The 2025 college football season kicks off with fireworks, featuring eye-catching Week 1 showdowns like No. 1 Texas vs. No. 3 Ohio State, No. 9 LSU vs. No. 4 Clemson and No. 10 Miami vs. No. 6 Notre Dame. Despite the excitement of preseason powerhouses and Heisman Trophy contenders going head-to-head, early stumbles in September rarely end postseason dreams, certainly not in the new 12-team playoff era of college football. The real pressure hits as the season progresses and playoff standings are on the line.
Here are six high-stakes matchups that you won’t want to miss (using preseason AP Top 25 rankings):
No. 9 LSU at No. 8 Alabama
(Nov. 8)
After falling short of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, pressure is building for LSU’s Brian Kelly and Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer. Both historically successful programs are not far removed from recent title victories, with LSU in 2020 and Alabama the following year.
Both are coming off matching 9-4 seasons, each with a 5-3 conference record in the rugged SEC. Alabama should be favored in every game ahead of this one except for a late September visit to No. 5 Georgia. If LSU can knock off Clemson, the Tigers should be favored in all their games too ahead of this tilt.
Last fall, a two-interception game from Garrett Nussmeier hurt the Tigers, who struggled to stop Jalen Milroe and Co. Now Nussmeier is considered a Heisman contender and he will get a chance for a marquee conference road win over the Tide and DeBoer, who wants to distance himself from last year’s 9-4 debut season.
No. 1 Texas at No. 5 Georgia (Nov. 15)
Texas and Georgia, the two highest-ranked SEC teams in the AP Top 25 preseason poll, square off in Athens less than a month before the league title game, which is where they last met (a 22-19 Bulldogs win in December).
Texas has a new quarterback in charge in Arch Manning; he briefly entered both games against Georgia in 2024, completing 3 of 6 passes for 19 yards after a slow start by Quinn Ewers and a 20-point deficit in Week 8.
Both teams have a lot of football to navigate before this one but it could be a dandy — and a precursor to another meeting or even two before the season ends?
No. 2 Penn State at No. 3 Ohio State (Nov. 1)
Penn State earned the No. 2 seed in the Top 25, surpassing the reigning national champions, Ohio State, who came in at No. 3. The Big Ten rivals meet on Nov. 1 in Columbus in a matchup likely to carry league title game and playoff implications.
Drew Allar, a two-headed rushing attack and a stout defense should have the Nittany Lions favored in every game before this one, with all due respect to No. 7 Oregon (Sept. 27). Same for the Buckeyes, who are a 2.5-point favorite over the higher-ranked Longhorns in the opener.
Ohio State is 24-8 against Penn State and has won eight in a row. Coach James Franklin’s sole victory against the Buckeyes was in 2016 during his second year at the helm.
This year, the playoff format shifts to straight seeding, meaning the top four teams will be rewarded with a bye. A good showing here might impress the CFP committee before its first rankings of the season, too.
No. 16 SMU at No. 4 Clemson (Oct. 18)
Expectations are high for Clemson, which is loaded. After LSU, the Tigers could be on cruise control when SMU comes calling for a game that matches two CFP teams from a year ago (both lost in the first round).
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, a Heisman favorite, had a standout outing against the Mustangs in 2024, throwing for 262 yards and four touchdowns. Receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. had a career-high eight receptions, 143 yards and two TDs. The two are expected to pick up where they left off.
SMU QB Kevin Jennings is back amid some question marks elsewhere, but the schedule isn’t daunting ahead of the trip to Clemson.
No. 11 Arizona State at No. 22 Iowa State (Nov. 1)
The Sun Devils went 11-3 and grabbed an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff last season, thanks in part to a dominant 45-19 Big 12 championship game victory against … Iowa State.
The Cyclones have some challenging games ahead of this one but wins there set this up nicely for a chance to impress the CFP committee.
Power Four conference champions still earn a spot in the 12-team bracket, but they won’t have the luxury of a first-round bye unless they’re ranked in the top four. The Sun Devils could be in the running either way, but every win counts for both teams in pursuit of a playoff berth.
USC at No. 6 Notre Dame (Oct. 18)
After consecutive underwhelming seasons, USC coach Lincoln Riley could use a major road win, and is there a bigger statement to make than against a storied rival?
Notre Dame has beaten the Trojans seven times in the last eight meetings, including the last two in which the Fighting Irish averaged 48.5 points. USC last won a game in Notre Dame Stadium in 2011.
The Irish have national title hopes. The Trojans have hopes that Riley is finding the right formula to turn things around in what could be one of the last games in this longstanding series. The contract for a rivalry that dates to 1926 expires after their game in 2026.
Honorable mention
No. 8 Alabama at No. 5 Georgia (Sept. 27), a chance for ‘Bama to improve to 10-1 against the Bulldogs since 2008 or for Kirby Smart to cut into his 1-6 record as a head coach against the Crimson Tide … No. 3 Ohio State at No. 14 Michigan (Nov. 29), a matchup of the last two national champions in a series that has seen the Wolverines win four straight … No. 25 Boise State at No. 6 Notre Dame (Oct. 4), a rare shot for a top Group of Five team to put up a marquee midseason win on the road … No. 3 Ohio State at No. 12 Illinois (Oct. 11), a chance for Bret Bielema’s Illini to show if last year’s 10-win season was a fluke.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
