The Big Ten and SEC lead the way in the debut USA TODAY Sports College Football Re-Rank 1-136 for the 2025 season, mirroring the very top ofthe preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. Texas and Ohio State don't top the list, however. Instead, the re-rank starts with No. 1 Penn State and No. 2Georgia, followed by No. 3 Clemson. TheLonghornsland at No. 4 and theBuckeyesat No. 6, sandwiching No. 5 Notre Dame. At this point, theNittany Lionsare more of a sure thing than Ohio State, which has a new quarterback, a new backfield, a largely remade defensive front seven and new coordinators on offense and defense. The switch to Georgia atop the SEC stems from one of the biggest questions in the Bowl Subdivision entering the regular season: After beating Texas twice last season, are we really sure the Bulldogs are poised to cede control of the conference to the Longhorns? PATH TO PLAYOFF:Sign up for our college football newsletter But this might not last past the year's first full weekend, whenOhio State hosts Texasin one of the marquee season openers in recent FBS history. A win by either team might be enough to justify a leap into the top spot. Rounding out the top 12 are No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 Oregon, No. 9 Miami, No. 10 LSU, No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 12 Illinois. LSU is another team in line for a major boost after Week 1 should the Tigers win at Clemson. Overall, the top 30 teams in the first re-rank include 10 from the SEC, eight from the Big Ten, five from the Big 12, four from the ACC, two from the Mountain West and one independent in theFighting Irish. The favorites by Power Four conference are Penn State, Georgia, Clemson and No. 13Kansas State. The Wildcats are at the front of a very crowded top of the Big 12 that includes No. 18Arizona State, No. 19 Texas Tech, No. 28 TCU and No. 30 Utah. Over in the Group of Five, the preseason favorites are No. 23Boise State(MWC), No. 35 Tulane (American), No. 48 James Madison (Sun Belt), No. 50 Toledo (MAC) and No. 55 Western Kentucky (Conference USA). And at the bottom of the 1-136 stands a familiar face: No. 136 Kent State will begin the regular season in the same spot where the Golden Flashes ended 2024. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:College football Re-Rank: Penn State leads NCAA 1-136