Ranking the 2025 Top College Football Conferences Heading into Week 5
For the past two seasons, the Big Ten has stood at the pinnacle of college football at the end of the season, hoisting the national championship trophy.
The kings of college football hail from the north, but plenty of teams around the country are coming for their crown. Can they take the throne?
That remains to be seen, but it's obvious this season that the Big Ten is still full of powerhouses with the potential to make it all the way. The SEC is also loaded with teams capable. The Big 12 is much-improved from last season, and the ACC has some strong teams, too.
But which league is the best? Beyond those Power 4, which Group of Five conference boasts the most top-tier talent?
Weighing currently elite teams and depth of quality, we have ranked the top conferences in college football so far this season.
10. Pac-12
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For the 2026 season, the "new look" Pac-12 still won't have 12 teams, but the league is going to appear drastically different and have a healthy helping of good-looking mid-major programs.
Next year, the Pac-12 will welcome several new members: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Oregon State, San Diego State, Texas State, Utah State and Washington State. The league is trying to regroup and rebuild after its recent dissolution.
Things are rough this year, though. The two remaining teams that didn't join a Power Four conference—Oregon State and Washington State—are struggling.
The Beavers, in particular, are 0-4 with losses to California, Fresno State, Texas Tech and Oregon. Only the game with the Bulldogs was less than a double-digit deficit.
After wins against Idaho and San Diego State, the Cougars were mauled by North Texas and Washington the past two weeks and sit at 2-2.
Not only is this league short on teams, it's short on competitiveness as well.
9. MAC
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As of this season, none of the MAC teams hold a winning record—a sign of the struggles the conference has faced in recent years.
The MAC has been decimated in recent years by the transfer portal and again lost a lot of star power to other teams this year. There are some teams that look like possible upsetters, but the opportunities are running out.
The biggest win for the league so far without question is the Ohio Bobcats' home victory over West Virginia, and though they're just 2-2 this season, they also have a close 34-31 loss at Rutgers and a respectable setback against top-ranked Ohio State (37-9).
With Parker Navarro under center, the Bobcats are the class of the conference, and many thought Toledo would be their biggest competition. But the Rockets' 14-13 loss to previously winless Western Michigan this past weekend convolutes things.
That's the MAC, though. It's wild and wacky every week, which makes it fun. But beyond Ohio, none of these teams are going to put a scare into anybody.
Miami (Ohio) was expected to be tough this year, but it is 0-3. Maybe Buffalo could have a decent year, but that remains a question mark.
8. Conference USA
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There has been a shift at the top of Conference USA, but that's not a bad thing. The league is wide open, and it's going to make things interesting throughout 2025.
Coach Jamey Chadwell's Liberty Flames are off to a sputtering 1-3 start to the season, and while they could still be strong in league play, they already lost a showdown with Jacksonville State.
Speaking of the Gamecocks, they are a question mark following Rich Rodriguez's return to West Virginia, and K.C. Keeler leaving Sam Houston State for Temple has turned a 10-win team from last year into a program still searching for a victory.
Former FCS powerhouse Delaware is 3-1 and could be a sleeper pick to win the league along with Louisiana Tech. But last year's runner-up Western Kentucky is 3-1 again, and the Hilltoppers could wind up as the best team in the league.
There's more punch potential in this league than the MAC, but two quality coaches going elsewhere has led to a bit of a leaguewide rebuilding campaign.
Nobody is going to mistake these games as can't-miss TV.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Sun Belt
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Hey, they don't call this the "Fun Belt" for nothing.
There are a lot of exciting teams once again in this league, and they've already played some good football this season.
Charles Huff left Marshall for Southern Mississippi, breathing new life into the Golden Eagles. Though few expect them to stay at the top, they are much improved and currently lead the league.
Coach G.J. Kinne's Texas State Bobcats are a threat to win the league before bolting for the Pac-12 next year, and they are always going to put up high-octane offense. On the East side, James Madison has continued success under Bob Chesney following Curt Cignetti's exit for Indiana.
Right now, the Bobcats and Dukes look like the league's two best teams on the field, but Troy gave Clemson all it wanted before the Tigers rebounded, Old Dominion upset Virginia Tech to help pave the way for Brent Pry's firing, and Louisiana-Monroe and Georgia Southern have shown flashes, too.
Don't sleep on traditional conference powers such as Appalachian State or Louisiana, either.
This isn't a deep league full of good teams, but with a couple of strong ones and parity throughout, it belongs here.
6. Mountain West Conference
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Last year's Group of Five College Football Playoff participant hailed from the Mountain West. Boise State didn't just get there, though; it also made a little noise.
Spencer Danielson's team could get back this year, but a season-opening loss to South Florida sets the Broncos back a bit. Still, when it comes to the Mountain West, they'll be right in the mix to win the league.
But they aren't alone.
Coach Dan Mullen replaced Barry Odom at UNLV after the latter bolted for the Big Ten and Purdue, and the Runnin' Rebels are 4-0 and not missing a beat after a roster turnover. Similarly, Fresno State is experiencing a facelift with new coach Matt Entz but is 4-1.
Utah State and San Diego State have done some good things this year, too, and Colorado State has a lot of talent, even if the Rams haven't shown it on the field yet.
Last year, this league belonged to Boise and UNLV, and it'll be fun watching those two duke it out again this year, but there are other candidates in a deep and talented league.
5. American Athletic Conference
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Undoubtedly, the cream of the Group of Five crop is the AAC. Right now, it looks like there are three viable CFP contenders poised to do big things.
The talk of the early season in all of college football was coach Alex Golesh's South Florida Bulls, who knocked off Boise State in a lopsided win to open the season, then went into the Swamp and shocked Florida. They came back down to earth a little in a loss to Miami, but this team has proved it can hang with the big boys.
Similarly, Tulane and coach Jon Sumrall lost quarterback Darian Mensah to Duke, but the Green Wave replaced him with ousted BYU signal-caller Jake Retzlaff and haven't missed a beat. They've beaten Power Four opponents Duke and Northwestern. Ole Miss thumped them, but this is still a good team.
Then there's Memphis, which came all the way back and shocked the SEC's Arkansas Razorbacks last weekend at home to remain unbeaten.
That's not even mentioning a strong Navy team, a still-unbeaten North Texas program and Jeff Traylor's UTSA Roadrunners. Rice is 3-1, Tulsa already upset Oklahoma State leading to Mike Gundy's firing, and East Carolina nearly knocked off North Carolina State.
This is a dangerous league.
4. ACC
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There's no question that when it comes to title contenders, the Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminoles look like better candidates than anything the Big 12 can throw out there, but what does the league have after that?
Clemson's complete collapse and the fact that SMU is 0-2 against the Big 12 led to that conference getting the slight nod as the better league, but that could be proved completely wrong by the end of the year.
Clemson's falter is one of the biggest stories in college football, and it balances out what looks like the Seminoles' return to prominence. The Hurricanes are in the title race because of Carson Beck coming to Coral Gables as well as a fast, aggressive defense.
Georgia Tech finally looks like it could be a conference contender in Haynes King's final season, and you can never count out coach Brent Key's Yellow Jackets because of their toughness.
Syracuse looked dangerous before Steve Angeli's season-ending injury, but who knows how they'll respond? Louisville and Virginia have exciting offenses, and then there are teams like North Carolina State, Duke, Pittsburgh and others who could win any night.
Don't forget about SMU, which made the playoffs last year. Though it's already lost close games to Baylor and TCU, this is a fifth-gear offense that has yet to lose in the ACC. The Mustangs will put up points with the best of them.
3. Big 12
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The Big 12 has narrowed the gap with the Power Four conferences. Its depth this season puts it ahead of the ACC at this point in the year.
The latter league may have a couple of possible title contenders, but don't sleep on the possibility that this conference could have some sleepers bully their way into that conversation, too.
After a third of the season, it looks like coach Joey McGuire's rebuilt Texas Tech Red Raiders—fueled by the top transfer portal class—may be the best team in the league after last weekend's runaway road win over Utah.
Sonny Dykes' high-powered, veteran TCU Horned Frogs team is right there with the Red Raiders, though.
Also, if you're writing off Arizona State after a road loss to a much-improved Mississippi State team, that's not smart. Coach Kenny Dillingham's team made the playoffs last year and nearly upset Texas. The Sun Devils still have plenty of playmakers, and they are improved on defense.
Then there's unbeaten Iowa State, which already has wins over hated rivals Kansas State and Iowa. The Cyclones aren't a "sexy" pick, but coach Matt Campbell's team wins every year. The question is whether they can finally win the conference.
Utah, Kansas, BYU, Baylor and even much-improved teams such as Houston and Arizona can win on any given Saturday. This league is deep and much stronger top to bottom than in recent years.
2. Big Ten
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Bring on the disagreement. I get it, and there's a possibility the Big Ten could dish out a heaping helping of crow before this season is over.
After all, the holder of the past two national championships is top-heavy again in 2025 with at least four (and possibly five) College Football Playoff probables.
Without a doubt, Ohio State belongs ranked No. 1, and the Buckeyes defense is loaded with top-tier playmakers. An offense led by receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate is scary, but Julian Sayin is still unproven under center. Just how high can the Buckeyes soar?
If they tumble, watch out for Penn State. The Nittany Lions hope it's finally their year with so much veteran talent, and we will find out a lot about them this weekend as they host Oregon in Happy Valley.
Speaking of the Ducks, they are also in the top 10 and have been one of the nation's most impressive teams this season. Coach Dan Lanning's team is loaded once again.
If you aren't impressed with Indiana after last weekend's 63-10 annihilation of Illinois, what's it going to take? Coach Curt Cignetti has built a juggernaut from the rubble, and the Hoosiers are for real.
After those four, though, the league runs out of title contenders, but not good teams. Michigan is on its way back, and the Wolverines have a lot of excitement around a young team. While the Fighting Illini are licking their wounds, this was a top-10 team before that loss and still have plenty of wins remaining.
Washington and USC are unbeaten and look like they could be national sleepers, and Nebraska, Iowa and even Maryland are much-improved.
There's a lot to love about this league seizing the title once again.
1. SEC
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You can say what you want about the Big Ten holding the last two titles, and you'd be right. But it's just hard to ignore the sheer volume of great SEC teams that could make their way to the playoffs.
Maybe the Big Ten's best look better right now, but the bottom line is there are legitimately eight SEC teams that look strong enough to make the final 12. That's good enough to put them at the top.
LSU, Georgia, Texas A&M, Missouri and Ole Miss have looked stout so far. While Alabama, Texas and Tennessee (to Georgia) have losses, is anybody really ready to write any of them off?
Vanderbilt also hasn't lost, and neither has a Mississippi State team that knocked off Arizona State.
Sure, Texas opened with a loss to now top-ranked Ohio State, and the Longhorns have struggled to score. But when the light flicks on, the 'Horns are as talented as anybody.
Alabama opened the season with a road loss to Florida State, but the Crimson Tide have played better. A matchup with Georgia will say a lot for both programs this weekend, and the Bulldogs may well be the top team in the conference. Even so, they were a missed field goal away from losing in Knoxville.
Tennessee is rejuvenated with Joey Aguilar under center, and Missouri is extremely strong after portal reinforcements such as quarterback Beau Pribula and running back Ahmad Harvey.
Texas A&M and Oklahoma are unbeaten and tested against teams like Notre Dame and Michigan, and we haven't even talked about No. 4 LSU or undefeated Ole Miss. Auburn is much-improved, and two of the teams in last (Florida and South Carolina) were expected to be contenders.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
