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.

This year, Boise State was the non-power representative for the College Football Playoff. Next year, it will be Tulane, but it will be a very different situation than the Broncos'. Boise State got a bye and was actually ranked inside the top-12. That won't be the case next season.

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!

The Ambridge native helped Ohio State football capture another national title as the Buckeyes defeated Notre Dame 34-23 on Jan. 20.

Ohio State took down Notre Dame to win the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff and claim the school’s first national championship since 2014, but now it’s time to get an early look ahead to the 2025 college football season and what teams are in contention right now.