As the calendar officially turns to March, college football teams everywhere will begin ramping up for Spring practices — regardless of whether they’ll cap it with a traditional Spring game or not.

With that in mind, ESPN data analyst Bill Connelly crunched the numbers and came up with the Worldwide Leader’s initial SP+ analytic-based rankings for the 2025 college football season.

For a refresher, Connelly’s SP+ projection rankings are built around three primary factors: returning production based on current roster makeup, recent recruiting metrics and a team’s recent history based around performance over past three seasons. By combining all three factors, Connelly built an analytic-based ranking hierarchy at what the 2025 preseason rankings could look like.

Check out Connelly’s Top 25 SP+ 2025 preseason power rankings below:

There’s not surprise at No. 1, unless, of course, you were expecting a major fall-off for the reigning College Football Playoff National Champions. The 2024 champion Buckeyes start 2025 where they finished last season atop ESPN’s power rankings.

Of course, for Ohio State to stay atop the rankings, the Buckeyes will have the to replace a massive amount of outgoing talent, namely at quarterback and along both offensive and defensive lines. Thankfully, Ohio State has recruited well and return two of college football’s best players at their respective positions in receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs.

This might be high given how the Crimson Tide fell apart late in Kalen DeBoer‘s first season replacing Nick Saban as head coach. But Year 2 under DeBoer has already started strong as Alabama players have hammered a rededication to building upon many of the priorities that helped the Tide win six national champions in 17 seasons under Saban.

Add to that the arrival of former Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and the experience returning on defense and confidence is riding high in Tuscaloosa. Still, Alabama must resolve its quarterback situation after two-year starter Jalen Milroe elected to enter the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Nittany Lions appeared to finally take the next step in their evolution as a national power after advancing to the College Football Playoff national semifinals in 2024. And with the addition of former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, Penn State isn’t going anywhere.

With veteran quarterback Drew Allar returning, as well as running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton, 2025 could be Penn State’s year. The Nittany Lions will need to replace potential No. 1 overall pick Abdul Carter off the edge, but Texas A&M transfer Enai White could help fill that role.

The Bulldogs struggled through offensive inconistencies and less-than-encouraging trench play in 2024 but still managed to win the SEC Championship with a season sweep of Texas. Two-year starting quarterback Carson Beck has transferred to Miami, opening the door for Gunner Stockton to take the reigns as Georgia’s QB1 in 2025.

Kirby Smart also delved into the NCAA Transfer Portal and rebuilt the Bulldogs’ receiver and safety rooms after big departures, adding Zachariah and Zion Branch from USC and Noah Thomas from Texas A&M, as well as former UAB safety Adrian Maddox.

The Fighting Irish gave Ohio State a run for its money in the CFP National Championship Game, but ultimately came up short in its return to the big stage. Still, Notre Dame has plenty of returning talent, including along its offensive line.

Marcus Freeman enters Year 4 as the Irish head coach needing to replace outgoing quarterback Riley Leonard, but talented redshirt freshman CJ Carr is expected to compete with 2024 backup Steve Angeli for the starting job this offseason and whoever wins the job will have plenty of offensive options.

The Ducks stepped into the Big Ten and took it over in 2024, winning the conference championship in convincing fashion as the only FBS team to go undefeated through championship week. But after earning a first-round bye in the CFP, Oregon ran into the postseason buzzsaw that was Ohio State with a blowout quarterfinal loss.

Fourth-year coach Dan Lanning is once again relying heavily on rebuilding through the transfer portal, though his biggest addition could be former UCLA transfer QB Dante Moore, who redshirted in 2024 and is primed to replace Dillon Gabriel as the Ducks’ QB1 in 2025 and beyond.

The Arch Manning era is officially here in Austin as the former No. 1 overall recruit in 2023 takes over the quarterback reigns after two seasons as the much-ballyhooed backup to Quinn Ewers. While head coach Steve Sarkisian has yet to officially hand him the keys to the Longhorns offense, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning has already started to assert his place as a team leader this offseason.

Texas will need to replace likely first-round pick Kelvin Banks on the offensive line, as well as talented receivers Isaiah Bond and Matthew Golden, but a fully-healthy CJ Baxter at running back and returning WR Ryan Wingo should help take a load off as the rest of the offense comes together.

Outside of a lopsided first-round exit at the hands of eventual champ Ohio State, the Volunteers put together a strong 2024 despite some inconsistent play from quarterback Nico Iamaleava in his first full years as Tennessee’s starting QB.

Still, Iamaleava is expected to be in the Heisman Trophy conversation in Year 2 as the Vols’ QB1, especially if the rebuilt offensive line comes together as hoped. Tennessee will certainly miss likely first-round pick James Pearce Jr. off the edge, but with 2024 leading tackler Arion Carter returning, the Vols defense will be in good hands in 2025.

Despite just barely missing out on the 12-team field in 2024, Lane Kiffin routinely has the Rebels in CFB contention nearly every year and 2025 should be no different, even with a wealth of departures on both sides of the ball to replace.

Once again, Kiffin dove head first into the Transfer Portal and recruited the No. 2 overall transfer class, according to On3’s Industry Rankings, including adding talented pass rushers Princewill Umanmielen, the younger brother of NFL-bound Princely Umanmielen, from Nebraska and Dashawn Womack from LSU. The biggest question will be who replaces Ole Miss’ all-time leading passer Jaxson Dart at quarterback.

2025 will be a pivotal season for fourth-year Tigers head coach Brian Kelly, who has struggled to crack into the national championship picture since landing in Baton Rouge. Still, there’s plenty of reason for optimism this is LSU’s year with the return of starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and an array of offensive playmakers.

Kelly also dipped into the transfer portal for explosive playmakers like Nic Anderson (Oklahoma) and Barion Brown (Kentucky) as well as replenishing an offensive line that will loses likely Top 10 pick Will Campbell among four departing starters up front.

ESPN’s Initial 2025 SP+ Rankings Nos. 11-25

11. Clemson Tigers — 18.8
12. Texas A&M Aggies — 18.5
13. Michigan Wolverines –17.7
14. Miami Hurricanes –16.9
15. Missouri Tigers –15.7
16. South Carolina Gamecocks — 15.4
17. Florida Gators — 14.4
18. SMU Mustangs — 14.1
19. Kansas State Wildcats — 13.7
20. Oklahoma Sooners — 13.1
21. Iowa Hawkeyes –12.5
22. Louisville Cardinals — 12.4
23. Auburn Tigers — 12.1
24. Indiana Hoosiers — 12.0
25. Illinois Fighting Illini — 11.2

Check out Bill Connelly’s complete SP+ Rankings list of all 136 FBS teams here.