Post-spring college football rankings: Most important game for every top 25 team heading into 2025 season
Most of the offseason dust has finally settled as college football enters its (relatively) quiet summer period. The transfer portal is officially closed until December. Barring any surprises or scandals, coaching staffs are set. Programs wrapped up spring practice, meaning teams won't formally take the field together again until fall camp.
With the chaos toned down, CBS Sports' Brandon Marcello ranked the top 25 teams in college football exiting the spring window. While the landscape will certainly shift between now and kickoff, it's a solid gauge of where things stand three months out from August.
Now is a good time to assess the most important game on each top 25 team's schedule. Week-by-week performance matters more than ever in the expanded College Football Playoff era, as the 12-team format creates more opportunities for at-large teams outside the top four.
It's no surprise that most teams' biggest games are against conference opponents, where high-profile matchups and traditional rivalries reside. But a few nonconference clashes also made the cut.
Here's a look at each post-spring top 25 team's most important game during the 2025 season.
Most important game: at Michigan (Nov. 29)
Could it be anyone else? Ohio State climbed to college football's mountaintop last season, but still stumbled against Michigan along the way. The Buckeyes have now lost straight against their most despised rival and that streak is really the only bugaboo left haunting Ohio State coach Ryan Day.
Most important game: at Georgia (Nov. 15)
Texas showcased itself well in its first season as an SEC member, reaching the conference championship game - where it lost to Georgia. The Longhorns actually lost to the Bulldogs twice last season - their only two setbacks before being eliminated in the CFP semifinals. Georgia appears to be the biggest remaining hurdle for Texas to clear on its path back to truly elite status.
Most important game: at Ohio State (Nov. 1)
Expectations in Happy Valley are sky-high as the Nittany Lions return crucial contributors all over the field. To meet their goals, coach James Franklin has to finally notch a signature win against one of Penn State's historic rivals. Ohio State is a prime opportunity, given that PSU has just one win against the Buckeyes since 2012. Ending that drought and downing the reigning national champs would be quite a statement for a program looking to take that next step.
Most important game: at South Carolina (Nov. 29)
Clemson's bookend games against SEC opponents — the Tigers open the year against LSU — are both very important, but the timing of its annual rivalry showdown against South Carolina means this regular season rivalry could have a considerable impact on the CFP race. Clemson will know its ACC fate by this point, but seeding matters, and a win against what should be a ranked Gamecocks team late in the year could impress the selection committee.
Most important game: Alabama (Sept. 27)
Texas is also an important game for Georgia — given that the Longhorns and the Bulldogs are the early SEC favorites — but it makes sense to go with one of Georgia's more traditional SEC rivals. The Crimson Tide actually handed Georgia an early season loss in 2024 before faltering down the stretch and dropping out of the CFP race, so the Dawgs have some motivation to rectify that slip-up. Plus, wins over Alabama always resonate.
Most important game: at Penn State (Sept. 27)
Oregon's out to prove that its 2024 Big Ten title wasn't a case of beginner's luck. No better way to do that than by opening Big Ten play with a win against Penn State which, as these rankings reflect, will be right in the thick of the conference race all year long.
Most important game: at Miami (Aug. 31)
Notre Dame and Miami are no strangers to prolific showdowns throughout their storied histories, but this marks the first meeting between the two programs since 2017. What a high-stakes revival it will be. Given the Fighting Irish have to travel to Hard Rock Stadium, this is likely the biggest test they'll face all season, even if it comes right at the start.
Most important game: at Clemson (Aug. 30)
There are plenty of important intraconference rivalries dotted throughout the LSU schedule that will go a long way in deciding the final SEC standings. But Brian Kelly desperately needs to set a positive tone entering a pivotal year for his Tigers. He is a loser of three consecutive season openers — all against Power Four competition — and is 2-7 against ranked opponents since LSU's Nov. 5, 2022 win against Alabama. LSU went all-in on building a highly competitive roster. The season opener against a Clemson team with national championship upside is a chance to prove those efforts translate to the field.
Most important game: at Georgia (Sept. 27)
As mentioned above, Alabama beat Georgia in 2024, but fell short of the conference title game and the CFP in spite of its triumph against the SEC's hegemon. Now the Crimson Tide open their 2025 SEC slate on the road against the Bulldogs. It's a game that could show Alabama's ready to bounce back, provided it maintains momentum from a potential win.
Most important game: Tennessee (Nov. 22)
Florida has tougher opponents on another gauntlet of a schedule, but this annual rivalry contest could come with major late-season CFP implications for both teams. This is also a game arguably stacked in Florida's favor, given the Tennessee's tumultuous offseason and the fact that the Vols' well-documented road struggles under coach Josh Heupel.
Most important game: Notre Dame (Aug. 31)
Miami's nonconference schedule is where it can make the biggest impression. The Hurricanes play a pair of post-spring top 25 teams in Notre Dame and Florida — both at home. The Fighting Irish get a slight edge over the Gators here given they're coming off a run to the College Football Playoff National Championship and in good standing to make it that far again.
Most important game: Ohio State (Oct. 11)
This is the most anticipated Illinois football season since the turn of the century, and likely even longer than that. The Illini return 18 starters from last year's Citrus Bowl wining team. That includes quarterback Luke Altmyer, who grades out as one of the Big Ten's best. What better way to prove that you're ready to run with the big dogs than by taking on the Big Ten's biggest dog?
Most important game: Iowa State (Aug. 23; Aviva Stadium -- Dublin, Ireland)
The Big 12 is the is the nation's most unpredictable conference, but there are a few clear frontrunners entering the season. Kansas State and Iowa State are among them. Factor in the "Farmageddon" rivalry between the two programs, plus this year's prime Week 0 date and this is easily one of the biggest Big 12 games of the year.
Most important game: Utah (Oct. 18)
You can throw preseason expectations out of the window when BYU and Utah face off. The ultimately 11-2 Cougars eked out a one-point win against the 5-7 Utes last season and seven of the last nine so-called "Holy Wars" have been decided by at least one possession. The timing of this heated rivalry tilt is also crucial for BYU, since it lands right before a huge three-game stretch against Iowa State, Texas Tech and TCU.
Most important game: Iowa State (Nov. 8)
TCU must travel to Arizona State, Kansas State and BYU. It'll be tough to win two of those, let alone all three. So the Horned Frogs' Big 12 hopes could hinge on how they fare at home against an Iowa State team that made it to the Big 12 Championship Game last season. The quarterback showdown between TCU's Josh Hoover and Iowa State's Rocco Becht adds to the stakes.
Most important game: Ohio State (Nov. 29)
Again, could it be anything else? Michigan lost five games last season and still beat Ohio State, extending its win streak to four in "The Game". Now, with a revamped quarterback room following the addition of 2025 top recruiting prospect Bryce Underwood, and a defense that remains loaded despite some significant NFL departures, Michigan is right back in the playoff mix. Regardless of the other immense stakes, a win against Ohio State could be what the Wolverines need to push for an at-large CFP spot, at the very least.
Most important game: at Iowa State (Nov. 1)
A rematch of the 2024 Big 12 Championship Game may decide one of the spots in this year's league title contest. That's reason enough to include this showdown, which also features two of the nation's best quarterbacks in Arizona State's Sam Leavitt and Iowa State's Becht.
Most important game: Texas (Oct. 11; Dallas, Texas)
Oklahoma's transition to the SEC didn't go quite as well as Texas', adding more strain to Brent Venables' tenure. As a result, the Sooners are in win-now mode after two losing seasons over the past three years with a 1-2 record in Red River over that span. Adding insult to injury, those two losses to Texas have come by a combined score of 83-3. A win against Texas would be a severely needed course correction for Venables' Sooners.
Most important game: Arizona State (Nov. 1)
Iowa State plays Kansas State, BYU, Arizona State, TCU and its annual Cy-Hawk showdown against Iowa in 2025, so whittling it down to one game is pretty tough. But Arizona State takes the cake, given that this is a rematch of the 2024 Big 12 Championship Game with major consequences on the 2025 Big 12 landscape.
Most important game: at Alabama (Oct. 18)
The calculus for Tennessee's 2025 season changed a bit after a brutal spring that saw it lose high-upside starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava and whiff on some much-needed wide receiver reinforcements in the transfer portal. Yet the Vols still have a shot to make it to the CFP for a second consecutive season. In order to get there, they will need to show that they can hang in tough road games, including one against an Alabama team that they've beaten twice — both at home — in the past three years.
Most important game: at Arizona State (Oct. 18)
Texas Tech stacked its roster with top transfer additions in the hopes of finally breaking through entering year four under coach Joey McGuire. While Arizona State won't be Texas Tech's first Big 12 game this season, it will likely be the Red Raiders' first test against a ranked conference opponent. How Tech handles the reigning Big 12 champion will help define the ceiling for the Red Raiders in 2025.
Most important game: Alabama (Oct. 25)
South Carolina faces tough road tests against the likes of Texas A&M and LSU, and that regular season finale against Clemson should be very consequential for both teams, but the Gamecocks are a sneaky pick to reach the upper echelon of the SEC in 2025. A home game against Alabama is their best chance to demonstrate that they're ready to take the leap.
Most important game: Clemson (Nov. 14)
Louisville drew a tough conference slate that includes Miami, Clemson and SMU. The Cardinals have to hit the road to play the Hurricanes and the Mustangs, but they do get the Tigers -- the preseason ACC favorite -- at home. Stealing a win there could be a huge boost to their playoff résumé, regardless of what happens against the other top league foes.
Most important game: Louisville (Nov. 22)
Like Louisville, SMU got a difficult conference draw. The Mustangs have to play Clemson, Miami and Louisville. The only relief for the Mustangs is getting the Hurricanes and Cardinals at home. Depending on how the ACC table looks near the season's end, this could be a de facto play-in for the ACC Championship Game. It could also affect the CFP's at-large field.
Most important game: Alabama (Nov. 29)
Auburn coach Hugh Freeze has to show something in 2025. The Tigers actually took a step back between his first and second years after falling out of bowl eligibility, so making the postseason is a must. Securing Auburn's first win in the Iron Bowl since 2019 would certainly win some fans over.
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