Although the 2025 college football season is still several months away, several teams are already receiving a lot of hype as we approach it.
Athlon Sports’ Steven Lassan has ranked the Texas Longhorns as the top team in the country for the upcoming season. He believes that addressing the losses along the offensive line, after four starters have left for the NFL, should be the team’s primary focus during the offseason.
The Longhorns have become a popular choice for many as one of the elite teams heading into the 2025 season. Part of this excitement stems from the anticipated arrival of the Manning era. Additionally, Texas has made consecutive appearances in the College Football Playoffs, reaching the final four teams each year, further solidifying its status as a top contender.
On “The Paul Finebaum Show,” SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum discussed the Longhorns ahead of the upcoming season. He noted that while the loss of key offensive linemen will impact the team, another significant issue could hinder their success.
“I think it is certainly going to be different,” Finebaum said. “But, I think Texas has some time. Nobody has two more difficult road games, that’s for sure. Even Florida is tricky. I think that is a real problem. But I also believe that if you told me right now that they can win one of those three or two of those three, I would probably think so. They’re in very strong shape. In spite of the schedule, I think even losing to Ohio State won’t cost them very much.”
Bill Connelly, ESPN’s analytics expert, released his initial SP+ rankings during the offseason. He bases these projections on three main factors, weighted according to their predictiveness: returning production, recent recruiting, and recent history. Based on these criteria, Connelly is not as optimistic about Texas as some others may be. He ranks Texas as the No. 7 team in college football this season. While he has a very favorable view of their defense, ranking it No. 1, he places the offense at No. 28 and the special teams at No. 135.
Nevertheless, there is significant optimism in Austin that the team can overcome its challenges and win the national championship for the first time since 2005.
