Updated Post-Spring College Football Rankings Leave Fans in Disbelief (2025)

Andy Staples of On3 updated his top 25 college football rankings after spring practice, and fans wasted no time in sharing their thoughts on the list.

Surprises included Iowa (No. 25), Nebraska (No. 24), Auburn (No. 13), Texas Tech (No. 11), Florida (No. 10) and Illinois (No. 9).

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Then there is Georgia coming in at No. 8 with Alabama (No. 7) and Oregon (No. 6) represented outside of the top five.

Both the Bulldogs and Ducks are coming off conference championships and College Football Playoff appearances while the Crimson Tide posted their worst season since 2007.

Surprisingly, defending national champion Ohio State sits at fifth behind Penn State at No. 4 with Clemson, Notre Dame and Texas rounding out the top three.

The Buckeyes beat the Nittany Lions in the regular season before taking down Texas and Notre Dame in decisive fashion on the way to head coach Ryan Day's first national title.

Ohio State has questions after losing a program-record 14 players to the 2025 NFL Draft.

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But the roster is shaping up to be that of a playoff contender, and given the Buckeyes' record against teams ranked ahead of them on Staples' list, some Ohio State fans aren't taking kindly to the projection.

"Ranking Penn State ahead of Ohio State is truly laughable," a Buckeyes fan responded. "Ranking ND and Clemson ahead of the Buckeyes is full on incompetence."

On the other hand, Ohio State and Notre Dame haven't named a starting quarterback just yet after losing Will Howard and Riley Leonard, respectively, to the NFL draft.

As that competition continues, Penn State is slated to return Drew Allard after setting a program record with 13 wins in 2024, and Texas has former five-star Arch Manning at the helm.

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But for Texas, that's assuming Manning can keep things rolling in place of NFL-bound Quinn Ewers, a lofty challenge for a first-year starter, no matter the family legacy.

"How much cash did Texas drop to get this ranking?" one fan quipped.

A team that the Longhorns couldn't beat in two opportunties last season, Georgia returns with a highly-touted roster after securing a third SEC championship under head coach Kirby Smart.

The back-to-back national champions from 2021-22 have posted a 53-5 record over the last four seasons.

"When was the last time UGA was ranked that low?" a Georgia fan asked.

However, the Bulldogs have a major question of their own at quarterback after the transfer of Carson Beck to Miami. It will be up to first-year starter Gunner Stockton to prove the doubters wrong.

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Illinois hadn't won 10 games since 2001 before posting a 10-3 record last season under head coach Bret Bielema.There is a lot to like about the Fighting Illini with star quarterback Luke Altmyer set to return.

Whether the program is deserving of a top-10 ranking is another question.

"Still not used to seeing Illinois football this highly regarded," an Illinois fan wrote. "Illinois has only been ranked in the preseason AP poll once in the last 35 years (#20 preseason in 2008). If Illinois truly were to be a preseason top 10 team, it'd be the highest preseason ranking since 1964."

Further down the list and, perhaps, the most puzzling ranking is head coach Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers at No. 13.

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Auburn is coming off of its fourth-straight losing season and second under Freeze. A promising high school and transfer portal class has added some talent, but recent history makes this ranking puzzling to say the least.

"I’m a die hard Auburn fan. But we have done nothing in recent memory that warrants any kinda top 25 ranking. Nevertheless a top 15 ranking," one fan wrote.

Related: Kirby Smart Makes Major Change To Georgia’s Coaching Staff

Related: Former Auburn Star Enters Transfer Portal For Second Time This Offseason

Related: James Franklin's Behavior Toward Fan During Penn State's Spring Game is Turning Heads