The air is getting colder, and that can only mean one thing: college football season is closing in on the NCAA landscape. On that note, the AP Preseason Top 25 Poll has been announced. To many people’s surprise, another program made an even bigger jump than Arch Manning’s Texas Longhorns and Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama Crimson Tide.
The Longhorns are expected to play an even bigger role in the 2025 NCAA football season. After their latest stumble in the semifinal, it’s national championship or bust for Texas, now finally commanded by Manning. The young quarterback faces a tall order—one not often seen for a player with less than 100 pass attempts on his college football résumé.
For the Crimson Tide, the bar has been raised as well. DeBoer no longer gets a pass for coaching his first year in the SEC—fans and students expect results. Alabama made a significant jump in the rankings and sits in the top 10. Still, in Tuscaloosa that has never been considered enough—and it won’t change anytime soon.
No shine without the grind
However, neither Manning’s Texas nor DeBoer’s Alabama is the program in college football who climbed the most in the AP Poll ahead of the 2025 NCAA campaign. That title is reserved to a school in South Carolina, which is hoping to return to its winning ways.
Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) smiles after winning the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Clemson Tigers on Monday September 5, 2022 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Clemson Tigers enter the upcoming college football season as one of the most exciting teams to watch. After falling to Texas in the playoff opener, the reigning ACC champions are hungry for redemption. They finished last season ranked 14th, but now sit just outside the podium in 4th place of the AP Top 25 Poll.
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Where does Texas rank?
The Longhorns are arguably the favorites to win it all in 2025. With Manning’s rise to the starting job, the school in Austin is poised to have an year to remember. However, their odds will lie mainly on how the heir of football’s royal quarterback family adapts to the deafening buzz and sky-high expectations.
The AP Top 25 Poll ranks Texas on first place, standing a peck above current runner-ups and champions, the Penn State Nittany Lions and Ohio State Buckeyes, respectively.
Where does Alabama rank?
The Crimson Tide is coming off a disappointing 2024 NCAA campaign. Fortunately for Bama, there’s not much further to fall. Unfortunately, its fate now rests in the hands of an inexperienced quarterback room following Jalen Milroe’s departure to the NFL. As it stands, Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, and Keelon Russell are battling for the QB1 role.
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Regardless, Alabama has accustomed fans across the nation to expect nothing short of excellence. At the very least, the AP Poll is giving the program the benefit of the doubt. Entering the season ranked 8th — a notable leap from their 17th-place finish in 2024 — the Crimson Tide still face a steep climb to the pinnacle.
