College Football 2025 National Champion Prediction: Who Wins 12-Team CFP?

Who Will Win 2025 College Football Playoff?

The recent history of this sport tells us that one of the teams we just mentioned — most likely one of Georgia, Ohio State, Texas or Oregon — will win the national title this year.

Georgia, which was denied a chance at its third consecutive national championship in 2023 with a loss to Alabama in last year’s SEC Championship Game, is the safest bet.

Thanks to coach Kirby Smart’s recruiting in recent years, the Bulldogs are always loaded, no matter how much talent they lose in a particular offseason.

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But this year, in terms of future NFL players, Ohio State might have the edge over Georgia (and every other team in the nation.) The Buckeyes’ best-known players are RBs TreVeyon Henderson and Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins, plus WR Emeka Egbuka, but Ohio State’s defense features a handful of players who are expected to be taken early in the 2025 NFL Draft.

On the OSU D-line, EDGE J.T. Tuimoloau and DT Tyleik Williams are both likely first-rounders next year, while fellow EDGE Jack Sawyer and CB Denzel Burke are also potential high picks in 2025. Safety Caleb Downs, who transferred from Alabama to Ohio State this offseason, is another future first-rounder on this defense, but he won’t be eligible until 2026.

Texas and Oregon are both loaded as well. The Longhorns’ Quinn Ewers and the Beavers’ Dillon Gabriel are two of the top QBs in college football. Texas also has a first-round talent at left tackle (Kelvin Banks Jr.), while Oregon WR Evan Stewart is among a number of future NFL players at coach Dan Lanning’s disposal.

Why Georgia Will Win 2025 CFP National Title

No, we’re not going out on a limb here.

In college football, you just can’t go wrong sticking with the SEC.

Though Michigan showed us just last year that there are teams outside this conference that can win it all, it’s unwise to doubt Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs. A year after losing to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game proved costly following a 12-0 start, a loss or two in the loaded SEC wouldn’t keep the Dawgs out of the Playoff this year.

And as long as Georgia makes it to the CFP healthy, it’s hard to see anyone beating this team.

There are plenty of star quarterbacks around the country, but few are as experienced in their current system as Georgia senior Carson Beck. And although Georgia lost a ton of talent from last year’s roster, particularly at RB and WR, Florida transfer Trevor Etienne will keep the UGA ground game rolling, especially behind an outstanding O-line led by guards Tate Ratledge and Dylan Fairchild.

Star TE Brock Bowers and WR Ladd McConkey will be missed, but WR Dominic Lovett returns after a productive 2023 campaign, and fellow returning pass-catchers Dillon Bell, Arian Smith and TE Oscar Delp have all been effective when called upon.

Beck will also have several experienced transfers to throw to, including TE Ben Yurosek from Stanford, Colbie Young from Miami and London Humphreys from Vanderbilt.

As for the other side of the football, the Kirby Smart-led Georgia D should be outstanding.

Thanks to several all-SEC caliber defenders — including DT Nazir Stackhouse, LBs Mykel Williams and Smael Mondon Jr. and DBs Malaki Starks and Daylen Everette — don’t expect much of a drop-off from a unit that was top-five nationally in scoring defense each of the last three seasons.

Georgia might not be the sexiest — or most original — pick, but based on what we know entering the season, the Bulldogs are the best, safest bet to win the national championship this season.

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