The 2025 college football season will open with a matchup of the nation’s top two teams.
Texas will begin the fall ranked No. 1 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, while Ohio State lands at No. 2, setting up a top-two showdown in Columbus on Aug. 30 when the Longhorns travel to face the Buckeyes in Ohio Stadium.
It will be the first-ever meeting between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the Coaches Poll in a season opener.
Texas earned the top spot thanks to a loaded roster headlined by quarterback Arch Manning, All-American linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Colin Simmons. After reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals in back-to-back seasons, the Longhorns are looking to take the next step under Steve Sarkisian and stake their claim as the best team in the country.
Despite having 14 players from its 2024 national championship team selected in the NFL draft – and three more signed to undrafted free agent contracts – Ohio State will still have star power in 2025, including wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, unanimous All-American Caleb Downs and All-Big Ten linebacker Sonny Styles. Smith dazzled as a true freshman, while Downs and Styles will anchor what could be one of the nation's best defenses this fall.
Ohio State and Texas' battle will be a rematch of the 2024 Cotton Bowl thriller, which ended with Jack Sawyer’s scoop-and-score touchdown sealing a 28-14 win for the Buckeyes. Just eight months later, the two programs will meet again – this time on Ohio State's home turf, not in Texas' backyard.
FOX will air the game in its Big Noon Saturday slot and has already promoted the matchup as the “biggest season opener ever.” With the new 12-team College Football Playoff format in place, both teams will remain in contention regardless of the outcome – but a win in Week 1 would put the victor in the driver’s seat for a top seed and a first-round bye.
Moments make legends. Legends make history.
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 2, 2025
Witness the biggest season opener EVER
August 30th @TexasFootball meets @OhioStateFB in Columbus on FOX pic.twitter.com/KR6rL432wS
Ohio State is one of six Big Ten teams in the top 25 along with Penn State (No. 3), Oregon (No. 7), Illinois (No. 12), Michigan (No. 14) and Indiana (No. 19). Ohio State will play at Illinois on Oct. 11, host Penn State on Nov. 1 and face Michigan in The Game on Nov. 29.
The full preseason top 25:
| Rank | School | Points (1st) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEXAS | 1,606 (28) |
| 2 | OHIO STATE | 1,565 (20) |
| 3 | PENN STATE | 1,525 (14) |
| 4 | GEORGIA | 1,466 (3) |
| 5 | NOTRE DAME | 1,360 |
| 6 | CLEMSON | 1,324 (2) |
| 7 | OREGON | 1,307 |
| 8 | ALABAMA | 1,210 |
| 9 | LSU | 1,056 |
| 10 | MIAMI (FL) | 823 |
| 11 | ARIZONA STATE | 806 |
| 12 | ILLINOIS | 734 |
| 13 | SOUTH CAROLINA | 665 |
| 14 | MICHIGAN | 580 |
| 15 | OLE MISS | 573 |
| 16 | SMU | 555 |
| 17 | FLORIDA | 498 |
| 18 | TENNESSEE | 492 |
| 19 | INDIANA | 460 |
| 20 | KANSAS STATE | 438 |
| 21 | TEXAS A&M | 392 |
| 21 | IOWA STATE | 392 |
| 23 | BYU | 287 |
| 24 | TEXAS TECH | 261 |
| 25 | BOISE STATE | 246 |
