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2025 college football guide for the bandwagon fan

Published

4 months ago

August 19, 2025

Your Sports Nation

2025 college football guide for the bandwagon fan

We can finally relax and take a breath. It’s time for actual football.

We don’t have to worry about the House settlement or talk of transfer portal windows. And we definitely don’t need to pay attention to the Big Ten’s idea to super-size the College Football Playoff (though you should read Sam Khan’s story about what would work if the field does expand).

So with the season set to begin this weekend, you might be looking for a team to root for this fall. Maybe you’ve lost all confidence in your favorite program. Maybe you’re new to the sport. Perhaps, you’re looking for a second team to embrace.

And with 136 programs in college football, there are plenty of options to choose from.

No matter the reason, we are here to help.

Here is our bandwagon fan’s guide to the 2025 season, highlighting one team from each conference.

Georgia Tech

2024 record: 7-6
2025 prediction: Fourth in the ACC
Preseason rank: No. 31 in The Athletic’s 136

Why you should get on board: Because it’s fun watching the Yellow Jackets throw a more talented team into the deep end of the pool and make it fight for everything — see last year’s upset of Miami and an eight-overtime loss at Georgia. Their identity under head coach Brent Key, a former offensive lineman, is clear: be physical, run the football and control the line of scrimmage. Quarterback Haynes King and running back Jamal Haynes lead a very entertaining rushing attack, and Georgia Tech brings back the man pulling the strings on offense, coordinator Buster Faulkner. The Yellow Jackets could be a dark horse in the ACC title race; they face just one team (Clemson) that was picked in the top five of the league’s preseason poll. That game is at home, too.

Why you shouldn’t: While King’s tough and rugged playing style is fun to watch, it could also lead to injury. He missed two games last year, which resulted in losses to Notre Dame and Virginia Tech, and was limited in some others. And the offensive line has to replace three starters. New defensive coordinator Blake Gideon also has to improve a unit that ranked 72nd nationally in both scoring defense and yards per play allowed last season.

Bottom line: A lot rides on keeping King healthy, but there’s experience at quarterback, a solid coaching staff and a manageable schedule — the toughest road game is at Duke. Yes, the defense has to take a step forward, but things are lined up nicely for Georgia Tech to make a run this season.

Utah

2024 record: 5-7
2025 prediction: The Big 12 did not conduct a preseason poll
Preseason rank: No. 18 in The Athletic’s 136

Why you should get on board: Always buy low when there may be doubts about coach Kyle Whittingham’s program. Last year was certainly disappointing — it was the Utes’ first losing season since 2013 — but Whittingham turned to New Mexico and brought in exciting upgrades at quarterback (Devon Dampier) and offensive coordinator (Jason Beck). That should rejuvenate an offense that ranked 102nd nationally in scoring and 111th in yards per play, and allow the Utes to play more complementary football. The defense still ranked 25th in scoring despite being put in disadvantageous positions by the offense.

Why you shouldn’t: The schedule is a grind. Utah doesn’t miss many of the Big 12 heavyweights. There are home games against Texas Tech, Arizona State and Kansas State and road trips to BYU and Baylor. While the defense is always solid, the unit returns just five starters and suffered some depth losses among the line. And will the offense be able to find some true playmakers among its pass catchers?

Bottom line: Whittingham knows how to win. He won conference titles in the Mountain West and the Pac-12, and there’s no doubt he wants to atone for the Utes’ debut season in the Big 12. There’s been constant retirement speculation with Whittingham, so we’re never truly sure which season will be his last. But it’s clear he wants to leave the program on an upward trajectory. The schedule is tough, but the ingredients are there for Utah to be a Big 12 title sleeper.

Iowa

2024 record: 8-5
2025 prediction: Ninth in the unofficial Big Ten media poll
Preseason rank: No. 29 in The Athletic’s 136

Why you should get on board: The offense could be … fun? The quarterback position has been a black hole for Iowa for several seasons, but the Hawkeyes added highly touted transfer Mark Gronowski, who led South Dakota State to FCS national championships in 2022 and 2023. Gronowski is experienced and can make plays with his arm and legs. His physical running style fits well in the Big Ten. His arrival should help an Iowa offense that improved from 132nd nationally in scoring offense in 2023 to 72nd in Tim Lester’s first year as offensive coordinator.

Why you shouldn’t: Can we really trust this offense to be fun? Will Gronowski have enough targets at receiver? The Hawkeyes have some solid options at running back (Kamari Moulton and Jaziun Patterson) who waited for this opportunity, but the loss of star Kaleb Johnson can’t be overlooked.

Bottom line: Illinois is too trendy to pick in this spot. Indiana already enjoyed its breakthrough season last fall. So, Iowa could be a worthy program to invest your time in. There is finally legitimate hope the offense might have a pulse, and you know the defense will always be strong. The schedule includes tough home games vs. Penn State and Oregon and road games at Iowa State, USC and Nebraska.

Florida

2024 record: 8-5
2025 prediction: Sixth in the SEC
Preseason rank: No. 15 in The Athletic’s 136

Why you should get on board: You watched the SEC documentary series on Netflix, and it convinced you to buy into Billy Napier and the Gators’ trajectory. Even though Napier was consistently in hot-seat conversations in 2024, Florida won four consecutive games to end last season, providing plenty of optimism for 2025. It’s not difficult to place faith and root for a program with a quarterback as talented as sophomore DJ Lagway, either. He’ll be surrounded by a good offensive line and a solid supporting cast at the skill spots, and there’s talent on defense, too.

Why you shouldn’t: The schedule is so difficult that it almost feels like any talk of the postseason is a non-starter. There are games on the road against LSU, Miami, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and matchups at home vs. Texas, Georgia and Tennessee. It doesn’t help that Lagway has dealt with shoulder soreness, which kept him out of spring practice, and a calf injury that limited him at the start of training camp.

Bottom line: If you choose this bandwagon, just know there’s a possibility Florida might be an improved team this season without much to show for it in the win-loss record. However, if you jump on now and the Gators do break through against that schedule, then a Playoff bid is a distinct possibility. So there’s a lot of risk involved here, but the ceiling — to quote the great Michael Jordan — is the roof.

Group of 5 bandwagons to consider

Rice

2024 record: 4-8
2025 prediction: The American did not conduct a preseason poll
Preseason rank: No. 127 in The Athletic’s 136

Academic requirements are stringent at Rice, so life is generally tough for a program that hasn’t enjoyed a winning season since 2014. So know if you choose this bandwagon, you’re facing an uphill climb. But credit the Owls administration for at least making things interesting and hiring Scott Abell from Davidson this past offseason.

Abell coached in the Pioneer League — a FCS conference whose members don’t offer athletic scholarships to football players — so he’s used to coaching in difficult situations. He’s bringing his unique spread offense to Rice as the program tries to go against the grain to offset the talent deficit it faces against most teams on its schedule.

There will be some growing pains in Year 1, but the offense should be fun to watch as the players get more comfortable as the season progresses. It’s bound to catch some poor opposing defense off guard.

Davidson running a Slot Back Slip Screen off Triple Option Action! pic.twitter.com/cyviHNnMRY

— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) November 8, 2022

Western Kentucky

2024 record: 8-6
2025 prediction: Conference USA did not conduct a preseason poll
Preseason rank: No. 63 in The Athletic’s 136

The Hilltoppers are importing an offense from the FCS level once again. Coach Tyson Helton did this back in 2021 with great results after they added quarterback Bailey Zappe and offensive coordinator Zach Kittley from Houston Baptist and lit up opposing defenses through the air. This offseason, Helton went to Abilene Christian and landed quarterback Maverick McIvor, who began his college career at Texas Tech, and offensive coordinator Rick Bowie.

Though WKU has been good lately, it still hasn’t gotten over the hump and won a conference title under Helton. And the offense has regressed, failing to finish in the top 25 in scoring or top 50 in yards per play since 2022.

This might be a good time to jump aboard.

Kent State

2024 record: 0-12
2025 prediction: Last in the MAC
Preseason rank: No. 136 in The Athletic’s 136

The Golden Flashes were so bad last season that they were an automatic qualifier for this season’s Bandwagon Guide. This program needs all the support it can get. Kent State lost games by scores of 71-0 (Tennessee), 56-0 (Penn State) and 41-0 (Ohio) last year. It was ugly — the Golden Flashes finished last nationally in scoring offense and scoring defense. They’ve also lost 21 games in a row dating back to September 2023. Offensive coordinator Mark Carney is serving as the interim head coach after coach Kenni Burns was fired in April for ethics and other violations.

The Golden Flashes open the season against FCS Merrimack, and there’s an Oct. 11 game against UMass. Those might be Kent State’s two best chances to end the losing skid this year.

Hawaii

2024 record: 5-7
2025 prediction: Seventh in the Mountain West
Preseason rank: No. 109 in The Athletic’s 136

The Rainbow Warriors might be ready to turn a corner. Coach Timmy Chang walked into an incredibly difficult situation in January 2022 after there was a heavy roster exodus in the late stages of Todd Graham’s tenure. Hawaii has improved gradually over the past few years and was relatively close to reaching a bowl last season. The Rainbow Warriors lost three games by three points or less in 2024.

Quarterback Micah Alejado is relatively inexperienced but passed for 469 yards and five scores in the 2024 season finale against New Mexico, and he offers some promise even though he lacks ideal size at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds. A strong Hawaii passing attack will make those late-night kickoffs much more entertaining. This team is worthy of your support.

Southern Miss

2024 record: 1-11
2025 prediction: Fifth in the Sun Belt West Division
Preseason rank: No. 104 in The Athletic’s 136

The Golden Eagles will be a fascinating experiment to watch unfold this season. Southern Miss went winless in the Sun Belt in 2024 but hired Charles Huff away from Marshall after he led the Thundering Herd to the Sun Belt championship.

Huff, who clashed with Marshall’s administration about his contract, brought 19 transfers from the Herd with him. That includes standout quarterback Braylon Braxton.

This is a proud program with a history of success, but Southern Miss has fallen on hard times, with four losing records in the last five seasons. It’s a tough road ahead. How fast can the infusion of Marshall transfers get things turned around? We haven’t seen many cases like this in college football before.

(Photo of DJ Lagway: James Gilbert / Getty Images)

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Dabo Swinney addresses next steps for Clemson football program after disappointing 2025

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4 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Dabo Swinney might have a long look in the mirror as Clemson hits the offseason. The Tigers lost 22-10 to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl to finish the year 7-6.

It was a year where, ironically both PSU and Clemson, were popular preseason national champion picks. Heck, some even predicted these two would square off for college football’s crown.

Swinney chalked these struggles up to big picture issues. If those can get rectified ahead of 2026 remains to be seen.

“It’s really more about just big picture of our issues from the season,” Swinney said postgame. “I know what’s real. I know what’s not. I don’t read what everybody else writes. I know what’s real. I have a good perspective when it comes to things that are in our control and what we’ve got to do better. We’ve got great people. I love all the people on my staff.

“But you evaluate everything. That’s just a part of our business, and it’s a part of the end of a season is you step back and — I don’t make emotional decisions, but first and foremost, it starts with what happened and how do we — is it personnel, is it scheme, is it bad calls, whatever. There’s a lot of things you evaluate as a coach.”

With the talent Clemson had back, such as QB Cade Klubnik and defensive linemen Peter Woods and T.J. Parker, there seemed to be a lot of NFL talent. But it just didn’t click as the Tigers found themselves 1-3 after four games, pretty much out of the CFP picture before even getting started.

Dabo Swinney promises to get it right for 2026

“Again, I know we’ve got seven wins, but we’re a lot closer than people think,” Swinney said. “That’s one of them things, boy, if you say that you get torn up on social media, people rip you I’m sure. But that’s the reality. I know what it is, and I know how close we are. It’s one more catch. It’s one more good throw. It’s a better call. It’s one stop. Next thing you know, you win a couple of those games that we lost early, and now you’ve got confidence and momentum and all those things matter. We just never got that.”

Swinney is 187-53 since 2008 with Clemson, winning nine ACC titles and two national championships. Heck, despite being 10-4 last year, the Tigers won the ACC and made it to the first round of the College Football Playoff.

To get back to that and beyond might take a philosophy or roster overhaul. But Swinney claims he knows what to do to get it right.

“It certainly affected us,” Swinney said. “But again, evaluate everything, make good decisions based on what my perspective is, and I’ll change what I need to change, stay the course on what I believe I need to stay the course on.

“Again, it’s never as good as you think, it’s never as bad as you think. I’ve done this a long time, and this is the second worst season we’ve had in 17 years. There will be something good come from it just like the last one we had in 2010. We had a lot of great things come from it. We’ll have a lot of great come from this one, as well.”

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Kyle Whittingham admits he didn’t know if he was done coaching after stepping down at Utah before Michigan hire

Published

5 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

On Dec. 12, Kyle Whittingham announced he’d be stepping down from his position as head coach at Utah after spending 21 seasons at the helm of the program. At the same time, Michigan fired head coach Sherrone Moore after he was charged with felony third-degree home invasion and two misdemeanors.

Just two weeks later, Michigan hired Whittingham to be its next head coach. During his introductory press conference on Sunday, the 66-year-old HC admitted he wasn’t sure whether he’d ever coach again after he resigned from Utah.

“It’s an honor to be able to be in this position. Twenty-one years at Utah. Stepped down a couple weeks ago. Wasn’t sure if I was finished or not. I still have a lot left in the tank,” Whittingham said. “You can count on one hand, the amount of schools that if they called, I would listen and I would be receptive to what they had to say.

“Michigan was one of those schools, definitely a top five job in the country, without a doubt. So, when the ball started rolling, and the more I learned about Michigan, the more excited I got. And I’m just elated to be here.”

Whittingham signed a five-year contract with Michigan worth an average of $8.2 million per year. Whittingham’s contract is 75% guaranteed. His 2026 salary is expected to be $8 million.

While Whittingham is far older than many of the other coaches who were signed during this hiring cycle, he’s also far more experienced. Whittingham was the head coach at Utah from 2005-25.

During his impressive tenure, he guided the Utes to a 177-88 overall record and three conference championships. Despite his illustrious résumé, Kyle Whittingham said he didn’t expect to hear from Michigan about its job opening.

“I didn’t expect that. Ironically enough, the timing was almost exactly the same from when I stepped down and when this job became open,” Whittingham said. “It was within a day or so of each other. Like I said when I stepped down, I felt like one thing I didn’t want to be is that coach that just stayed too long at one place.

“I just felt that the time was right to exit Utah. But, like I said, I still got a lot of energy, and felt like, ‘Hey, if the right opportunity came, then I would be all in on that.’ So, that’s what Michigan afforded me.”

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‘Cinderella exists in college basketball’ but not college football

Published

6 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Everyone loves an underdog. That is, except everyone involved with college football.

As soon as two Group of Five schools qualified for the 2025 College Football Playoff, every college football talking head started falling all over themselves to explain why they didn’t deserve to be there, didn’t belong, and shouldn’t be allowed to compete there in the future.

The TV ratings for the first round of the CFP seemed to give pundits further ammunition, especially since most of their arguments had more to do with driving TV audiences than rewarding winners.

The war against college football Cinderellas has been intense, and you can add a somewhat surprising voice to the mix: NBC Sports college basketball announcer John Fanta.

As part of a wide-ranging interview with the New York Post’s Steve Serby, Fanta shared that while he enjoys seeing Cinderella teams compete in college basketball’s March Madness, it doesn’t work the same for college football.

“I would not have two Group of 5 teams in the Playoff,” said Fanta. “I am all for Cinderella. But Cinderella exists in college basketball.

“The opening weekend of the College Football Playoff was a dud. It’s not about picking Miami over Notre Dame. Miami beat Notre Dame. What doesn’t make any sense is the committee for weeks had Miami below Notre Dame, and then put Miami in over Notre Dame. So the committee has no rhyme or reason to what they are doing. That’s my issue with the Playoff. I think the Playoff is gonna deliver great games.”

Fanta’s argument is somewhat moot, as future editions of the CFP are highly unlikely to unfold as this year’s did, thanks in large part to Notre Dame’s revised MOU and likely changes to the ACC’s selection criteria.

Also, while the Tulane and JMU games were largely uncompetitive, plenty of Power 4 schools (and Notre Dame) have laid far worse eggs in CFP games.

If there’s a villain in this year’s CFP draw, it’s the Power 4 programs that didn’t do enough to justify their inclusion, rather than the G5 schools that earned the right under the current criteria.

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Ed Orgeron on SEC paying players before NIL: ‘We used to walk through the back door with the cash’ – Tar Heel Times

Published

6 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Posted Dec 28, 2025

Few recruiters in college football worked harder than Ed Orgeron. Orgeron did a great job bringing in some great talent. However, most of his work came in the pre-NIL era, meaning he could not, technically, use money in the process. So when talking about how he would adapt with NIL now legal, Orgeron hilariously said there would just be a slight difference.
(On3.com)

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Ed Orgeron on SEC paying players before NIL: 'We used to walk through the back door with the cash'

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What is the projected NIL value of a top DB & DL?

Published

7 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

While transfer portal details are rare and hard to verify, the overall trend is that defensive standouts might be the bargain play over a top offense. Quarterbacks have already made deals like Darrian Mensah’s $4 million reported payday a year ago, with some speculating the market might drive over $5 million now.

But when On3sports provided a recent peak behind the curtain at the values and costs of recruiting portal talent, it was clear that defense remains the value play. On3 provided a few fascinating details.

Defensive linemen can be relatively high priced. For instance, On3 cited the reported deal of David Bailey (which some have valued at over $3 million) as the potential high side of defensive paydays. Elite pass-rushers aren’t cheap, and the $1.5 million high end value quoted by On3 is clearly contemplating that possibility.

Penn State edge Chaz Coleman is one of the players already indicated to be entering the portal who might command the type of value On3 notes. With three years of eligibility, the 6’4″, nearly 250 pound Coleman is an elite prospect. Another name nearly on that level is Oklahoma State transfer Wendell Gregory.

But defensive tackles, despite the relative scarcity of players with the physical attributes to provide lane-clogging snaps, tend to lag a bit lower than pass rushers on the college football food chain. If pass-rushing ends are still a bargain compared to quarterbacks, then defensive tackies will generally land cheaper still, with few likely to break the $1 million barrier by On3’s projection. One name that could be in that company, though, is Wake Forest transfer Mateen Ibirogba.

The massive value of the entire recruiting world, as documented by On3, lies in the secondary. Ranking defensive backs lowest of all the position groups profiled, On3 noted that vast number of defensive backs who join the portal. On3 indicates that an elite safety is probably a slightly higher value than a cornerback.

At the moment, Iowa State’s Jontez Williams is a top corner transfer, while Tennessee’s Boo Carter leads a slightly underwhelming safety class.

But at a projected value of $300,000-$850,000, a school could afford an entire secondary cheaper than an elite quarterback, at least according to the valuation reported by On3. Whatever path to the Playoff the next portal-playing team chooses, defense is clearly the economic option.

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JMU Loses All 11 Starters From College Football Playoff Season

Published

8 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The transfer portal has radically challenged the college football landscape.

What was once a way for a few players to plead their case for a chance to switch schools has now become one of the most active free agency periods in all of sports.

Instead of needing to recruit high school students and hope the development turns them into future stars, programs can now change their entire outlook in one offseason by signing already-developed talent in the transfer portal.

For many teams like the Indianas and Vanderbilts of the world, backed by strong NIL foundations and donors, it’s been a godsend.

For the James Madison Dukes, the loveable, scrappy underdog story of the 2025 season, making it all the way to the College Football Playoff, the transfer portal is a monster that they can’t fight off.

A week after their loss to the Oregon Ducks on the road in the first round of the CFP, their fearless leader, Bob Chesney, is already drinking mimosas in Los Angeles in his new job at UCLA.

More news: Transfer Portal Prediction: CFP Team Lands 8,000-Yard QB Brendan Sorsby

More news: Transfer Portal Prediction: 5-Star Florida QB DJ Lagway Lands at SEC Rival

Beyond that, their quarterback and on-field captain, Alonza Barnett III, is transferring to join a bigger, more well-funded program in the new year.

He isn’t the only offensive player to leave the Dukes. In fact, all 11 of their starters from the College Football Playoff are either graduating or have entered the transfer portal, leaving James Madison barren.

Overall, it’s expected that over 80% of the players they would have hoped to make some sort of impact with the team in 2026 will be gone in a few short weeks as they try to get a deal to move up the college football hierarchy.

There are rumors that James Madison has built an NIL backend that would put them in good standing alongside other schools of their stature, but what can they do when Barnett III might receive an offer greater than their entire team fund?

The Dukes will do the best they can to rebuild as the new era continues roaring on in college football, and we’ll see where these former underdogs call home amongst the Power Four schools.

The transfer portal officially opens on Jan. 2, 2026.

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