How quaint... 136 teams to preview (2025 CFB preview thread)

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

So here we are. Another college football season is on the horizon, and some people want Arch Manning to succeed at Texas. Others want Arch Manning to fail so that Alabama can take back the national title, or Ohio State, or Georgia, or Penn State, or (god forbid) someone else.

And we're still getting new teams showing up, like Delaware and Missouri State. And Sacramento State is slated to join us in 2026.

It's only getting crazier, so stay tuned to this thread as my CFB previews begin! Preview calendar coming soon...

 

[Xeliou66]

I can’t wait for football, look forward to reading your previews. I have looked at the schedule, and I’ll get my Phil Steele preview magazine and other preview magazines soon, and start studying for the CFB season. I really look forward to it - the opening week of the 2025 college football season looks like the best opening week in history.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

2025 preview calendar

Now with most things, this calendar is subject to change. But as it stands, here are the order which I'll be doing my previews in 2025:

Group of Five conferences (on this thread):
This week: Conference USA (So the two new teams in the FBS are setting up shop here. Can they do what Jacksonville State did and make an immediate impact?)
Week of June 9th: UConn and the MAC (Is there ANY hope for Kent State after their disastrous 2024 campaign?)
Week of June 16th: Mountain West (So, the Mountain West will soon be crippled so that the PAC-12 can come back from the dead...)
Week of June 23rd: American (Army shocked the country last year by winning the AAC. And it looks like Navy could do the same thing this year!)
Week of June 30th: Sun Belt (In terms of realignment, the Sun Belt is status-quo. But App. State is down, and the conference champ [Marshall] is crippled, so NOBODY knows who'll win it in 2025.)

Power 4 conferences (on separate threads):
ACC (Can Clemson truly reenter the nation's elite? Can Miami FINALLY win their first conference crown since 2003? How far will Syracuse fall from last year's magical run?)
SEC (Everyone will talk about Arch Manning, but teams like Alabama and Georgia and LSU want their positive press back.)
Big 12 (Will the chaos in the league slow down now that Colorado lost Shadeur and Travis? Hell no!)
Big 10 (By the time I get to the Big 10, hopefully I'll have the courage to back Penn State for the national title.)

Which conference race are you most excited for? Let me know...

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Delaware

The first preview segment for the 2025 season: The Delaware Blue Hens

History: So why is Delaware going first this year? Well, honestly I have a bit of a connection with Delaware football. Back in the olden days of playing "NCAA Football 04" and "NCAA Football 09", I sometimes pick Delaware as a team in Dynasty Mode, to bring them to FBS glory from the ground up. And in terms of credentials, the Blue Hens have a history of making the playoffs (even winning a national title in 2003) and making star players (just ask Joe Flacco).
So when looking at teams that made the leap from FCS to FBS, Delaware is ahead of the curve of most of the teams that did it.

Good news: The Hens have a good sprinkling of experience and youth across the roster, and you can see that in the offense with the QB spot in good hands. 7 starters return from a pretty-good defense from last year.

Bad news: Delaware's top 3 receivers from last year are gone, and so is their top RB Marvin Yarns (who's now with New Orleans).

Key games:
8/28 vs. Delaware State (So Delaware's 1st game as an FBS member is against their old FCS rivals? Weird.)
9/6 @ Colorado (Okay, THIS is more like it. Let's see how Delaware likes dealing with Deion Sanders and the Colorado circus.)
9/20 @ Florida International (The Hens' first conference game in their new league.)
11/29 vs. UTEP (And this will be Delaware's first "Senior Day" at the FBS level.)

Bottom line: Projections for Delaware are all over the place; Athlon Sports has the Hens finishing in the middle of Conference USA, while Lindy's has them near the bottom. And it won't be easy for the Hens; they play all of the C-USA heavyweights this year. Nonetheless, I wish Delaware the best of luck as they start life at the FBS level.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

New Mexico State

Preview segment: The New Mexico State Aggies

Last season: Too bad. After the tremendous 2023 season, New Mexico State couldn't handle the pressure in 2024. And they finished 3-9 while their numbers tanked across the board.

Good news: NMSU keeps their leading tackler from last year, and watch for Dakerric Hobbs in the secondary. Coach Tony Sanchez is high on his new QB Logan Fife (from Montana), and the top two receivers from last year are back.

Bad news: The O-line is almost all-new, while the kicking game is completely all-new. Forcing more turnovers is also a must for the Aggies.

Key games:
9/13 @ Louisiana Tech (In this C-USA opener, the Aggies will host a team they defeated last year in double-OT.)
9/27 @ New Mexico (With Bronco Mendenhall no longer at New Mexico, the Aggies should be able to get revenge on the Lobos this year.)
11/8 vs. Kennesaw State (NMSU gets to face Kennesaw State for the first time ever this year.)
11/22 @ UTEP (New Mexico State coughed up a 17-point lead in their loss to UTEP last year.)

Bottom line: OK, so maybe the road schedule will be a little tough for NMSU this year. But if Logan Fife delivers on his promise of a smoother offense, the Aggies should be an improved team in 2025. A bowl game? Eh, let's wait on that goal.