College Football’s Preseason AP No. 1? CBS Sports Revealed Its Prediction

College Football’s Preseason AP No. 1? CBS Sports Revealed Its Prediction originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

After a long offseason, college football officially returns this month. The 2025 season kicks off on August 23 with five games, beginning with a Big 12 matchup in Dublin, Ireland, between Kansas State and Iowa State. Later that day, Idaho State faces UNLV, Fresno State takes on Kansas, Sam Houston meets Western Kentucky and Stanford squares off against Hawai’i.

While fans eagerly await the first Saturday of the college football season, they’re also anticipating the release of the Preseason AP Poll. Each year, the poll drops in mid-August, though the exact release date varies.

In 2024, the Associated Press released it on August 19—just five days before Georgia Tech’s 24-21 win over Florida State in Dublin. If they follow a similar timeline this year, August 23 could be the likely release date.

But forget about when—what fans really want to know is where teams will land. Which program will enter the season ranked No. 1?

CBS Sports' Chip Patterson recently revealed his full AP Top 25 projection, with the Texas Longhorns sitting at the top spot, followed by the Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 2 and the Penn State Nittany Lions at No. 3.

"Steve Sarkisian [Texas coach], every single offseason, has set a new school record for NFL drafts coming out of that Longhorns program," Patterson said. "And with all of the appeal of Arch Manning [Texas quarterback], that's where I think the AP voters are going to give a slight edge."

Patterson touched on the Texas vs. Ohio State opener in Week 1 after Chris Hassel brought it up, and went on to explain why he chose the Longhorns over the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions.

"But you mentioned that season opener, Chris, I think Texas and Ohio State and Penn State will all receive first-place votes," Patterson said. "I just think that we might have a little bit of a split with Ohio State-Penn State that allows the Longhorns to have the edge. But those three, I think that's that top tier when it comes to the voters' opinions."

It’s Arch Manning’s Time in Austin, and Expectations Are Sky-High

After redshirting his freshman year and backing up 2025 Miami Dolphins seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers last season, the moment Texas fans have been waiting for has finally arrived. Arch Manning enters the 2025 college football season as the Longhorns’ full-time starter, carrying as much national attention and expectation as any player in the country.

A former five-star recruit and the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2023 class (per 247Sports), Manning also comes from football royalty — the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning and grandson of Archie Manning.

At just 21 years old, he’s already lived under the spotlight, but with his pedigree and the talent around him in Austin, the Longhorns could be in for another deep College Football Playoff run.

Manning currently holds the best odds to win the Heisman Trophy at +600 (per ESPN BET), and Texas was voted to finish first in the SEC Preseason Media Poll.

What Does the Rest of CBS Sports' AP Top 25 Prediction Look Like?

1. Texas
2. Ohio State
3. Penn State
4. Georgia
5. Alabama
6. Clemson
7. Oregon
8. Notre Dame
9. LSU
10. Miami
11. Ole Miss
12. Texas A&M
13. Michigan
14. Illinois
15. South Carolina
16. Tennessee
17. Texas Tech
18. SMU
19. Florida
20. Oklahoma
21. Utah
22. Boise State
23. Arizona State
24. Indiana
25. Kansas State

Related: Texas WR Stirs Controversy With Arch Manning vs. Quinn Ewers Comments

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 1, 2025, where it first appeared.