CBS Sports reveals AP Poll Top 25 prediction after Week 1 of college football

TCU‘s blowout win over North Carolina on Labor Day night officially wrapped up Week 1 of the college football season. Five straight days of big-time games, plenty of action unfolded across the country. From upset wins to top-10 matchups and beyond — the slate certainly delivered.

Tuesday morning will bring a new AP poll, the first of the regular season. Before its release, CBS Sports revealed their predictions for the top 25.

We should have a new No. 1 team in the poll. Exactly who earned the spot might spark debate but CBS Sports decided to go with a big winner out of the Big Ten.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

The win of Week 1 might call Columbus home. In a matchup of preseason teams ranked inside the top three, Ohio State took care of business against Texas — looking dominant at times on the defensive end.

Now, the reigning national champions project to be where they ended last season. Ohio State is hoping to be the latest program to pull off back-to-back titles and began the journey with a statement.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions

Relative to other teams around them, Penn State had a quiet first game. Nevada was in town for a nonconference matchup, one where the score was never really in question. Still, a positive result for the Nittany Lions.

The same will hopefully be said over the next two weeks. Penn State will jump into the spotlight on Sept. 27 when the Oregon Ducks travel across the country for a massive Big Ten showdown.

3. LSU Tigers

LSU has its own case of owning the most impressive win of the opening weekend. Going into Clemson’s Death Valley and leaving with its first season-opening win since 2019 is a massive box checked for Brian Kelly.

As of now, nobody in the SEC looks more dangerous than the Tigers. Considering the opponent and the matter of which the game played out, CBS placing them inside the top two feels like an easy choice.

4. Texas Longhorns

Texas walked into the Horseshoe with a No. 1 ahead of its name. Steve Sarkisian could not get the job done, dropping to 0-1 for the first time in his UT tenure.

Still, CBS Sports is not expecting too much of a drop-off for the Longhorns. After all, Ohio State is the projected No. 1 team due to the victory.

5. Georgia Bulldogs

Similar to Penn State, a lesser opponent turned out to be Georgia’s Week 1 opponent. Sanford Stadium got to enjoy a blowout win against Marshall to kickstart the campaign ahead.

Folks in Athens will love the day Georgia had running the football. Going for 239 yards and 5.4 YPC, even considering the opposition, is a positive sign.

6. Miami Hurricanes

Miami rounded out the preseason AP poll’s top 10 after an offseason of roster turnover. Carson Beck stepped in and answered some questions and then some. Turns out, Miami did not skip a beat at all.

CBS Sports has them skyrocketing after beating Notre Dame in primetime on Sunday night. The tests will continue and come quickly for Miami but a passing grade, and then some, comes from Week 1.

7. Oregon Ducks

Oregon stays put at No. 7 in CBS Sports’ projection. Dan Lanning was able to guide his squad to a comfortable victory over FCS Montana State, which did not pose any kind of threat.

Challenges are coming for the Ducks, who are looking to replicate last year’s undefeated season. Until then, and the wins come, no movement inside the AP poll.

8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Coming off a national championship appearance, Notre Dame was hoping the momentum would carry over to 2025. While there is a lot of season left, the Irish just could not push through inside Hard Rock Stadium.

Previously slated at No. 6, this would be a slide of two spots for Marcus Freeman. Given how the program schedules, plenty of opportunities to move up will be there in the coming weeks.

9. Clemson Tigers

For every big-time winner in a top-10 matchup, one team walks away disappointed. Memorial Stadium was on fire for four quarters but ultimately, Clemson found itself on the wrong end of the result.

Dabo Swinney has been in this position before. Just a year ago, Clemson lost an opener to an SEC team before winning the ACC and making the College Football Playoff. Eleven games remain and the Tigers could remain a top-10 team in the AP poll.

10. Arizona State Sun Devils

Jumping up one spot into the top 10 is Arizona State due to a loss ahead of them. Not too much of a challenge came against Northern Arizona, being a warmup for an upcoming game against Mississippi State.

If ASU does wind up being ranked No. 10, this will be the program’s second straight season of being in the top 10. Before then, you have to go all the way back to 2014 to find the last occurrence.

CBS Sports projects upcoming AP poll: Nos. 11-25

11. Illinois Fighting Illini
12. South Carolina Gamecocks
13. Michigan Wolverines
14. Florida Gators
15. SMU Mustangs
16. Oklahoma Sooners
17. Florida State Seminoles
18. Texas A&M Aggies
19. Indiana Hoosiers
20. Ole Miss Rebels
21. Alabama Crimson Tide
22. Iowa State Cyclones
23. Tennessee Volunteers
24. Texas Tech Red Raiders
25. Utah Utes