Alabama and LSU face mounting expectations after both programs finished 9-4 in 2024.
For Alabama, it marked the first four-loss season since Nick Saban’s initial 2007 campaign. LSU has now lost four or more games in five of their past eight seasons.
This puts immediate pressure on new Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer and LSU’s Brian Kelly heading into 2025. Both programs show up as major wildcards in preseason rankings across major media outlets.
A review of 11 prominent college football publications’ early rankings for 2025 reveals significant disagreement about several traditional powers. The analysis included rankings from 247Sports, Action Network, Athlon, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Yahoo Sports and On3.com.
Five programs showed ranking variances of 17 spots or more between publications, indicating widespread uncertainty about their 2025 prospects.
College football boom-or-bust teams for 2025
Alabama Crimson Tide
Composite rank: No. 9
Rankings range from No. 3 (USA Today) to No. 23 (Action Network)
DeBoer faces immediate championship expectations in his second year. Quarterback Ty Simpson takes over an offense featuring receivers Ryan Williams, Gemie Bernard and Miami transfer Isaiah Horton (616 yards, 5 TDs in 2024).
The defense, which allowed 17.4 points per game last season, returns key playmaker Tim Keenan.
A brutal early schedule includes Florida State, Wisconsin and Georgia before October.
Miami Hurricanes
Composite rank: No. 11
Rankings range from No. 3 (CBS Sports) to No. 23 (ESPN)
Mario Cristobal’s team won 10 games in 2024 but lost three of their final four contests. Georgia transfer quarterback Carson Beck headlines an active portal class.
Early tests against Notre Dame and Florida will quickly reveal Miami’s ceiling.
LSU Tigers
Composite rank: No. 8
Rankings range from No. 4 (The Athletic) to No. 22 (Yahoo Sports)
Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier returns to lead an offense bolstered by the top-ranked transfer portal class according to 247Sports. Linebacker Whit Weeks anchors a defense that allowed 24.3 points per game.
LSU opens at Clemson, looking to snap a five-game season-opener losing streak.
Illinois Fighting Illini
Composite rank: No. 14
Rankings range from No. 7 (On3.com) to No. 24 (247Sports)
Bret Bielema returns key pieces from a 10-win team, including quarterback Luke Altmyer and running backs Josh McCray and Aidan Loughery. Defenders Gabe Jacas and Matthew Bailey lead the defense.
Home games against USC and Ohio State highlight the schedule. The Illini went 6-1 at Memorial Stadium in 2024.
BYU Cougars
Composite rank: No. 16
Rankings range from No. 9 (ESPN) to unranked (247Sports)
The Cougars return quarterback Jake Retzlaff and running back LJ Martin from an offense that averaged 31.2 points. Linebackers Isaiah Glasker and Harrison Taggart anchor the defense.
BYU faces Portland State, Stanford and East Carolina in non-conference play after winning 11 games in 2024.
