Each week, the Sports' editorial team selects its Top 25 FBS college football teams for the Student Media Poll.
The SMP is a nationwide poll featuring 25 student journalists from schools nationwide.
The Post Sports will break down its ballot each week. Here is a breakdown of the top five, those dropped from the Top 25 and those added.
Top 5
1. Ohio State (3-0)
The undefeated Buckeyes were idle this week, but stayed at the top of my rankings after three strong performances to start their season. They have their first Big 10 matchup of the season at Washington in week 5. The west coast time change can’t be overlooked though, as last season Ohio State traveled to Oregon early in the year and looked flat-footed in its only regular season game out west.
2. Miami (FL) (4-0)
The Hurricanes continue to rise to the occasion so far in 2025. They took on Florida and won 26-7, but more importantly, defended home field once again, having played every game in Hard Rock Stadium this year and not surrendering defeat despite playing three ranked opponents.
Miami has won through a balanced offense all year, but it was the running back room that led the way on Saturday. Junior Mark Fletcher Jr. and sophomore Charmar Brown had 196 total yards and three touchdowns on the night.
3. Penn State (3-0)
The Nittany Lions were also on bye this past weekend. The high expectations for quarterback Drew Allar and company will be put to the test this weekend in Happy Valley. Penn State hosts Dan Lanning’s Oregon team in a rematch of last year's Big 10 title game, which Oregon won. This is another test against a top 10 opponent for head coach James Franklin, who is 4-20 in such matchups.
4. LSU (4-0)
LSU reentered my top five, replacing Oregon this week, after dismantling FCS Southeastern Louisiana 56-10. This game was over at halftime with the Tigers leading 35-0. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier once again threw his name in the Heisman conversation with a 273-yard and three-touchdown day, where he completed over 80 percent of his passes.
5. Georgia (3-0)
The Dawgs dropped a spot this week but remain in my top five after a week off. They are coming off the monster overtime win in Knoxville, Tennessee, but can’t look back for long, because this week they take on Alabama in a rivalry that is turning 130 years old. In the last 10 matchups, the Crimson Tide have won nine of them, and the last two despite the retirement of coach Saban last year.
Who I Added: 24 Arizona State and 25 TCU
Arizona State started the season in my rankings, but a week two loss at Mississippi State dropped it. It bounced back with two straight wins, including a 27-24 upset win in Waco over Baylor. TCU started its season by ruining the first game of the Bill Belichick era with a 48-14 win over North Carolina, and it also had a 35-24 win last week over a playoff team from last year, SMU.
These two Big 12 foes have flown under the radar in a conference that is still wide open. These two teams jump into a head-to-head matchup on Friday night. The defending conference champion, Arizona State, relys on quarterback Sam Leavitt, but he is matched by TCU’s Josh Hoover in this battle that may remove one of these teams from contention this year with a loss.
The Rest of the Top 25
6. Oregon (4-0)
7.Oklahoma (4-0)
8. Texas (3-1)
9. Georgia Tech (4-0)
10. Ole Miss (4-0)
11. Alabama (2-1)
12. Florida State (3-0)
13. Texas A&M (3-0)
14. Texas Tech (4-0)
15. Michigan (3-1)
16. Indiana (4-0)
17. Iowa State (4-0)
18. Tennessee (3-1)
19. Vanderbilt (4-0)
20. Illinois (3-1)
21. Missouri (4-0)
22. Notre Dame (1-2)
23. USC (4-0)
24. Arizona State (3-1)
25. TCU (3-0)
Who I Dropped: Auburn and Utah
Auburn took its first loss of the season in Norman, against Oklahoma. Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold, who transferred in from Oklahoma, was fired up for this opportunity against his old team. He played well, throwing for 220 yards and a touchdown, but his offensive line really gave this one away. The unit allowed 10 sacks in the 24-17 loss.
The Utes had looked like a Big 12 sleeper pick after the first couple of weeks. The transfer duo from New Mexico, offensive coordinator Jason Beck and quarterback Devon Dampier, had looked stellar until matching up with Texas Tech. The Red Raiders and Utes played an ugly game together with a combined six turnovers. The Red Raiders rebounded to win 34-10.
