Penn State is attempting to follow the blueprint that Michigan did two years ago and that Ohio State did this year, returning many of the key players who could have left for the NFL draft. However, there are some differences.

At the moment, the Nittany Lions don’t have a defensive coordinator, and though Drew Allar and both running backs return, this doesn’t feel like the same high-flying offense that James Franklin produced with Trace McSorley or Sean Clifford. PSU got to the semifinal, and it certainly should make the College Football Playoff again in 2025, but it still doesn’t feel like it’s ready to step into true championship contender status.

This ranking feels apt. Though Quinn Ewers moves on, as does wide receiver Isaiah Bond, the offense could take a step forward with Arch Manning taking over at quarterback and a player like WR Ryan Wingo maturing in year two. Certainly, it has some issues along the lines, though the offensive line issues in 2024 are partially due to injury. Steve Sarkisian has his team on the rise and 2025 could be the year the Longhorns could get to the next stage.

The newly-crowned national champions are going to get a lot of praise, and deservedly so, but to rank Ohio State so high given what it’s likely to lose seems like projection. QB Will Howard, RB TreVeyon Henderson (and likely Quinshon Judkins), WR Emeka Egbuka, TE Gee Scott, several offensive linemen, the entire defensive line and linebacking corps, and multiple players in the secondary will all be moving on. Yes, there’s a ton of talent still in Columbus, but like we saw in Ann Arbor this past year, it can take some time for inexperienced players to get up to speed, and with Texas coming in Week 1, there won’t be time to get right in 2025.

Against Notre Dame in the CFP quarterfinal, Georgia looked mundane and slow. Gunner Stockton takes over at quarterback and he wasn’t a problem in that game, but the Bulldogs don’t exactly mirror their national championship teams at the moment. The depth isn’t there, or at least it wasn’t this year. Kirby Smart has had his team flying awfully close to the sun for a couple of years now, so it isn’t too far outside of the realm of possibility that they take a step back, equal to the possibility that they return to prominence.

This was supposed to be Oregon’s year, but once it finally got to the playoff, it fell apart spectacularly in the Rose Bowl against Ohio State. The good news for the Ducks is that they’re still a team on the rise. Though Dillon Gabriel moves on, Dante Moore is ready for his moment to shine. The recruiting, both out of high school and the transfer portal, is off the charts. In our eyes, the Ducks should be ranked higher.

The Irish are coming off of a disappointing loss in the national championship game and it will have a lot of players returning. That is, if Notre Dame doesn’t succumb to transfer portal issues, as it’s looking like may happen. The Irish are losing some receivers and offensive linemen, and will start 2025 with a new quarterback (presumably CJ Carr). But it will also need a new defensive coordinator with Al Golden moving on to the NFL. ND looked overmatched on the defensive line in the championship game, which might not bode well for the future championship chances. Still, this is a fair ranking.

Clemson finally got with the program and started taking transfer portal entries, but it still feels a ways off from where it was last decade. However, stealing Tom Allen away from Penn State to be the new defensive coordinator feels like a potential game-changer. Still, it’s unclear that any ACC team can truly be a top 10 program in the new-look college football landscape.

However, take what we said about Clemson and somewhat throw that out the window with Miami. The problem with Miami isn’t with talent, it’s between the ears. Mario Cristobal has been recruiting both high school and the transfer portal with the best of them, yet, it keeps faltering in moments when it has no business doing so. Given the ACC and its lack of powerhouses at the moment, Miami has the talent to become one, but it’s unclear if it will actually take advantage.

There’s no reason why LSU keeps underperforming, except perhaps the man at the top. Every year, the Tigers appear to be on their way to finally getting over the hump, but then they start out by losing in Week 1 every season under Brian Kelly. At this time, despite Garrett Nussmeier’s return for his final year, we see no reason to slot LSU as anything other than a perennial 8-4 program.

This may definitely be some projection as we don’t know what the Bryce Underwood era will look like in year one, but Sherrone Moore made a ton of moves, including hiring offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey. We’re not exactly sure who will be catching passes and if the offensive line will take a step forward, but defensively, it should look as many expected it to in last year’s preseason — that is, good luck scoring more than a handful of points.