2025 Top 5 College Football Matchups

Jake Wimberly

Ross Gaskin Contributing:

Below are the games that I personally think are the most exciting matchups heading into the 2025 College Football season. As the article goes on, you may notice a pattern as a lot of these games will happen week 1. The NCAA, and the teams themselves, killed it with scheduling this year as week 1 could potentially be the best week of College Football.

Week 1- Notre Dame @ Miami, “Catholics vs Convicts”

The Miami, Notre Dame rivalry is arguably the most brutal and competitive rivalry in all of college football. The rivalry is so fierce that there have been multiple long gaps between games including one spanning from 1990-2010. Last year's Natty runner-ups, Notre Dame, and one of the hottest teams in the country, Miami, will play for the first time since 2017. My prediction is that Miami handles business and wins a close one against the Fighting Irish.

Week 1- Texas @ Ohio State, Semi-final redemption or more domination?

One of the best games of last year's playoffs was the semi-final matchup between Texas and Ohio State. Texas will be looking for some pay back as they were defeated in disappointing fashion. On the flip side, Ohio State used the momentum from this win to go into the National Championship and come out as THE Champions. My prediction is that there will be Redemption in Columbus as Texas wins a tight battle against Ohio State.

Week 1- LSU @ Clemson, The Battle for Death Valley.

The question of which is the real Death Valley has formed a fierce rivalry that has immense bragging rights on the line even though the two teams have only played 4 times prior to this season. This upcoming matchup, the first since the 2020 National Championship, will once again feature two of the best QBs in College Football. LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik will face off in week 1 where I think Klubnik will lead Clemson to a close victory over LSU.

Week 5- Alabama @ Georgia, The Blue Bloods of SEC Football.

This game is almost consistently the most anticipated matchup in all of college football every year as it is watched by everyone from diehards to presidents. The 2025 matchup will feature some new faces as both Georgia and Alabama will have new QBs. Also, young superstar WR, Alabama’s Ryan Williams, will have incredible expectations for this game due to his unbelievable performance in last season’s matchup. My prediction for this game is that Georgia will come out on top in a game that will most likely come down to the last play, if not overtime.

Week 10- Penn State @ Ohio State, BIG 10 Championship Preview.

These two teams have consistently gifted college football fans with one of the most competitive and entertaining games every season. Ohio State has won 8 in a row, but this year could be a changing of the guard as Penn State comes back better than ever. Penn State’s QB, Drew Allar, returns this season as one of the Nation’s top QBs as Ohio State will be starting their young, but promising, QB, Julian Sayin. My prediction for this game is that Penn State will snap their losing streak in a very tight game.