Debut JP Poll: Top 20 revealed ahead of 2025 college football season

With the 2025 college football season quickly approaching, the JP Poll is out. Josh Pate unveiled the full power ratings – not power rankings – on Josh Pate’s College Football Show.

Texas came in as the No. 1 team in the JP Poll, followed by reigning national champion Ohio State. The two teams will square off in a highly anticipated Week 1 matchup in Columbus to start the year – a rematch of last year’s Cotton Bowl in the College Football Playoff.

As for the rest of the JP Poll, there’s a noticeable gap after the Top 10, Pate said. Here is the full debut JP Poll ahead of the 2025 season.

1. Texas

The No. 1 team in the preseason AP poll, Texas also tops the debut JP Poll. Led by new starting quarterback Arch Manning, the Longhorns will look to continue building after back-to-back national semifinal appearances.

Manning is generating plenty of buzz this year as he gets his chance to become the full-time starter on offense. However, Texas also has talent in the running back room and on defense on what Josh Pate called a “power roster” in 2025.

2. Ohio State

Fresh off Ryan Day’s first national title, Ohio State will have to deal with multiple key departures to the NFL Draft. But with star receiver Jeremiah Smith back on offense and safety Caleb Downs returning to lead the defense, the centerpieces are in place for the Buckeyes to stay toward the top of a loaded Big Ten.

All eyes are on the quarterback situation, though, as Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz vie for the job. Still, Josh Pate said Ohio State has the blend of talent and staff to come in at No. 2 in the debut JP Poll.

3. Georgia

The SEC favorite this year, Georgia checks in at No. 3 in the debut JP Poll. The Bulldogs will also have a new quarterback in tow with Gunner Stockton now in as the full-time starter, but they’ll also have a vaunted defense once again.

UGA is coming off another SEC Championship berth and victory over Texas to secure a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. Much like Ohio State, Georgia has the “talent and staff” in place to be a Top-3 team in the JP Poll, according to Josh Pate.

4. Penn State

With anticipation building, Penn State has its quarterback and both running backs returning from last year’s run to the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Nittany Lions came in at No. 4 in the JP Poll as they look to potentially get over the hump this season.

Drew Allar is generating early NFL Draft buzz while the two-headed monster of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen are both sure to help lead the charge in Andy Kotelnicki’s offense. Josh Pate called this year the best shot Penn State has had “in a while,” especially as the program added firepower in the wide receiver room.

5. Alabama

Now that the Alabama quarterback competition is over, all eyes are on Week 1 against Florida State. It will officially be Ty Simpson under center when the Crimson Tide open the season, and they came in at No. 5 in the debut JP Poll.

Alabama also notably made a change on the staff with Ryan Grubb coming in as offensive coordinator. That addition, according to Josh Pate, could help the Crimson Tide commit to the running game as the identity on a talented offense – though the defense also has a slew of playmakers.

6. Notre Dame

Fresh off a national title game berth, Notre Dame bolstered its wide receiver room while also keeping running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price in South Bend to lead the running back position. As a result, the Fighting Irish checked in at No. 6 in the JP Poll.

As a whole, the roster gives Notre Dame a high floor this year, according to Josh Pate. The big question is at quarterback, though, as the competition between CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey continues to go along.

7. Oregon

Oregon took the Big Ten by storm last season, winning the conference in its first year as a member. But the Ducks lost some notable production, which is part of the reason they came in at No. 7 in the debut JP Poll.

A changing of the guard is set to take place at quarterback with Dillon Gabriel now off to the NFL, and Dante Moore is front-and-center in that battle. As a result, Oregon could take on a new style and maybe be not as high-scoring, Josh Pate said.

8. Clemson

The team with the most returning production this year, Clemson is generating plenty of excitement as a potential national championship contender. Cade Klubnik headlines the group coming back following a breakout year in Garrett Riley’s offense.

Clemson won the ACC last year in a thrilling championship game against SMU, and the most notable departure came at running back as Phil Mafah headed to the NFL. While the Tigers might not necessarily have the depth they had in years past, they’re still a Top-10 team in the debut JP Poll.

9. Florida

All eyes in Gainesville are on DJ Lagway after he showed flashes of his potential at Florida. The Gators put together an impressive season in a make-or-break year under Billy Napier, and they came in at No. 9 in the debut JP Poll.

Lagway is part of the reason for the excitement, headlining a talented group of young players who developed last year amid Florida’s strong end of the year. But the defense could also take a leap, which helped put UF in the Top 10.

10. Oklahoma

Rounding out the Top 10 of the debut JP Poll, Oklahoma continues to generate buzz in the SEC this year. Newcomers John Mateer and Jaydn Ott headline the personnel additions to the offense, and Brent Venables is also taking back play-calling on a tough defense.

As a result, the excitement is growing in Norman. The difference could be the offensive line, according to Josh Pate, as the offense looks to rebound in a big way after last year’s struggles.

Debut JP Poll: Nos. 11-20

11. Miami
12. LSU
13. Texas A&M
14. Ole Miss
15. USC
16. Michigan
17. South Carolina
18. Tennessee
19. Kansas State
20. SMU