Athlon Sports ranked the top 10 college football games ahead of the 2025 season, giving us the must-see matchups of the fall! It’s a fine mix of the games across the Power Four conferences that have the biggest implications.
Some of these are non-conference, while others are pivotal conference matchups. Heck these could be previews of games down the line.
Without further ado, let’s dive into each of the top 10 games. We start from the bottom, moving up to the top.
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This will be a pivotal game in the Big Ten. In fact, this game could determine which of these two teams are in the Big Ten Championship.
They could certainly rematch a few weeks later, but the winner here will get the inside track. Ohio State will be favored in this game, being at home, but Penn State could finally steal one in Columbus.
A rematch of the 2024 Big 12 Championship Game from last season. Iowa State will certainly look for payback after getting their doors blown off last season.
With the way the Big 12 is, the Sun Devils could see the Cyclones again for the conference crown even after this matchup. This is actually the lone game on Athlon’s list that features Big 12 squads.
Always a classic game between these two SEC foes. Both look to make the College Football Playoff this season after missing out last year.
The Tigers will seemingly have the quarterback advantage by this time of the year with Garrett Nussmeier. But it’s tough to predict how elite both teams will be this deep into the season.
Like previously mentioned, this pivotal Big Ten game could determine the championship game participants. Penn State gets hosting duties here, giving them an advantage.
The fact that this game is in September is wild. Fans will get to see a clash between, we think, two top 10 teams in the country.
We want this game again right? The two teams traded insane punches towards the end of their 2024 regular season matchup, culminating in a Ryan Williams pirouette for a touchdown.
But, it was the Bulldogs making the CFP, not the Crimson Tide. Could both meet in the SEC Championship Game? It’s possible, but circle this one on the same day as Athlon’s No. 7 game.
What a way to open the season! The Fighting Irish head down south to take on the Hurricanes for a tone setter of a game.
Neither team is eliminated from playoff contention with a loss here, but a win could lay the foundation for the rest of 2025. The returning runner ups certainly want one more win than last season and Miami wants to actually make the playoff.
“The Game.” Of course Athlon is going to have this one on the list. It was just a matter of where it would end up for the 2025 slate.
Ohio State should be back in the national title conversation and perhaps Michigan will be a dark horse as well. This game is always circled between the rivals, but it might have larger implications like it did during the Jim Harbaugh era. Last year, Michigan just spoiled the Ohio State party, briefly.
In what could be a preview of the SEC Championship or even the national championship game, Texas and Georgia have a late season clash. The Longhorns are considered many people’s No. 1 team in the country and the Bulldogs have been picked to potentially get back to the top of the heap.
Will Arch Manning continue his Heisman worthy campaign at this point? Will Georgia return to its dominant ways? A lot of potential storylines here.
Now we’re back to games that open the season and boy we’re ready for this non-conference clash! Tigers of different stripes will match up here.
Clemson could be the ACC favorite this year and a win over LSU will get Dabo Swinney’s squad rolling early. But Brian Kelly will want a statement as well and if LSU manages to win here, it might be time to pick those Tigers to make the CFP.
Of course Athlon is going to pick this as the top game of the 2025 slate. Another potential national title game preview kicks off the fall, well, end of summer!
Ohio State, the defending champions, hosting the probable No. 1 team in the country? Oh yeah, sign us up.
