AP's dream road trip: How to see every preseason Top 25 team at least once in 2025

San Francisco Chronicle​

2 hours ago

Forget about easing your way into college football this year.
The schedule includes several enticing matchups before September even starts, including a clash of ranked Big 12 teams facing off in Ireland this weekend, plus multiple top-10 matchups.
All of these were considered in AP's annual attempt to map out college football's hypothetical dream road trip. Reviewing the rules:
— We must see every team in the AP's preseason Top 25 at least once.
— Travel between games must be reasonable in the time available. Long drives and even flights are OK, but if you're at a night game in California, you're not getting to Florida for an early afternoon kickoff the next day.
This season's 17-game journey looks like this:
No. 17 Kansas State vs. No. 22 Iowa State (Aug. 23 in Dublin, Ireland)
The Big 12 now stretches from Arizona to West Virginia, so why not have a game in Ireland as well? The league exports the "Farmageddon" rivalry to Dublin, and in a conference that received only one College Football Playoff bid last season, any matchup of ranked teams looms large.
No. 1 Texas at No. 3 Ohio State (Aug. 30)
The defending national champs against this year's preseason No. 1. At the Horseshoe. In a rematch of last season's semifinal. This is about as good as August college football can get, even if Buckeyes fans have had their fill of noon kickoffs. The good news is that it gives you plenty of time to travel for next day's kickoff in South Florida.
No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 10 Miami (Aug. 31)
This on-again, off-again series is back for the first time since 2017 and only the fifth time post-1990. The Fighting Irish haven't won at Miami since 1977.
Bonus stop: TCU at North Carolina (Sept. 1)
Nobody is ranked in this one, but you have time and Bill Belichick's debut at North Carolina is a fascinating matchup against an accomplished offensive mind in Sonny Dykes. Recall that Dykes and the Horned Frogs were also the opponent for Deion Sanders' first game as Colorado's coach — and that didn't go well for TCU.
No. 14 Michigan at No. 18 Oklahoma (Sept. 6)
After their rivals (Ohio State and Texas) take center stage in Week 1, the Wolverines and Sooners face a big test after a middling — or in Oklahoma's case, downright mediocre — 2024 season. The Top 25 voters believe both will be better.
No. 5 Georgia at No. 24 Tennessee (Sept. 13)
Nico Iamaleava's departure for UCLA left the Volunteers facing some real uncertainty at quarterback. The young Bulldogs received one first-place vote in the AP poll, but they didn't have anyone on the preseason All-America first team aside from punter Brett Thorson.
No. 12 Illinois at No. 20 Indiana (Sept. 20)
These two teams went a combined 21-5 last season, with the Hoosiers making the playoff. There's a decent chance both will be undefeated when they meet up for an early Big Ten clash.
No. 7 Oregon at No. 2 Penn State (Sept. 27)
This rematch of last season's Big Ten title game is also Penn State's White Out night. The Nittany Lions return quarterback Drew Allar, plus running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen.
No. 25 Boise State at No. 6 Notre Dame (Oct. 4)
Even after losing Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty, Boise State is a threat to earn the Group of Five's spot in the playoff again. The glamour game on the Broncos' schedule is easy to identify.
No. 15 Florida at No. 19 Texas A&M (Oct. 11)
It looked like Billy Napier's days as Florida's coach were numbered after the Gators lost to Texas A&M at home last year, but they played well down the stretch. Florida heads to Kyle Field for a rematch right in the middle of this year's SEC grind.
No. 23 Texas Tech at No. 11 Arizona State (Oct. 18)
Just about anything could happen in the Big 12 race — Arizona State went to the CFP last season a year after winning three games. Texas Tech had to deal with some preseason adversity when running back Quinten Joyner went down with a knee injury.
No. 14 Michigan at Michigan State (Oct. 25)
This game isn't essential because we already saw Michigan back in September. If another matchup this weekend catches your eye, feel free to substitute it. But the Wolverines and Spartans have one of the better in-state rivalries around, even if it occasionally crosses the line.
No. 13 South Carolina at No. 21 Mississippi (Nov. 1)
Two programs that punch above their weight a bit when it comes to the game day experience. The Rebels host this year's matchup, and once the tailgaters head from The Grove to the stadium, they can brace for an afternoon of running and passing by Gamecocks star LaNorris Sellers.
No. 9 LSU at No. 8 Alabama (Nov. 8)
Two SEC powers that missed the playoff last season. Brian Kelly and Kalen DeBoer would be well advised to correct that.
No. 1 Texas at No. 5 Georgia (Nov. 15)
We saw both these teams early in the season, and now it's time to check in on them again between the hedges. Georgia beat Texas twice last season, once on the road and once in Atlanta for the SEC championship.
Louisville at No. 16 SMU (Nov. 22)
The Mustangs are ranked in the preseason poll for the first time since 1985, before the program received the NCAA 'death penalty' and entered a lengthy period of irrelevance.
No. 4 Clemson at No. 13 South Carolina (Nov. 29)
The Tigers are the last ranked team we haven't seen yet, and this matchup at Williams-Brice Stadium figures to be electric, especially if it has playoff implications for both schools.