ESPN’s Bill Connelly released his initial SP+ Top 25 rankings this week.
Connelly bases the rankings off three primary factors: returning production, recent recruiting success and recent history. One-third of the recruiting projections formula now incorporates transfers, something Connelly chose to add this season.
The No. 1 team on Connelly’s SP+ Top 25 is a no-brainer. Georgia is coming off back-to-back national championships. Although the Bulldogs are losing quarterback Stetson Bennett, they’re bringing in another impressive recruiting class that sits at No. 2 in the country.
Texas lands ahead of USC, Florida State, Clemson, Utah and Oklahoma in the rankings. The Longhorns have landed consecutive top five recruiting classes and only lost one starter on the offensive side of the ball this offseason.
Here’s a look at the top 10 teams in Connelly’s initial SP+ Top 25: