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AP Top 25 Just Dropped – Here’s How They Compare with Betting Odds

James Willis | August 11, 2025

ap top 25 rankings with odds start of 2025 season

The Associated Press’s top 25 college football poll is the poll most people pay attention to when it comes to college football rankings until the official CFB polls are published on November 5th.

Today, the AP poll was released and while there are a few surprises, the poll mostly reflects teams and rankings which were anticipated.

Remember, the odds and rankings rarely match up, especially early in the season. The odds are shaped by the betting public whereas rankings on the AP are done by a panel of 62 sportswriters and broadcasters from across the nation.

This may be a good time to snag a team which is ranked highly but has good betting payout odds.

2025 AP Top 25 College Football Rankings (with Betting odds)

Odds by SportsBetting.ag

You can sort the teams by rank or by odds

AP Rank	Team	Champ. Odds
1	Texas	+600
2	Penn State	+700
3	Ohio State	+675
4	Clemson	+850
5	Georgia	+650
6	Notre Dame	+1000
7	Oregon	+1200
8	Alabama	+900
9	LSU	+1200
10	Miami FL	+2800
11	Arizona St.	+12500
12	Illinois	+15000
13	South Carolina	+6600
14	Michigan	+3300
15	Florida	+3300
16	SMU	+10000
17	Kansas State	+10000
18	Oklahoma	+4000
19	Texas A&M	+3300
20	Indiana	+12500
21	Ole Miss	+4000
22	Iowa State	+20000
23	Texas Tech	+10000
24	Tennessee	+6600
25	Boise State	+25000

A Brief History of the AP Top 25 College Football Poll

The Associated Press (AP) Top 25 college football poll, a ranking of the top 25 NCAA football teams, began in 1936. Here’s a brief history:

1934: The AP started ranking college football teams informally, with sportswriters voting on the best teams, but these were not yet official polls.
1936: The first official AP poll was released on October 19, 1936, with only a top 20 format. Minnesota was the first No. 1 team, finishing the season atop the poll. The poll was based on votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.
1940s-1950s: The poll expanded to a Top 25 format in 1989, but during this earlier period, it typically ranked fewer teams (often 10 or 20). Voting occurred weekly during the season, with the final poll crowning a national champion after the regular season until 1968.
1968: The AP began releasing a final poll after bowl games, recognizing the importance of postseason play in determining a champion. This shift aimed to better reflect team performance in major bowl games.
1970s-1990s: The AP poll grew in prominence, becoming a key factor in determining national champions, alongside the Coaches Poll (started in 1950 by United Press International). Rankings were based on subjective votes, leading to occasional controversies over splits between the AP and Coaches Polls.
1998-2013: The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) era incorporated the AP poll as one component in determining national championship game participants, though the AP withdrew from the BCS formula in 2004, preferring independent rankings.
2014-Present: With the introduction of the College Football Playoff (CFP), the AP poll remains a prominent ranking system but does not directly influence playoff selections, which are determined by a separate committee. The AP poll continues to name its own national champion based on the final postseason poll.

The AP poll has evolved from a simple ranking to a widely respected measure of college football success, relying on a voting panel of journalists and media members. It remains influential in shaping public perception and debates over team rankings, despite not being part of the CFP selection process.