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2025 College Football Rankings Recap: Week 1
Arizona (1-0) opens at the top of The Davis Rankings after week 1 of the 2025 season, with a score of 94.7 out of 100. Also ranked in the top five (ties included): T-2 Auburn, T-2 California, T-2 Central Michigan, T-2 Georgia Tech, T-2 LSU, T-2 Mississippi State, T-2 Rice, T-2 TCU, T-2 Temple, T-2 Utah, T-2 Wyoming.
Every score comes from the same published formula, explained on the methodology page.
The top 25
The Real Big 10 - trying to keep the losers out... UCLA (T-123)
| Rank | Team | Record | TDR scoreTDR | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Arizona | 1-0 | 94.7 | - |
| T-2 |  Auburn | 1-0 | 94.0 | - |
| T-2 |  California | 1-0 | 94.0 | - |
| T-2 |  Central Michigan | 1-0 | 94.0 | - |
| T-2 |  Georgia Tech | 1-0 | 94.0 | - |
| T-2 |  LSU | 1-0 | 94.0 | - |
| T-2 |  Mississippi State | 1-0 | 94.0 | - |
| T-2 |  Rice | 1-0 | 94.0 | - |
| T-2 |  TCU | 1-0 | 94.0 | - |
| T-2 |  Temple | 1-0 | 94.0 | - |
| T-2 |  Utah | 1-0 | 94.0 | - |
| T-2 |  Wyoming | 1-0 | 94.0 | - |
| T-13 |  App State | 1-0 | 92.8 | - |
| T-13 |  Nebraska | 1-0 | 92.8 | - |
| T-13 |  South Carolina | 1-0 | 92.8 | - |
| T-13 |  Tennessee | 1-0 | 92.8 | - |
| T-17 | 26 teams tied | - | 91.5 | - |
Games that mattered
The week’s standout games, each shown once, in the first list it qualifies for. The one exception: a close loss by a top-25 team can be in both Upset of the Week and Winnin’ ain’t easy (one is about the size of the gap, the other about how close it was). Upset of the Week, Winnin’ ain’t easy and Coin Flips are recognitions: they are not trophy-case awards, so they never go on a helmet.
The lowest-entering team to beat a better-ranked one. Ranks are from the week before.
No upsets this week: the favorites held.
A top-25 team in a one-score game against a team ranked far below it: it survived, or it fell. Ranks are from the week before.
No top-25 team had a close call against a lower-ranked one this week.
Teams within 3 points of each other on paper going in, closest finish first. Scores are away, then home.
No games close enough by the numbers this week.
One-score games involving a top-60 team that are not already above.
Wake Forest beat 
Kennesaw State10-9T-17 vs T-92won by 1- Central Michigan beat
San José State16-14T-2 vs T-123won by 2 - Rice beat
Louisiana14-12T-2 vs T-123won by 2 
Rutgers beat 
Ohio34-31T-17 vs T-92won by 3
Miami beat 
Notre Dame27-24T-17 vs T-92won by 3
The biggest margins by a team in the current top 50, the two top tiers.
USC beat 
Missouri State73-13T-17 vs T-92won by 60
Ole Miss beat 
Georgia State63-7T-17 vs T-92won by 56
Virginia beat 
Coastal Carolina48-7T-17 vs T-92won by 41
Conference snapshot
Conferences by average team score, with how many of each conference's teams sit in each tier. This is a different measure from the non-conference record ranking (for this week) on the standings page.
| Conference | Avg score | Highest-ranked team | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Ten | 82.2 | 16 | - | 2 | T-13Nebraska |
| SEC | 81.4 | 14 | - | 2 | T-2Auburn |
| Big 12 | 73.0 | 12 | 1 | 3 | #1Arizona |
| ACC | 67.0 | 12 | - | 5 | T-2California |
| American Athletic | 61.8 | 9 | - | 5 | T-2Rice |
| Mountain West | 50.6 | 5 | 2 | 5 | T-2Wyoming |
| Sun Belt | 50.1 | 7 | - | 7 | T-13App State |
| Conference USA | 49.6 | 6 | - | 6 | T-45 Delaware |
| Mid-American | 35.1 | 4 | - | 9 | T-2Central Michigan |
Winning | Character Building | Oh Crap
The most teams in the Winning tier: Big Ten (16). The most teams in the bottom two tiers (Character Building and Oh Crap): Mid-American (9).
Not ranked as a conference: FBS Independents (not a conference: UConn T-45, Notre Dame T-92); Pac-12 (only 2 teams: Washington State T-45, Oregon State T-123).
Looking ahead to week 2
The biggest games between current top-25 teams, best matchup first.
Show all 50 games between ranked teams
Every game next week between two ranked FBS teams, best matchup first. The matchup score is the two ranks added together plus how far apart they are (lower is better). A coin marks a toss-up by the numbers.
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#89 See the full 2025 week 1 rankings, see every team by tier, the conference standings, or browse every weekly recap.
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