College football season is finally here, and what better way to prepare for another riveting season than looking at the top teams in the country ahead of the 2025 campaign? The preseason AP Top 25 finally dropped on Monday afternoon, and there's plenty to dig into. You have your typical blue bloods in Clemson, Georgia and Ohio State all in the top five, while Penn State and Texas occupy the top two stops. Michigan makes its return, ranked inside the top 15.
But for all the teams that are ranked in the top 25 now, how many of them are likely to still be ranked a month into the season? Here’s a look at three teams that won’t have a number next to their name once the calendar turns to October.
No. 9 LSU Tigers
I’m not going to say LSU is going to be like Florida State was last year, but the Tigers have a tough stretch to start the season. They open the season against No. 4 Clemson and have their first conference game against No. 15 Florida on Sept. 13. Brian Kelly is 0-3 in season openers since joining the Tigers; there’s a very good chance he gets off on the wrong foot for the fourth year in a row.
With two losses before the thick of the conference schedule starts, the Tigers probably wouldn’t hold onto a spot in the top 25. I think they could beat Florida given that it's a home game, but Kelly and big games don’t always work out. The Tigers lost to the Gators last year in a game they should have won.
I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Tigers struggle this year early with a front-loaded schedule. If they do, they certainly will have an uphill climb back into the top 25, if they can ever get back in. Kelly won’t have it easy this year and a struggle early on will mar his LSU tenure.
No. 19 Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M came out the gate hot last year after a season-opening loss at home to Notre Dame. The Aggies went on to win seven straight, including two wins over top 10 teams. This year won’t be as friendly: While the team is ranked inside the top 20, another loss to Notre Dame will probably keep them from staying ranked in the early part of the season.
They go from playing at Notre Dame to playing Auburn in their first conference game of the season. While I don’t think they’ll lose it, per se, a stretch of Notre Dame and Auburn in consecutive weeks isn’t necessarily ideal. With two straight losses there, they’ll most certainly be knocked out of the top 25.
Realistically, the Aggies could probably remain ranked despite a loss at Notre Dame, but there’s a chance that game could decide how their season will go.
No. 20 Indiana Hoosiers
I’m all aboard the Curt Cignetti train, but the Hoosiers' schedule in the early part of the season does not help their College Football Playoff chances. Their biggst game in the first month of the season is Illinois. If they lose there, this team might not be ranked again this season. They play Oregon and Penn State toward the end of the season so if they don’t beat Illinois, they’ll struggle to get back into the rankings.
Bret Bielema has Illinois in a great spot and they’ll probably have the season Indiana did a year ago. If they are both contending for the same spot in the College Football Playoff race, their matchup will probably determine which has the better resume. The Hoosiers aren’t going to have the season they had a year ago. I feel like it’s more likely they regress a bit than anything.