Week 1 of the 2025 college football season features a loaded slate, including LSU at Clemson, Notre Dame at Miami and Alabama at Florida State, among others. LSU-Clemson could be a top-five matchup, as could the biggest headliner: Manning and Texas visiting Ohio State in a matchup of the 2024 national champion and our early 2025 favorite.

Ohio State and Texas headline the way-too-early College Football Playoff predictions for the 2025-26 season. With Ohio State projected as the No. 1 seed and Texas close behind at No. 2, these powerhouse programs are shaping up to be the teams to beat.

The first year of the 12-team format for the College Football Playoff was a major success. Some games in the first round were blowout but the games got better the longer that the tournament went on. The format resulted in eighth-seeded Ohio State winning four games and winning its first national

ESPN kept it simple by picking all of the home teams in the first round. Basically, until proven otherwise, home field advantage is a real thing in the first round of the 12-team playoff. By the way, Michigan beating Ohio State, essentially, back to back weeks in Ann Arbor? The scenes!

Texas will travel to Arlington for the Cotton Bowl, with a spot in the national championship on the line. Who they play next remains to be seen.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - We're not even a full week removed from Ohio State's win over Notre Dame in the national championship game, but some outlets are starting to project who could make next season's College Football Playoff field.