It's never too early to look ahead to next season's College Football Playoff despite the Ohio State Buckeyes capturing the National Championship just weeks ago.

Week 1 of the 2025 college football season features a loaded slate, including LSU at Clemson, Notre Dame at Miami and Alabama at Florida State, among others. LSU-Clemson could be a top-five matchup, as could the biggest headliner: Manning and Texas visiting Ohio State in a matchup of the 2024 national champion and our early 2025 favorite.

ESPN has college football's national title staying in the Big Ten next season. Michigan and Ohio State have given the conference back-to-back national champions. ESPN's Bill Connelly predicted a new winner emerging from the Big Ten.

One of the most surprising coaching moves of the college football offseason, former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is headed to Penn State to serve in the same role for the Buckeyes' Big Ten rival. The Pennsylvania native had just helped lead Ohio State and the nation's top defense to a College Football Playoff national championship.

After he helped guide Ohio State to a national championship, Jim Knowles is finalizing a deal with Penn State to become the highest paid defensive coordinator in college football, ESPN reported Sunday.