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The latest A to Z Top 25: Key teams to know

Week 8 of the college football season was easily the most chaotic. Chaos breeds contentious debates about which teams are the best in the sport.

Miami’s loss to Louisville raises the question of whether there’s a contender outside of Ohio State. Undefeated teams like Ole Miss and Texas Tech losing completely reframe who the top teams are in their respective conferences. Most importantly, teams like Tennessee, LSU, and USC losing their second games of 2025 eliminated them from their conference title races.

With so much uncertainty, our excellent college football team at A to Z Sports released their Top 25 rankings today to reveal who you need to know as the legit and fake teams in the sport. Here are four teams that caught my attention the most.

#3 Alabama

“Alabama is coming off a tremendous run that makes their Week 1 loss even more baffling than it was in the moment. I’m willing to throw that result out after watching Kalen DeBoer rapidly develop Ty Simpson into a Heisman Trophy contender and projected top 2026 NFL Draft pick. This version of the Tide quickly found the discipline, playmaking, and toughness that plagued it in 2024. When combined with their deep roster, that is what makes them higher on my board.” —Ian Valentino

I have publicly praised this Alabama team for one key reason that Valentino pointed out. The way they’ve improved is visible in every win since Week 1. In their loss to Florida State, the Crimson Tide appeared sloppy and careless in many areas. That lack of attention to detail doomed them in 2024, and it seemed the same was happening this year. However, after that loss, a switch was flipped, and they’ve quickly surged into one of the sport’s most well-rounded teams. Sometimes, teams must face adversity to realize what needs to be done differently. Credit head coach Kalen DeBoer for rallying his squad.

#9 Vanderbilt

“I’m convinced that their offense can go toe to toe with virtually any team in the country, and they keep stacking up wins. If they beat Missouri this week, Vanderbilt becomes a serious contender for a College Football Playoff bid, which would be a historic achievement for the program. One that makes college football just that much better.” —AJ Schulte

Maybe I’m just a Vanderbilt hater, but I’m not buying into this team like everyone else. What they’ve done in 2025 is impressive. They’ve turned into a rankable, competitive team with the physicality to outwill their opponents. However, I think they’ve feasted off two favorable matchups that built this narrative that they’re a CFP darkhorse. Their win over South Carolina looks worse each week, especially considering they beat them without LaNorris Sellers. Beating LSU is a good win, but it’s clear that LSU is turning into every team’s winnable resume builder. I don’t want to invest in a team that’s 109th in EPA/dropback allowed, which is giving up massive plays through the air on defense. It will bite them when they face better passing attacks, potentially this week against Missouri.

#10 Ole Miss

“Trinidad Chambliss has been one of the best stories in all of college football, and he has the Ole Miss offense doing some really impressive things. He is the perfect quarterback for head coach Lane Kiffin, possessing the passing and rushing upside to make a ton of big plays. Chambliss’ impact is masking several deficiencies with this team right now, including an inconsistent run game. This team is going to need to show that they can be more consistent on early downs. The Rebel defense is also not nearly as good as the previous year, and could be their downfall in the end. They are a good team, but still have several big questions to answer.” —Ryan Roberts

Ole Miss is another team that I’m much lower on than the general public and the A to Z staff. Roberts is spot on here, and Chambliss is the perfect quarterback for Lane Kiffin. He’s especially correct that their defense could be their downfall. However, I’ll take that statement a step further: It is their downfall. They’re 127th in EPA/rush allowed and will be gashed by other teams’ rushing attacks in the future. A team without a run defense is not worthy of being in the mix for the College Football Playoff.

#11 Notre Dame

“The Irish had no business being ranked after starting 0-2, even though the losses look much better now. As we fast forward to five wins in a row later, they have a very strong resumé compared to plenty of other teams. Their two losses are to top 15 teams, one of which is in the top 5 right now. Meanwhile, the Irish’s wins over USC and Boise State are aging well after recent weeks of play. Quarterback CJ Carr has taken clear steps forward, and the defense looks like they’re on the same page more often. Marcus Freeman’s squad deserves a top ten ranking at this point, and they’ll be in the CFP if they win out as expected.” —Adam Holt

Notre Dame’s recent transformation on defense is stark. While they’re imperfect and still have issues, they’ve improved enough not to be a liability. The win over USC completely reframed how many view Notre Dame in the national conversation. Considering that they held star wide receiver Makai Lemon under 80 yards in that game, it proves they’re finally making the proper adjustments to get stops when needed. Additionally, the team’s elite run game, featuring Jadarian Price and Jeremiyah Love, supported by CJ Carr, makes them a lock to make the CFP at this point.

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