team Is Most Likely To Lose

This is it! The 2025 College Football season gets started this coming weekend with Iowa State and Kansas State kicking things off with noon.

For those that haven’t followed College Football super closely during the off season, don’t fret. Here we check out the 2025 College Football Preseason top 25 rankings and we look at their schedule to see when each team is most likely to lose

College Football’s Preseason Top 25: When Every Ranked Team Is Most Likely To Lose

Week 1 of the 2025 College Football season features some of the best Week 1 matchups in modern history. And that is not an exaggeration.

These games are often agreed upon between schools years ago. Teams change, coaches shift, players move on. But the games still get played by the future staff for this year’s Week 1 to feature some of the best head-to-head matchups in modern CFB history is truly something special. Now let’s get to the preaseason top 25 rankings and which game each team is most likely to lose.

25. Boise State Broncos

The Boise State Broncos are ranked 25th in both the AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Poll. And as things stand, they look to have a pretty successful season ahead of them.

At this point, Boise State only has one ranked opponent on the schedule: #6 Notre Dame. They won’t face the Irish until October 4th at 3:30 on NBC and that game is in South Bend, Indiana.

If there is one game the Broncos are at most risk of losing, this is undoubtedly the one. But if they pull off that upset, it is not unrealistic to think the Broncos could go undefeated this season up until the College Football Playoffs.

24. Tennessee Volunteers

The Tennessee Volunteers come into the 2025 College Football season ranked 24th in the AP Top 25 but they are six spots better and ranked 18th in the AFCA Coaches Poll. There is clearly a discrepancy going on there between AP voters and coaches that we will learn more about in the coming days.

Tennessee is in the SEC East with Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina (and others, obviously). They begin SEC play just 3 games into the season and face the #5 ranked Georgia Bulldogs at home on September 13th.

It is hard to imagine a tougher game for Tennessee than that one. If they can get past Georgia on 9/13 in Knoxville they’ll get a breather until facing Alabama in Tuscaloosa on 10/18. The Vols will also travel to Gainesville to play the Gators on 11/22.

All in all, Tennessee has 4 ranked opponents (including Oklahoma) on its schedule at the moment but none of those will be a tougher challenge than Georgia in just their 3rd game of the season, which could prove to be beneficial.

23. Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Red Raiders are ranked 23rd in the AP Top 25 and 24th in the AFCA Coaches Poll. They are coming off an 8-5 season with a 39-26 loss to Arkansas in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl and looking to start hot.

Fortunately for Texas Tech, there aren’t an overwhelming number of obstacles to navigate on their 2025 schedule. They are set to face two ranked opponents, #11 Arizona State on 10/18 and the #17 Kansas State Wildcats on 11/1.

Both of those are road games and Arizona State appears to be the tougher challenge at this point. I do think both games are winnable for Texas Tech and their first loss could be a trap game, but the Arizona State game is their toughest challenge on paper.

22. Iowa State

The Iowa State Cyclones get tested in Week 1. They are ranked 22nd in the AP Top 25 and 21st in the AFCA Coaches Poll, and they will face #17 ranked Kansas State in a Week 1 Big 12 matchup.

Is this their toughest challenge of the season? Maybe yes, maybe no. Iowa State will host the #11 ASU Sun Devils on November 1st and on paper that is their toughest game. The Kansas State game is the annual Aer Lingus College Football Classic, on neutral ground, but in Week 1 anything could happen so I’m giving the nod to ASU as the game they are most likely to lose.

21. Ole Miss Rebels

The Ole Miss Rebels are ranked 21st in the AP Top 25 and 15th in the AFCA Coaches Poll. Lane Kiffin will roll out another strong squad this season.

One thing the Rebs don’t have this season is an easy schedule. They have 5 ranked opponents on the schedule at the moment (OU, SC, UF, LSU, and UGA).

Every single one of those SEC matchups will give them trouble but on paper, no game looks tougher than when they travel to Athens on October 18th to face Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs. Circle that one on your calendar for a great game all around, and one that Georgia will be favored in. If Ole Miss gets past LSU on 9/27 they will likely head into that game undefeated. It will be one for everyone to watch!

20. Indiana Hoosiers

The Indiana Hoosers are ranked 20th in the AP Top 25 and 19th in the AFCA Coaches Poll. Those are SKY HIGH expectations for the Hoosiers who are traditionally more of a basketball school.

Indiana has three ranked opponents on their schedule at the moment. They face #12 Illinois in their 4th game of the season and the #7 Oregon Ducks (at Oregon) two games later. But no game will be tougher for the Hoosiers than traveling to play the #2 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions on 11/8. That will be their biggest challenge by a mile.

19. Texas A&M Aggies

Texas A&M comes into the 2025 season ranked 19th in the AP Top 25 and 21st in the AFCA Coaches Poll. They also have an absolutely brutal schedule ahead of them this season.

Currently, there are 5 ranked opponents on their schedule including three teams in the top 10: #9 LSU, #6 Notre Dame, and #1 Texas. The Aggies travel to Austin to face the #1 ranked Longhorns in their final game of the season, which is easily their toughest game of 2025 on paper. But they also play at Notre Dame and at LSU before that. Pour one out for your Aggies friends because 2025 could be a long one for them.

18. Oklahoma Sooners

Ranked 18th in the AP Top 25 and un-ranked in the AFCA Coaches Poll, the Oklahoma Sooners face one of the scariest schedules in all of College Football this season. They face 6 ranked opponents in their final 7 games, 3 of those on the road, and they face #14 Michigan in their 3rd game of the season in a prime time game.

The Sooners’ toughest opponent will be one they are familiar with and face every year: the #1 ranked Texas Longhorns. That game is on 10/11 and begins the insanity where Oklahoma will face ranked opponents 5 games in a row, get a break against SEC foe Missouri, and then finish with #9 LSU.

If Oklahoma beats Michigan they will likely into the Texas game undefeated at 5-0. After that, there’s no telling how many wins Oklahoma will have…

17. Kansas State

The Wildcats are ranked #17 in the preseason AP Top 25 and 20th in the AFCA Coaches Poll. Their schedule is FAVORABLE to say the least, but their toughest match up of the season on paper will come in Week 1.

Kansas State faces #22 Iowa State in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic to start their season and then they don’t face another ranked opponent until Texas Tech on 11/1.

16. Southern Methodist University

The Southern Methodist Mustangs aka Ponies will be looking to contend for an ACC title this season. Currently, they are ranked 16th in both the AP Top 25 and the AFCA Coaches Poll.

SMU only has two ranked opponents on the schedule at the moment, and their toughest match up will come against the #4 Clemson Tigers on 10/18. They then face Miami two games later.

I’m not 100% sold on Clemson at #4 (maybe 99%). I want to see them play a game or two before I’m convinced that Dabo’s squad is back. But on paper that is the toughest game for SMU, traveling to Clemson to face the #4 team in the nation.

15. University of Florida

The Florida Gators have 7 ranked opponents on the schedule and the action will come early for them. Currently ranked 15th in the preseason AP Top 25 and 17th in the AFCA Coaches Poll, Florida faces its first top-10 opponent when the Gators travel to Tiger Stadium on 9/13 to face LSU.

After that, they Gators travel to face #10 Miami on 9/20 and then host the #1 ranked Texas Longhorns in The Swamp. Despite being a home game, that factors to be the toughest game for the Florida Gators this season… They also #5 Georgia on neutral ground in Jacksonville. Until they face my alma mater and un-ranked Florida State Seminoles during rivalry week, of course.

14. University of Michigan

The 2023 National Champion Michigan Wolverines inexplicably only have 2 ranked opponents on their schedule at the moment, and people say the ACC is bad! Michigan is ranked 14th in both the preseason AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Poll.

Their first ranked opponent is #18 Oklahoma at Memorial Stadium in Norman on 9/6. But like most years, their toughest game of the season will come against bitter rival Ohio State. At least that game is at The Big House, but Michigan will have to find a way to beat #3 Ohio State on 11/29.

13. University of South Carolina

Ranked 13th in both the AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Poll, the South Carolina Gamecocks have another brutal SEC schedule ahead of them.

They won’t face a ranked opponent until their 6th game of the season when they travel to play LSU but then have a stretch of five games in a row against preseason top 25 opponents. South Carolina’s toughest match up, in paper, figures to be their final game of the season against in-state rival and #4 ranked Clemson on 11/29 but that game will at least be a home game.

12. Illinois Fighting Illini

The Fighting Illini are currently ranked 12th in both the preseason AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Poll. This is unfamiliar ground for Illinois who aren’t often a team sniffing the top-10 in the rankings.

Illinois travels to face #20 Indiana in their 4th game of the season but their biggest challenge by a country mile will come on 10/11 when Illinois hosts #3 ranked Ohio State at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. That factors to be one of the highest-profile games played in that stadium in a long time!

11. Arizona State Sun Devils

The Sun Devils are ranked #11 in both the AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Poll. And like their fellow Big 12 teams, they have a favorable schedule ahead of them this season.

Arizona State’s only ranked opponents are #23 Texas Tech and #22 Iowa State. To me, those are a coin flip in caliber of opponent but the Iowa State game is on the road and will be a tougher challenge for ASU.

10. Miami Hurricanes

Is this going to be the year for the Miami Hurricanes to win the ACC??? Not if Clemson has anything to say about it in the ACC Championship, but getting there won’t be easy for Miami.

They open their season against #6 Notre Dame, host the #15 Florida Gators, and travel to #16 SMU. It is hard to say that Miami’s toughest game of the season is Week 1 against Notre Dame but if it’s not that then seeing their Hard Rock Stadium flooded with Florida Gators fans on 9/20 would be it. Notre Dame appears to be the clearly tougher match up at this point but only time will tell.

Miami comes into the season ranked 10th in both the AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Poll.

9. LSU Tigers

LSU is ranked 9th in both the AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Poll and they have a real humdinger of a schedule with 7 ranked opponents ahead of them. Their toughest game of the season at the moment, on paper, is traveling to face #4 ranked Clemson in Week 1.

LSU also has road games against #21 Ole Miss, #18 Oklahoma, and #8 Alabama. But that road game against the #4 team in the country to start the season? It doesn’t get much tougher than that.

8. University of Alabama

The Alabama Crimson Tide are ranked 8th in the preaseason AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Poll. With 5 ranked opponents on the schedule this season, two of them are on the road and one of them figures to be Bama’s toughest opponent.

Mark 9/27 on your calendar because that is the day #8 Alabama travels to Athens, Georgia to face the #5 Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. It is unclear how big of an underdog Alabama will be in that pivotal road game but if they find a way to win it will be huge for their season and set the tone for the games ahead.

7.The Oregon Ducks

With only two ranked opponents on their schedule, the Oregon Ducks figure to be in the conversation for the College Football Playoffs all season. They come into 2025 ranked 7th in both the AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Poll.

Their toughest test comes on 9/27 when the Ducks travel to Beaver Stadium to face the #2 Penn State Nittany Lions. That game will be in prime time and whichever team makes it through that game as the victor will immediately be in the national championship conversation.

6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame come into 2025 with strong preseason rankings of 6th in the AP Top 25 and 5th in the AFCA Coaches Poll. This won’t be an easy year for them though!

Notre Dame opens their season with back-to-back ranked opponents, facing #10 Miami in Week 1 and #19 Texas A&M in Week 2. They also face #25 Boise State on 10/4. All of that is to say that on paper, Notre Dame’s toughest game this season is their Week 1 road game against Miami at the Hard Rock Stadium. Things get considerably easier from there, hosting the Aggies for their second game.

5. University of Georgia Bulldogs

Getting down to the top 5… The Georgia Bulldogs kick off 2025 ranked 5th in the AP Top 25 and 4th in the AFCA Coaches Poll. Their first of five ranked matchups comes in their third game when they face off against #24 Tennessee.

But the toughest test on the schedule this season for the Georgia Bulldogs will be when they host the #1 ranked Texas Longhorns at home on 11/15. It is a home game, which will ease the challenge a bit, but that’s going to be as tough of a test as they can handle.

4. Clemson Tigers

The Clemson Tigers kick off 2025 ranked 4th in the AP Top 25 and 6th in the AFCA Coaches Poll. If Clemson is ‘back’ they will certainly be given the chance to try and prove that this season!

Clemson opens their season at home against #9 LSU on 8/30. They also have home games against #16 SMU on 10/18 and the #13 Gamecocks on 11/29. LSU is, without a doubt, their toughest challenge on paper. But anything can happen in Week 1!

3. Ohio State Buckeyes

The Ohio State Buckeyes begin their 2025 campaign ranked #3 in the AP Top 25 and #2 in the AFCA Coaches Poll. Their toughest game of the season also comes in week 1 when Ohio State faces Texas at noon in 8/30.

Why would Ohio State and Texas schedule each other so early in the season? Well, there’s a lot of upside for whoever wins that game and an early season loss typically gets wiped under the rug once the real CFP rankings come out later in the season.

Ohio State will also face #12 Illinois on the road, #2 Penn State at home, and #14 Michigan at the Big House. Their schedule appears to be the toughest in the Big Ten by a LOT.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State hasn’t started a season ranked better than Ohio State since 1997! But that’s the case this year where the Nittany Lions come into 2025 ranked #2 in the AP Top 25, one spot ahead of Ohio State, and #3 in the AFCA Coaches Poll, one spot behind Ohio State.

Ohio State figures to be the toughest game for Penn State this season. They will face the #3 ranked Buckeyes on the road on 11/1. Then PSU will have to host #20 Indiana the following week. But they will get a massive test on 9/27 when Penn State hosts the #7 Oregon Ducks at Beaver Stadium.

1. Texas Longhorns

Lastly we have the Texas Longhorns, ranked #1 in both the AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Poll. Like every SEC team, if Texas goes undefeated they will have been tested immensely along the way.

The Longhorns have five top-25 teams on their schedule this season, including ranked match ups in their first and last game of the year. But it is #3 Ohio State in Week 1 that will be their biggest test until the College Football Playoffs, if they make it through the gauntlet of #3 Ohio State (A), #15 Florida (A), #18 Oklahoma (H), #5 Georgia (A), and #19 Texas A&M (H).

The Longhorns travel well. Fans are everywhere. But they will have a target on their backs everywhere they go this season. Will they be up to the challenge? Let me know what you think in the BroBible Facebook comments!