College Football Rankings: Athlon Sports Top 25 (After National Championship)

Weekly college football top 25 rankings are a big part of every season, and Athlon Sports releases its final top 25 after Indiana’s win over Miami in the national championship.

Weighing bowl results and playoff games added a new element to ranking the top 25 teams for the final time this year. Emphasis was placed on not penalizing teams much for postseason losses considering personnel departures in bowl games or a defeat in a playoff contest.

Indiana claims No. 1 in the final top 25 rankings, followed by Miami, Ohio State, Ole Miss, and Georgia. Here are Athlon Sports’ top 25 college football teams for the 2025-26 season:

College Football Rankings: Athlon Sports Top 25 (After National Championship)

1. Indiana (16-0)
Pre-Bowl/Playoff Ranking: 1
Bowl Result: National Champions

The Indiana Hoosiers are college football’s national champion after a 27-21 victory over Miami on Monday night. Coach Curt Cignetti capped an unbelievable two-year turnaround effort in Bloomington by delivering the program’s first national title.

2. Miami (13-3)
Pre-Bowl/Playoff Ranking: 12
Bowl Result: Lost to Indiana in National Championship

Coach Mario Cristobal doesn’t want to say it, but the ‘U’ is back. The Hurricanes were one score away against Indiana from winning the program’s first national championship since ‘01. After a playoff run that included clutch wins over Texas A&M, Ohio State, and Ole Miss, Cristobal clearly has this program on the rise.

3. Ohio State (12-2)
Pre-Bowl/Playoff Ranking: 2
Bowl/Playoff Result: Lost to Miami in Cotton Bowl

Ohio State looked like the best team in college football for the bulk of the ‘25 season but hopes of a repeat ended with a 24-14 loss to Miami in the quarterfinals.

4. Ole Miss (13-2)
Pre-Bowl/Playoff Ranking: 7
Bowl/Playoff Result: Advanced to College Football Playoff Semifinals

The Rebels had to overcome some drama after coach Lane Kiffin’s departure to LSU, but new coach Pete Golding kept this program on track and nearly guided it to an appearance in the national championship.

5. Georgia (12-2)
Pre-Bowl/Playoff Ranking: 3
Bowl/Playoff Result: Lost to Ole Miss in Sugar Bowl

The Bulldogs’ hopes to win a national title ended in the Sugar Bowl for the second year in a row. Coach Kirby Smart’s squad should be loaded for another run at the title in ‘26.

6. Oregon (13-2)
Pre-Bowl/Playoff Ranking: 5
Bowl/Playoff Result: Lost to Indiana in the Peach Bowl

A year after suffering a blowout loss to Ohio State in the quarterfinals, Oregon took a step forward with two playoff victories before a defeat to Indiana in the Peach Bowl. The Ducks will be a popular pick to open ‘26 at No. 1 with quarterback Dante Moore passing on the NFL.

7. Texas Tech (12-2)
Pre-Bowl/Playoff Ranking: 4
Bowl/Playoff Result: Lost to Oregon in Orange Bowl

Texas Tech’s investment on its roster and in the transfer portal paid big-time dividends with a Big 12 Championship and trip to the playoff quarterfinals.

8. Texas A&M (11-2)
Pre-Bowl/Playoff Ranking: 6
Bowl/Playoff Result: Lost to Miami in First Round

A 10-3 loss to Miami in the first round was a disappointment, but coach Mike Elko’s program took a massive step forward with 11 regular season wins and a trip to the playoff. If quarterback Marcel Reed improves again in ‘26, the Aggies will have all of the pieces in place to contend for the SEC title.

9. Alabama (11-4)
Pre-Bowl/Playoff Ranking: 9
Bowl/Playoff Result: Lost to Indiana in Rose Bowl

After a thrilling comeback to beat Oklahoma in the first round, coach Kalen DeBoer’s team was thoroughly handled by Indiana in the Rose Bowl 38-3.

10. Oklahoma (10-3)
Pre-Bowl/Playoff Ranking: 8
Bowl/Playoff Result: Lost to Alabama in the First Round

The Sooners leaned on their dominant defense and timely offense to navigate a tough schedule and reach the playoff for the first time under coach Brent Venables.

11. Notre Dame (10-2)
Pre-Bowl Ranking: 9
Bowl Result: Opted Out of Postseason

After the College Football Playoff selection committee’s controversial decision to jump Miami over Notre Dame for the final at-large spot, Notre Dame opted to pass on a bowl selection for the ‘25 season.

12. Texas (10-3)
Pre-Bowl Ranking: 13
Bowl Result: Defeated Michigan

The Longhorns didn’t meet preseason expectations to contend for a title, but coach Steve Sarkisian’s team played better down the stretch and should return to the national championship mix in ‘26.

13. BYU (12-2)
Pre-Bowl Ranking: 14
Bowl Result: Defeated Georgia Tech in Pop-Tarts Bowl

The Cougars used a strong defensive effort and the standout play of true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier to reach the Big 12 title game in ‘25. Coach Kalani Sitake’s team fell just short of a playoff appearance after two losses to Texas Tech in the regular season but will be loaded for another run next fall.

14. Vanderbilt (10-3)
Pre-Bowl Ranking: 11
Bowl Result: Lost to Iowa in the Reliaquest Bowl

The bowl loss to Iowa was a disappointment, but Vanderbilt still finished with a program record 10 wins and nearly made the playoff. Quarterback Diego Pavia finished his career in Nashville with more than 7,000 total yards over the last two years.

15. Utah (11-2)
Pre-Bowl Ranking: 15
Bowl Result: Defeated Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl

New coach Morgan Scalley’s tenure got off to a good start with a 44-22 win over Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl.

16. Virginia (11-3)
Pre-Bowl Ranking: 20
Bowl Result: Defeated Missouri in the Gator Bowl

Coach Tony Elliott entered ‘25 on the hot seat but exited as ACC Coach of the Year after guiding the Cavaliers to a new program high in wins (11) and a trip to play for the conference title.

17. USC (9-4)
Pre-Bowl Ranking: 16
Bowl Result: Lost to TCU in the Alamo Bowl

Winning nine games was a step forward in USC’s second trek through the Big Ten. But coach Lincoln Riley still needs more improvement on defense and must restock the receiving corps for quarterback Jayden Maiava to contend for the playoff in ‘26.

18. Michigan (9-4)
Pre-Bowl Ranking: 17
Bowl Result: Lost to Texas in the Citrus Bowl

The Wolverines had a chaotic end to 2025 following the dismissal of coach Sherrone Moore and the hire of former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. However, the outlook for ‘26 looks bright with Whittingham in charge and the continued development of quarterback Bryce Underwood.

19. Tulane (11-3)
Pre-Bowl Ranking: 18
Bowl Result: Lost to Ole Miss in the First Round

Coach Jon Sumrall is off to Florida, but his two-year run in New Orleans featured a 20-8 record with two appearances in the American Conference title game and a ‘25 trip to the College Football Playoff.

20. James Madison (12-2)
Pre-Bowl Ranking: 19
Bowl Result: Lost to Oregon in the First Round

Coach Bob Chesney is off to UCLA, but the foundation in Harrisonburg is strong after a 12-win campaign and a trip to the College Football Playoff in ‘25.

21. North Texas (12-2)
Pre-Bowl Ranking: 21
Bowl Result: Defeated San Diego State in the New Mexico Bowl

The Mean Green finished ‘25 as the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense (45.1 points a game) and averaged 7.2 yards per play behind quarterback Drew Mestemaker.

22. Navy (11-2)
Pre-Bowl Ranking: 22
Bowl Result: Defeated Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl

The Midshipmen are 21-5 under coach Brian Newberry over the last two seasons.

23. Iowa (9-4)
Pre-Bowl Ranking: Not Ranked
Bowl Result: Defeated Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl

The Hawkeyes have a strong case to be ranked higher on this list after all four of the team’s losses in ’25 came by one score – including defeats to Oregon, Indiana, and USC.

24. Houston (10-3)
Pre-Bowl Ranking: Not Ranked
Bowl Result: Defeated LSU in the Texas Bowl

The Cougars showed marked improvement in coach Willie Fritz’s second season, improving from 4-8 in ’24 to 10-3 this year.

25. Washington (9-4)
Pre-Bowl Ranking: Not Ranked
Bowl Result: Defeated Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl

The Huskies capped a nine-win season with an easy 38-10 victory over Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl. With quarterback Demond Williams returning in ’26, Washington has a chance to contend for a spot in the playoff.

The Next Tier: Illinois, Duke, SMU, Arizona, Tennessee, Louisville, Missouri, Georgia Tech

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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