Through Aug. 22, Sports Illustrated will count down its preseason college football Top 25 with overviews of each team. Here are the full rankings so far.
No. 22 USC Trojans
The Trojans implemented a lot of changes since moving to the Big Ten but still haven’t quite found their footing in the league amid disappointing results—especially on the road. The 2025 season offers the chance to prove some wrong about the direction the program is headed. If the group can turn those close losses from last season into wins in this one, that would get USC back into the national conversation. Read more on the Trojans.
No. 23 Kansas State Wildcats
A lot of the narrative about Kansas State will be set based on how well it plays in the Week Zero opener against a fellow Big 12 contender. The talent level is high enough in Manhattan, Kans., to keep the Wildcats in the thick of the conference race through the end of the season. Read more on the Wildcats.
No. 24 Louisville Cardinals
We all expect—heck, know—the offense will be good under Jeff Brohm & Co., but it will likely be the defense that determines Louisville’s ceiling in 2025 and whether some of those close losses turn into enough wins to be an ACC challenger to Clemson. Read more on the Cardinals.
25. Oklahoma Sooners
It would not be a surprise if Oklahoma became one of the most improved teams in the country simply as a result of having an offense that goes from atrocious to slightly above mediocre. The SEC slate is always difficult, but the overall talent level is better in what promises to be a 2025 season that will go a long way in determining whether Brent Venables’s massive buyout gets paid in December or not. Read more on the Sooners.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sports Illustrated’s College Football Preseason Top 25.
