Early in the season, the AP top 25 preseason poll gives fans an idea of which are the best teams in the country, and from there, the CFP selectors reveal their own rankings to determine the playoff field. Of all the preseason AP No. 1 ranked teams during the College Football Playoff era, all but three have made the College Football Playoff.

A year ago, there was no change in the top seven programs in the preseason Coaches and AP polls. If that trend holds for 2025, the Penn State Nittany Lions, Georgia Bulldogs and Notre Dame Fighting Irish will fill out the AP top five. The preseason Coaches and AP polls are typically aligned.