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.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Liberty

Preview segment: The Liberty Flames

Last season: Look. A 8-win season is nothing to sneeze at if you're a Group of Five school. But for the 2024 Liberty Flames, it had to be a little disappointing... especially when you had a loaded team in Lynchburg and you end up losing to newcomers like Kennesaw State and Sam Houston. Now in 2025, Liberty is looking to reclaim their fire.

Good news: The back-side of the defense looks great, and the O-line just needs one more big body to make it dangerous. The wide-receiver room looks LOADED for the Flames.

Bad news: QB Kaidon Slater and RB Quinton Cooley has left the building, folks. So expect the Liberty offense to look different than it did a year ago. The D-line is being almost completely rebuild.

Key games:
9/6 @ Jacksonville State (OOOO! Here's a good early game in Conference USA, as Liberty visits a team that took them out last year and then went on to win the league. Liberty's new offense needs to be ready here.)
9/20 vs. James Madison (This is the first time that these two in-state rivals will face each other at the FBS level.)
11/1 vs. Delaware (Speaking of rivals, I'll bet these two schools will be fighting for recruiting and bragging rights in the DMV area.)
11/29 vs. Kennesaw State (Well, time for Liberty to get revenge on the Owls for last year's upset loss.)

Bottom line: With the loss of Kaidon Slate and other playmakers, I was gonna fade Liberty for 2025. But their schedule is ONCE AGAIN softer than tissue paper, and their defense looks OK. If Liberty gets better in the passing game, there's no way that they'll miss the C-USA title game again. So pencil them in as your C-USA favorite.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

UTEP

Preview segment: The Texas El-Paso Miners

Last season: Another rough 3-9 season. At least they got better as the season wore on.

Good news: Across the board, UTEP looked stronger and bigger during spring ball. There are some good options at quarterback (more on that later), and linebacker should be the strength of the defense.

Bad news: Although the team looks stronger, depth could be a worry on both sides of the ball. The O-line really needs to be better, which will be hard with Brennan Smith leaving for Mississippi State.

2025 X-factor: QB Malachi Nelson (Whoa. So Malachi, a former 5-star QB coming out of high school, has gone from USC to Boise State and now to El Paso? Malachi is easily the highest-ranked recruit UTEP has ever gotten, so logic says he should be the starter. Right?
Well, he's still in a battle with last year's starter Skyler Locklear at this moment. How will UTEP deal with this? And what will happen to Malachi if he loses the battle? We'll have to wait and see.)

Key games:
8/30 @ Utah State (A winnable season opener for the Miners. And here, we SHOULD know how UTEP's QB battle will end.)
9/27 vs. Louisiana Tech (UTEP almost beat La-Tech last year.)
10/28 @ Kennesaw State (These two teams put on a show last year, as UTEP won a 43-35 double-OT slugfest.)
11/22 vs. New Mexico State (Can UTEP keep the "Silver Spade" away from the rival Aggies?)

Bottom line: Oh! There's one more thing I need to mention; this will be UTEP's last season as a member of Conference USA, as they'll go to the Mountain West in 2026. So improvement on their 3-9 record is a must for the Miners in 2025. But it all depends on the offense; which QB will UTEP trust to lead? And can the O-line protect whoever is under center?

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Western Kentucky

Preview segment: The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Last season: Another fine season for the Hilltoppers, as they got 8 wins and a berth in the C-USA championship game. Now it's just a simple matter of them trying to do it again.

Bad news: Western Kentucky got gutted by graduation and the portal, as only 4 total starters are back. And Upton Stout is not one of them (he's now in the NFL). The run defense has to get a LOT better.

Good news: New offensive coordinator Rick Bowie brought along his old QB (Maverick McIvor)! With that level of familiarity and a WR group that always seems to be one of the best in the Group of 5, the WKU offense should be damn good. The overall transfer haul WKU got looks damn good as well.

Key games:
8/23 vs. Sam Houston (Wait. Here's a game from Week Zero to look at! The Hilltoppers and the Bearkats will meet to get an early edge in the C-USA race.)
9/6 vs. Toledo (A good-looking game between two of the Group of 5's best.)
10/21 @ Louisiana Tech (WKU will look to avenge a 12-7 loss to La-Tech from last year.)
11/29 @ Jacksonville State (The last time these two teams met, it was in the C-USA title game... where the Hilltoppers lost by 40 points.)

Bottom line: The portal took away a LOT from Western Kentucky this offseason. Then again, head coach Tyson Helton has played the transfer game before. Plus, WKU has won 8 or more games each of the last 4 years, so they've earned the benefit of the doubt. If the new offense clicks, the Hilltoppers should be able to challenge Liberty this December for the C-USA title.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Jacksonville State

Preview segment: The Jacksonville State Gamecocks

Last season: Despite starting the season 0-3, Jacksonville State still went on to have a fun year in 2024. They stunned Liberty, got 9 wins, and became the new Conference USA champions. All while their offense ranked in the Top 20 in the whole FBS. Fun stuff!

2025 X-factor: New head coach Charles Kelly (Rich Rodriguez is no longer the coach in Jacksonville, as he left to reunite with his old buddies at West Virginia. And taking his spot is a 1st-time coach in Charles Kelly. But Charles does have a solid staff underneath him, so let's see how it goes.)

Good news: Also there to help the team is a strong defensive line and some good options at QB (Gavin Wimsatt is my favorite to be the starter). The kicking game looks solid, too.

Bad news: Great. Here's another team that got gutted by the portal, as only 5 starters from last year are back. The O-line and the secondary is almost all-new, and both groups have to jell together quick.

Key games:
9/6 vs. Liberty (After starting the season at UCF, the Gamecocks host a Liberty team that's hungry for revenge. Told you that the team has to be ready quickly.)
10/9 @ Sam Houston (Jacksonville State took the Bearkats out of the C-USA title picture last year, beating them 21-11.)
10/29 @ Middle Tennessee (The Gamecocks could get tripped up here if they're not careful.)
11/29 vs. Western Kentucky (If all goes well, this may be an elimination game in the C-USA title race.)

Bottom line: A first-time head coach, a new coaching staff, and only 5 starters coming back. And stars like Tyler Huff are no longer here. But they did find some good replacements in the portal, so don't count out Jacksonville State in the conference race.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Florida International

Preview segment: The Florida International Golden Panthers

Last season: Another 4-8 record that sadly marked the end of Mike MacIntyre's tenure in Miami. Now in comes former Florida A&M coach Willie Simmons, hoping that he can revive another Florida program.

Good news: Yay! QB Keyone Jenkins has returned to FIU after flirting with the portal, and he'll have a good running game to help him out. Linebacker looks to be the best place on the FIU defense.

Bad news: The D-line needs a LOT of work, and FIU lost their top WR's from last year to Georgia Tech.

Key games:
8/29 vs. Bethune-Cookman (When FIU lost to FCS team Monmouth last year, Mike MacIntyre knew he was done as the coach.)
9/13 vs. Florida Atlantic (With Keyone staying at FIU, maybe the Panthers will have better luck against their in-state rivals.)
9/20 vs. Delaware (FIU's conference opener is a winnable one.)
10/21 vs. Kennesaw State (Here's another winnable C-USA game for the Panthers.)

Bottom line: Willie has his work cut out for him in Year 1 at Miami, as a rebuilding defense and a hard November slate (Liberty, Jacksonville State, and Sam Houston) should keep FIU out of the postseason. Still, I wish Willie the best of luck.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Louisiana Tech

Preview segment: The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

Last season: La-Tech made a bowl game last year! But since they were 5-7 after November, they only got the bowl berth due to their academic records... and only because Marshall was unable to meet Army in the Independence Bowl. But hey! At least that counts as forward progress for the Bulldogs.
And their defense was actually top-notch (12th overall in the FBS)!

Bad news: But sadly, most of that defense (and their defensive coordinator) is gone. And the D-line La-Tech has now is unproven. The O-line was rubbish last year, and the special teams didn't look good in the spring.

Good news: La-Tech does have some talent left in the secondary and at linebacker. QB Evan Bullock looked pretty good last year, and his offense could soar if the running game gets going.

Key games:
9/13 vs. New Mexico State (After two early dabbles in the state of Louisiana [against SE-Louisiana and LSU]. La-Tech will start C-USA play against the Aggies. New Mexico State edged out the Bulldogs last year in double-OT.)
10/21 vs. Western Kentucky (The only time La-Tech won a game outside of Ruston last year was against the Hilltoppers, beating them 12-7.)
11/8 @ Delaware (The bad news is, La-Tech has 3 of their final 4 games on the road. The good news is, this one looks winnable.)
11/15 @ Washington State (So La-Tech has to go to Pullman, Washington in the middle of November to face the Cougars for the 1st time ever. Just looks weird to me.)

Bottom line: Coach Sonny Cumble has gone 11-26 in 3 years at Louisiana Tech, so the pressure is on for him to get La-Tech truly rolling. If Evan Bullock looks better than he did last year (and if the O-line gives him a chance to throw), maybe the Bulldogs can make a bowl in 2025... and do it right this time.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Sam Houston

Preview segment: The Sam Houston Bearkats

Last season: Much like Jacksonville State, Sam Houston had a blast in only their 2nd year in the FBS. They would ride a tough defense to a 10-win season and a New Orleans Bowl trophy, and only the Gamecocks kept them from the C-USA title game. However, longtime coach K.C. Keeler left after the season to go coach Temple. Now the Bearkats are hoping to stay up with a new staff.

Bad news: It wasn't just Keeler who left in the offseason; their entire defense did as well. That's right, Sam Houston's defense has a new coordinator and NO returning starters. That is SO not good.

Good news: At least the offense should be better than it was last year; new coach Phil Lango has an air-raid offense that should help get the numbers up.

2025 X-factor: Quarterback (Don't get me wrong, Hunter Watson is a fine QB. It's just that Phil Lango's offense isn't for everyone, plus he found another QB [Mabrey Mettauer] in the portal. How this position plays out will be key for the Bearkats in 2025.)

Key games:
8/23 @ Western Kentucky (As I said earlier in the week, this will be a big early game for both WKU and SHU to get a early leg up in C-USA.)
9/20 @ Texas (This is only the 2nd time that the Bearkats will face the mighty Longhorns, and the first time in the FBS.)
10/9 vs. Jacksonville State (Oh! I almost forget to tell you; Sam Houston will be playing their home games at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston while Bowers Stadium is being renovated. Will that have any impact on the Bearkats' big rematch with Jacksonville State?)
11/22 @ Middle Tennessee (A trap game for the Bearkats, perhaps?)

Bottom line: Predictions for this Sam Houston team are all over the place; Lindy's has them in 2nd place in Conference USA, while Athlon Sports has them in 7th. It'll all really depend on if the new coach can save the Bearkat defense and get his new offense moving.
Me, I'll shoot for the middle ground and just hope that Sam Houston can find another bowl game.