2025 College Football Futures
The college football world will start a major shift with the 2024 season — and not because Kennesaw State is now a member of Conference USA.
The College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams, starting with the first round on the weekend of Dec. 20. The top four seeds are expected to be champions from the remaining power conferences of the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and the ACC. Seeds No. 5-12 will play on the first weekend of the playoff with the higher seed hosting in its home stadium.
With the shift, the dynamic of picking a national champion in college football has completely changed.
Teams receiving at-large bids must win four consecutive games to claim a national title, creating a large advantage for the conference champions who will receive almost a month of rest before the quarterfinals in the Fiesta, Peach, Rose and Sugar Bowls.
Action Network named Washington the top team in Transfer Portal Assets and Returning Production (TARP), while playoff teams in Michigan and Texas are also ranked high.
Returning experience is paramount, but the transfer portal has been less conducive to predicting the playoff. Michigan ranked the highest of all 2023 playoff teams in portal rankings, finishing 17th as the remaining teams finished outside the top 45.
The goal of placing a national title future with more than an entire calendar year to go is to minimize risk and look at teams that can secure a quarterfinal spot.
Both the ACC and Big 12 conference champions will receive advanced placement, but determining those champions may be premature. Clemson has yet to bring in a player via the transfer portal, while Florida State is set to go through one of the heaviest roster turnovers in the nation.
The new-look Big 12 is sure to have Utah, Kansas State and Arizona as contenders, but each has holes to fill in the trench and skill positions.
Notre Dame is likely to host a playoff game in South Bend, thanks to a forgiving schedule and a couple of offseason additions. For the second consecutive year, the Irish pulled arguably the best quarterback out of the ACC in Duke transfer Riley Leonard.
The hiring of offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, formerly of LSU, is sure to put points on the board for Notre Dame.
Because there's no conference championship game for Notre Dame, the Irish will always be forced to win four straight games to win a national title. The odds for Notre Dame to pull off the feat must be over +5000 for consideration.
With multiple transfer windows and a possible 17-game schedule on deck, the best bet is to go with a team that has dominated recruiting while building the best depth in college football.
The old saying "stars matter" is important for a wager this early, bringing us to the Georgia Bulldogs.
Anthony Evans hauls it in for the touchdown!
Georgia leads by 60 in the 4th quarter. pic.twitter.com/SQWHxAaI9k
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 31, 2023
Throughout multiple national title runs, the Bulldogs have survived a yearly exodus of players to the NFL. Entering 2023, there were questions about quarterback, a change at the coordinator position and a long list of new defensive players.
With quarterback Carson Beck and a cast of contributors, the 2023 senior class became the winningest in program history. Beck will return at quarterback with familiar targets Dominic Lovett, Rara Thomas and the explosive Anthony Evans III.
The transfer portal haul also saw the addition of Miami’s most explosive target in Colbie Young. The offensive line will lose key contributors, but several reserves logged more than 100 snaps at center, left guard and right tackle.
Georgia's schedule is a gauntlet that features Clemson, Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss. There will be extra time to prepare for the Tigers and Crimson Tide, while the Longhorns will be rolling off the Red River Shootout.
Before the release of our updated TARP numbers this February, Georgia has a projected win total of 10.3. The Bulldogs' depth and talent should help give Georgia a floor of being a first-round host and a ceiling of earning a quarterfinal bye.
Price is always important, as a three-game playoff parlay at -120 odds projects Georgia to have a future number of 5-1. A few shops have opened at 5-1, making the Bulldogs our first wager of the 2024-25 season.
Pick: Georgia to Win 2025 National Title +500
