Few sports are as rankings-obsessed as college football. There are committees, television specials, and any number of fans dedicated to crafting the perfect list of NCAA football teams, only to do it all again the following week.
College football is also an ever-changing landscape. There are 134 FBS teams taking the field on a weekly basis, all of which builds up to the College Football Playoff. e.
Here are my top 50 college football rankings — plus some teams to keep an eye on as the weeks progress.
All NCAAF odds are current as of Thursday, August 28 and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
College Football Power Rankings Index
| Rank | School |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State (5-0) |
| 2 | Oregon (5-0) |
| 3 | Miami (5-0) |
| 4 | Ole Miss (5-0) |
| 5 | Texas A&M (5-0) |
| 6 | Oklahoma (5-0) |
| 7 | Alabama (4-1) |
| 8 | Texas Tech (5-0) |
| 9 | Indiana (5-0) |
| 10 | Georgia (4-1) |
| 11 | LSU (4-1) |
| 12 | Tennessee (4-1) |
| 13 | Missouri (5-0) |
| 14 | Michigan (4-1) |
| 15 | Georgia Tech (5-0) |
| 16 | Illinois (5-1) |
| 17 | BYU (5-0) |
| 18 | Notre Dame (3-2) |
| 19 | Vanderbilt (5-1) |
| 20 | Virginia (5-1) |
| 21 | Arizona State (4-1) |
| 22 | Memphis (6-0) |
| 23 | Iowa State (5-1) |
| 24 | Florida State (3-2) |
| 25 | South Florida (4-1) |
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College Football Teams to Watch
Ohio State (No. 1)
The defending champions are off to another great start, currently No. 1 in 2025 National Championship odds, with Julian Sayin leading the way, completing over 80% of his passes with an impressive 10.4 yards per attempt.
Oregon (No. 2)
Oregon looks dangerous, currently No. 2 in 2025 National Championship odds, with 2025 Heisman Trophy odds favorite Dante Moore leading the way. This could be the year of the Ducks.
Miami (No. 3)
The Hurricanes smartly replaced Cam Ward with an experienced starter in Carson Beck, and the results look great so far. Beck is averaging 8.7 yards per attempt with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions.
Alabama (No. 7)
What makes Alabama intriguing to me is quarterback Ty Simpson, who is completing over 70% of his passes with 13 touchdowns and only one interception.
Georgia (No. 10)
You can never count out the Bulldogs, who have a close loss vs Alabama and an impressive victory over Tennessee under their belt this season.
How We Create NCAA Football Power Rankings
There will be some constants between power rankings, but ultimately, no two lists are the same. I like to focus primarily on the data, but you can’t avoid inserting opinion, either. It’s never just about wins and losses or how a team looks.
Not All Wins Are Created Equally
A victory in the MAC simply isn’t going as far as a win in the SEC, which is why metrics like strength of schedule are so important. That doesn’t mean we should always sleep on programs outside of the Power 5 conferences, but it’s why you’ll sometimes see a one- or two-loss team ranked ahead of an undefeated one.
Don’t Get Caught Up In The Hype
Anything can happen in college football. Upsets and improbable moments are a huge part of what makes the sport so beautiful. However, it’s important to stay as level-headed as possible when evaluating how much a team should rise — or fall — based on one or two results.
It’s rare to see drastic movement in the most reputable college football polls, and I stick to a similar set of principles. A big win or loss will certainly affect your standing, but it takes consistency to truly find out what a team is made of.
Power, Not Record
Let’s say a top-10 team sees its star quarterback suffer a season-ending injury. They may still go on to win the game, and thus, improve their standing in the polls, but you can’t deny that the team likely doesn’t have as high a ceiling as it did before.
Situations like these factor into my decisions. Rankings must be based on the bulk of a team’s work, but they should also be indicative of what’s to come.
