ESPN ranks Top 20 college football teams with best chance to win National Championship in 2025

ESPN ranked the top 20 college football teams with the best chance to win the national championship this coming season. There are the usual suspects, but some other teams have an outside shot.

The ESPN rankings here are based on the company’s FPI. They also revealed their Top 25 teams via the FPI rankings.

Each team has a percentage listed next to its name, meaning their chances of winning it all. The top team is a shade above 22%, so without further ado, let’s dive into the latest national championship odds.

1. Texas, 22.2%

Texas is the No. 1 team in ESPN’s FPI preseason rankings and the team with the best chance to win it all, per the odds. Winning a national championship for the first time in two decades would be the culmination of Steve Sarkisian’s work.

Arch Manning takes over at QB and the potential is there to be a lot better than the last two years with Quinn Ewers. But he’s still a bit of an unknown commodity since we’ve only seen him in spurts.

2. Georgia, 17.5%

Kirby Smart will aim for his third national championship with the Bulldogs. New QB Gunner Stockton takes over and the defense is reloaded, of course.

So yes, Georgia has the second-best odds to win it all this season. The Bulldogs were the No. 2 seed last year and could very well be that again, even if Texas wins the SEC.

3. Ohio State, 11.6%

Ohio State comes in as the defending champs. To win back-to-back national championships is a different animal, considering what the Buckeyes lost to the NFL.

Caleb Downs is back in the secondary, Jeremiah Smith is arguably the best wide receiver in the country and Ryan Day is a proven winner. So, can they get back to the playoff? Certainly. Winning it all? TBD.

4. Alabama, 10.4%

Kalen DeBoer will have a lot of pressure to deliver success for Alabama this year. Nick Saban has six national championships with the Crimson Tide and DeBoer will be expected to get one before too long.

Getting to the College Football Playoff would be a start. As we get into the summer, it seems like Alabama is a popular pick to have a great 2025 campaign.

5. Penn State, 7.6%

Penn State might be this year’s Ohio State with the Nittany Lions running it back. If that’s the case, James Franklin and crew have to win the national championship.

They made it to the CFP semifinals last year, winning two games in the bracket, a great start. Now, can Drew Allar and a loaded offense get over the hump?

6. Oregon, 4.8%

After going 13-0, winning the Big Ten and getting the No. 1 overall seed, the Ducks fell in the quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl. Dan Lanning is still on his quest for a national championship.

Dante Moore will step in at QB and Evan Stewart could be the go-to target to make him comfortable right away. The Big Ten will be highly competitive at the top, so perhaps the Ducks will be battle-tested going into the postseason.

7. Clemson, 3.8%

The return of the Tigers? It seems like Clemson is back in the national championship conversation after winning the ACC and getting back to the CFP last season.

Cade Klubnik is a seasoned veteran at QB at this point, Dabo Swinney is firing on all cylinders and the team is considered the favorite in the ACC this year. The Tigers and Miami, anyway. But Clemson is certainly in the running for college football’s biggest prize.

8. Miami, 3.2%

The Hurricanes had a lot of missed opportunities last year when 2024 looked like it’d be the year for them to make a run. Mario Cristobal is doing a lot of good things in Miami, but the national championship is still the ultimate goal.

In the short term, Carson Beck steps in at quarterback and if it pays off, perhaps Miami is dancing its way into the CFP. It’s Year 4 at Miami, so Cristobal needs a big campaign.

9. Notre Dame, 2.4%

Marcus Freeman is pushing all of the right buttons at Notre Dame, that’s putting it lightly. They were oh-so-close to winning a national championship last season when they fell short to Ohio State.

Can they get back? Well, everything broke right for them last year, but the foundation of the program is built. Freeman will have to hope QB CJ Carr is that dude and can elevate the offense to the next level, for one.

10. Tennessee, 2.3%

Yes, Tennessee is in the Top 10 teams that have the best chance to win the national championship. Replace Nico Iamaleava with Joey Aguilar? Done.

Still, the Iamaleava transfer saga will overshadow the positives for Tennessee this year if he plays well and Tennessee struggles. There’s a long way to go, but Heupel has a chance to set things right if the Vols get back to the CFP. 

Top 20 college football teams to win national championship

11. Texas A&M, 2.1%
12. LSU, 1.8%
13. Ole Miss, 1.5%
14. Auburn, 1.1%
15. Michigan, 1%
16. South Carolina, 0.8%
17. Oklahoma, 0.7%
18. SMU, 0.6%
19. Florida, 0.6%
20. Kansas State, 0.5%