As autumn approaches, America’s favorite sport is back: football. High school, college, and professional football are heating up. Throughout the country, communities are connected at larger-than-life games. John Gramlich, Anna Jackson, and Chip Rotolo from Pew Research Center write, “In every major demographic group, football is the most common choice when the public is asked to identify America’s sport.” Football is a classic sport that brings everyone together. Hundreds of thousands of people gather at college and professional games; the sport has been around for 156 years and will continue to gather communities for many years to come. As of September 15, 2025, the top 10 rankings are as follows: Ohio State, Penn State, LSU, Miami FL, Georgia, Oregon, Florida State, Texas, Illinois, and Texas A&M. These rankings are always subject to change as teams around the country compete for a chance at a national championship title. Head CdM Football coach Kevin Hettig was interviewed about college football predictions and said, “I think Ohio State will win the national championship this year because they have almost too much talent on their team.” This response also matches one from head coach of CdM water polo and swimming Lucas Reynolds. Reynolds believes that “Ohio State [will win] because they have the best roster in the nation. Jeremiah Smith is a dawg.” Many sports newscasters and websites this year also agree with Reynolds and Hettig. Ohio State is a highly favored team for their epic roster and recent wins. Stan Becon, a writer from the NCAA website, predicts, “My top four seeds are Ohio State, Texas, Clemson, and Arizona State—all projected conference champions.” Websites ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and CBS Sports also report that Ohio State, Penn State, Texas, and Clemson are top picks from different sports newscasters and writers around the country.

Each year, football generates over a billion dollars in revenue. The game has a wide outreach around the world, and many job opportunities surround the sport. Some CdM students, all of whom chose to remain anonymous, submitted their predictions. Seventy-five percent of the students predicted teams in the SEC to win a national title this year, while twenty-five percent predicted Ohio State and the University of Michigan.

Overall, CdM’s consensus is the top teams in the SEC and Ohio State all have an equal chance at making the playoffs and winning this year’s football national championship. This year there are strong programs, with an elite level of talent making the journey to this year’s champion very unpredictable. The season of college football, throughout the fierce rivalries and wins and losses, will leave fans with moments to recall for years to come.