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6 hours ago
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Part of what makes college football great is the surprises.
Whether it’s an under-the-radar team making the College Football Playoff, an unknown commodity making it to New York as a Heisman finalist, or simply the unexpected upset, surprises are the backbone of college football.
Here are five bold predictions for this upcoming season.
No. 1: South Carolina finishes outside of the Top 8 in the SEC
There aren’t many teams in the country generating more buzz in 2025 than South Carolina.
The Gamecocks won nine games last season and return their star quarterback, LaNorris Sellers.
Despite his elite athleticism, Sellers still needs to take a leap as a passer for South Carolina to remain elite this season. The Gamecocks do not return a single player who had over 400 receiving yards, while also not bringing in a single transfer at wide receiver or tight end.
South Carolina’s defense will also likely take a step back after having three players drafted in the first 50 picks of the draft this spring, as well as losing the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in Kyle Kennard.
Combine that with the losses on defense, a lack of additions on offense, and a very difficult conference schedule that includes road games at Ole Miss, LSU, and Texas A&M, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see South Carolina struggle more than people believe.
No. 2: Louisville makes second ACC Championship Game in three years, and the College Football Playoff
Since hiring Jeff Brohm, Louisville has become one of the most under-the-radar programs in the country.
In 2025, he has once again constructed a very strong offense with USC transfer Miller Moss at quarterback, and great weapons surrounding him in sophomore running back Isaac Brown, who ran for over 1,100 yards as a freshman, and a very good wide receiver room which features returners Chris Bell and Caullin Lacy, as well as NC State transfer Dacari Collins.
No. 3: Colorado misses a bowl game
Deion Sanders enters his third year in Boulder after a very successful 9-4 season and hopes to build off that with another strong transfer class.
However, the Buffaloes are still losing multiple players who finished in the Top 10 in Heisman voting.
It is very difficult for any program to maintain success after losing players of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter’s pedigree. With 31 transfers in, it is even tougher for new players to immediately come in and take over.
No. 4: Ohio State misses Big Ten Championship Game for the second consecutive season
Ohio State had an unforgettable run in the College Football Playoff last season.
The Buckeyes won four games in a row to win the national championship as a No. 8 seed. The NFL Draft paid Ohio State no favors, with 14 players being selected in the NFL Draft.
Despite returning top 2027 draft prospect Jeremiah Smith, I think the amount of turnover on both sides of the ball may be too significant for Ohio State to recover from.
They may not be making the Big Ten Championship again, even if they very well might be a CFP lock.
No. 5: The Group of Five Playoff Bid comes from the Sun Belt
Last season, Boise State had a regular season to remember, going 12-1 with their only loss being to the eventual #1 seed Oregon, winning the Mountain West, having the Heisman runner-up in Ashton Jeanty, and securing the Group of Five’s automatic CFP bid.
With Jeanty off to the NFL and other top Mountain West teams such as UNLV experiencing significant turnover, as well as top American team Tulane losing QB Darian Mensah to Duke, I think the Sun Belt champion has a very good shot of being the Group of 5 automatic qualifier.
Keep an eye on James Madison this season in the Dukes’ second season Year 2 under Bob Chesney. JMU will likely be a preseason favorite in the Sun Belt and have a very intriguing game at Louisville in September.
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