A big measure of what makes a college football team good any given year is returning experience. While not all teams are created equal and not all experience is good experience, more often than not, players get better at football by playing football.

The one ranking we pay attention to more than any comes courtesy of ESPN resident advance analytics guru Bill Connelly -- S

ESPN has released its first SP+ rankings for the 2025 college football season, and there’s plenty to talk about! Ohio State leads the pack as the reigning national champions, but can they hold onto the top spot?