College football rankings: Ohio State, Texas, Penn State lead post-spring top 25 ahead of 2025 season

Researching fluid rosters in the offseason and developing a top 25 college football ranking is more difficult than ever, but it's much easier when spring practices end and the transfer portal window closes. Rosters are still not set, and some impact players have not yet practiced with their teams (looking at you, Nico Iamaleava), but the post-spring snapshot is as clear a preview of the 2025 season as we can ascertain until preseason camps open in August.

Unsurprisingly, the SEC leads the pack in CBS Sports' post-spring top 25 with nine representatives, but the premier teams in the Big Ten have the early lead at the top of the rankings. Ohio State might still have the most talented roster after winning the national title in January, while Penn State is in its best position yet under James Franklin to contend for a national title, especially after a fantastic spring portal haul.

Despite the top-tier talent at the top of the Big Ten, the league only has five teams in the top 25. The Big 12 has the second-best representation with six teams. Veteran rosters will carry the Big 12 banner in the fall, and Texas Tech might rocket up the rankings with the fuel of the nation's No. 2 portal class. The Red Raiders are the favorites at +500 to win the conference, per FanDuel Sportsbook, and will almost certainly have the league's most talented conference. Like last season, the Big 12 might feast on itself with dozens of one-possession games, but the entertainment will be worth the sacrifices.

I was tempted to place Clemson closer to No. 1 after visiting the campus in the spring. The roster is stacked and, most importantly in this age of attrition, the roster has remained mostly intact over the last three years. Dabo Swinney has his best team since the mid-2010s.

Sadly, the Group of Five is not represented in the post-spring top 25, though it's a given that at least two teams will jump into the top 25 at some point this season; it happens every year, folks! Let's hope the trend continues for the sake of parity. I've got my eyes on Dan Mullen's UNLV squad.

Without further ado, the CBS Sports post-spring top 25 is here to placate the masses and infuriate a few rabid fanbases as we enter a long, hot summer stretch. Listed national championship odds are via FanDuel.

Just missed the cut: Baylor, Boise State, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, UNLV, USC, Utah