The 2025 college football season is nearly here, as our first game kicks off Saturday, August 23rd, Live from Dublin, Ireland. While I still struggle to understand why America’s sport is opening in another country, we have a lot of futures to get to!
With the expanded playoff format now in place, the futures market offers more angles to wager on your favorite spots or teams. This year, we have a lot of quarterback question marks at some of the biggest schools, setting us up for some possible parity come playoff time!
Alabama enters the 2025 season eager to prove itself under second-year head coach Kalen DeBoer. Last season, they took a step back from usual expectations, but DeBoer looks to be shaping the team around discipline and offensive efficiency. The Crimson Tide boasts a strong offensive line that should protect new quarterback Ty Simpson, who, despite limited experience, will have one of the nation’s top receiving corps and playmakers.
On defense, Alabama remains a powerhouse, with a veteran and athletic front seven complemented by a secondary returning key contributors. The coaching staff’s focus on continuity and player development provides a solid foundation for another playoff run. Though the SEC schedule is always challenging, Alabama avoids some of the toughest road games and should enter most matchups as favorites. Even allowing for one or two losses, a 10–2 record is realistic given the team’s depth, talent, and coaching.
Tennessee comes into the 2025 season with a ton of questions. After building momentum under Josh Heupel, the Volunteers now find themselves in a transition phase, with their starting quarterback from last year gone. The offensive line is being rebuilt, and the skill positions lack the proven playmakers of past seasons. While Heupel’s up-tempo system depends on rhythm and explosive plays, the new cast will likely face growing pains, especially early on, until they build continuity.
Defensively, Tennessee remains solid but with the daunting SEC schedule ahead they need to be more than solid to reach last season's heights. The schedule includes road games at Alabama and Florida while hosting a gauntlet of Georgia, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Vanderbilt. With few easy wins available, reaching nine victories would require a near-perfect home record and a couple of road upsets. They don’t have the toughest schedule in the conference, but I think their ceiling is 8-4.
Indiana comes into 2025 riding high off its breakout 11-win season and first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. Head coach Curt Cignetti has kept much of his coaching staff and key players intact, which provides valuable continuity, and that matters to me in the win column. Even without QB Kurtis Rourke, the Hoosiers have brought in a promising transfer to step in, while their wide receiver group and defense remain anchored by experienced contributors.
Basing this solely on Cignetti’s ability to coach, and the prospects of this defense being very, very good again, I like the plus money look here. The team’s win total is set at 8.5, and even though I do acknowledge they have a tougher Big Ten schedule that includes challenging road games at Iowa, Oregon, and Penn State, along with a tough early home matchup against Illinois, they can still get to 9. Everyone has Illinois as their Cinderella in the Big Ten this season, I think Cignetti will have other plans for that.
Wisconsin’s outlook for 2025 is challenging, as soon as I saw their schedule, I knew this could be a potential fade spot. I love Head Coach Luke Fickell, but reaching six wins seems doubtful as he enters his third season. Offensively, the team is looking to return to a more physical, run-focused style. With an unproven quarterback group and a backfield lacking a clear lead runner, I believe this team will struggle to find its identity.
Defensively, the Badgers are undergoing a reset after losing key players on both the front seven and secondary, and the lack of depth is concerning. Wisconsin will face tough road games against Alabama, Michigan, Indiana, and Oregon, as well as difficult home contests against Ohio State, Washington, Illinois, and Iowa. With a roster in flux and one of the nation’s toughest schedules, winning six or more games seems highly unlikely!
Clemson enters the 2025 season as one of my favorite teams that look to build off last year's success. After a few seasons below their usual standards, the Tigers appear ready to take back the ACC for good. Led by experienced quarterback Cade Klubnik and guided by offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, the offense is expected to make a significant leap. While losing their top runner from last season, their running game remains strong. The defensive front boasts elite talent and depth, providing balance on both sides of the ball.
The schedule is favorable, with their two toughest matchups of the season being their 1st and last games. A matchup at Georgia Tech will likely be a close one, but outside of that, Clemson has a chance to reel off a win streak. If they handle the games they’re expected to win, reaching 10 or more victories is realistic, putting them in strong contention for the ACC title and a playoff berth.
Georgia Tech enters 2025 looking to build on the steady progress under head coach Brent Key. While they turned some heads and caught some attention last year with big wins and big games, like the Georgia game, this team is poised to have a great season. The offense benefits from experienced quarterback Haynes King, who combines accuracy and mobility, supported by a strong running game that helps control the pace. The offensive line returns key players, improving protection and run blocking, while the defense has made notable improvements.
Their schedule includes tough matchups against powerhouses like Clemson and Georgia, where they are clear underdogs, but most other games look winnable to me. I don’t expect this team to go 10-2, but 8-4 or 9-3 certainly are not out of the question, especially if they can beat Colorado and/or Duke on the road. With a solid roster, coaching stability, and a manageable slate, Georgia Tech reaching over 7.5 wins is a good look, even at juicy odds.
Utah is poised to rebound strongly in 2025 after dealing with some setbacks last season. With quarterback Cam Rising injured much of last season, Utah turns to Devon Dampier to lead this team. Their physical style of play, combined with a defense that returns several experienced players, makes them a tough team to score against. Kyle Whittingham is one coach I always like to back, especially coming off a down season.
The move to the Big 12 has its challenges, but Utah’s schedule is favorable, with most of their bigger games at home. They’ll face some competitive matchups, but many of their games are winnable, especially at home. With consistent play on both sides of the ball and fewer injury concerns, Utah should find a way to get to 8-4 or 9-3.
James Madison continues to emerge as one of the stronger programs in the Group of Five conferences. After Coach Cignetti left for Indiana, James Madison kept it rolling! Entering the 2025 season, the Dukes bring back a solid core of players, especially on offense and defense, that provides experience and leadership.
Their style of play emphasizes physicality and discipline, which has allowed them to control the tempo of games and limit mistakes. With a manageable schedule in the Sun Belt, and winnable non-conference games, they have enough talent and depth to not only hit 8 wins but make a case to win the conference!
Tulane enters the 2025 season as a strong contender to make a case for a surprise playoff push. Tulane has been one of the more consistent teams in this conference, averaging 9 wins over their past 3 seasons. The Green Wave benefits from experienced leadership at quarterback and a balanced offensive attack that can adapt to different game situations. Their defense remains aggressive and opportunistic, often creating turnovers and limiting big plays. The feed off Head Coach Pat Sumral’s energy and you can see it in the players’ performance.
The schedule provides several opportunities for Tulane to build momentum. Outside of a road test at Ole Miss, I expect Tulane to win their first five of six games before back-to-back road trips to UTSA and Memphis will likely determine their end-of-season outcome. If the team stays healthy (as with all teams) and avoids unexpected setbacks, surpassing eight wins is well within reach!
Pairing Ohio State and Clemson to both make the playoff is a smart way to back two elite programs with clear paths. Both are juiced to -200 on most books and I believe both have fairly easy regular season paths to get there! Clemson has the inside track in the ACC, and Ohio State’s talent level remains one of the highest in the nation. If the Buckeyes can win one of their games against Michigan or Penn State and avoid a slip-up elsewhere, 11–1 or 10–2 with a conference title game appearance should be enough to qualify. I just don’t see a world where Clemson loses three games this season, so 11-1 and 10-2 should be on the table for both teams!
This combo play hinges on two disciplined, defensive-minded teams continuing to two of the top programs in football. Penn State has the personnel to make a playoff run if quarterback Drew Allar can be more consistent. They are also a majority of “Experts” picks to at least make it to the national title game. Meanwhile, Notre Dame has a favorable schedule and returns one of the more experienced rosters in the country. Everything in South Bend hinges on quarterback play and if they get that right, they could go undefeated. If both teams finish with 10 or 11 wins, it’s easy to see them landing inside the top 12!