Three Overhyped College Football Teams Entering 2025
Dec 28, 2024; San Antonio, TX, USA – Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders reacts to an official’s call during the second quarter against the Brigham Young Cougars at the Alamodome.
Dec 28, 2024; San Antonio, TX, USA – Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders reacts to an official’s call during the second quarter against the Brigham Young Cougars at the Alamodome.
As college basketball reaches its peak and Major League Baseball embarks on its long journey toward October, college football remains active behind the scenes in preparation for the new season.
The final days of February and early March mark the beginning of spring training camps nationwide. By late April, rosters will be set for the 2025 season.
With each offseason comes heightened expectations and months of speculation. While some teams live up to the hype, others inevitably fall short.
Here are three teams in danger of not meeting expectations in 2025.
Colorado
Since Deion Sanders took over as head coach in December 2022, no team has been more hyped relative to its actual results than Colorado—including its respectable 2024 campaign.
Though the Buffaloes finished above .500 and made their first bowl appearance since 2020—their first in a full season since 2016—their overall performance was fairly average. They barely edged out FCS powerhouse North Dakota State in Week 1 and recorded notable wins over Baylor and Texas Tech. However, they avoided facing Big 12 title contenders Arizona State and Iowa State and suffered a blowout loss to BYU in the Alamo Bowl.
With Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter departing, Colorado faces major roster gaps on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders is also heading to the NFL, forcing his father, Coach Sanders, to navigate the season with a new signal-caller for the first time since Jackson State’s 4-3 spring 2021 COVID season.
Unless Colorado quickly brings in key transfers, a grueling opening stretch featuring BYU, TCU, Iowa State, and Utah could push the Buffaloes toward the bottom half of the Big 12 standings.
Indiana
Nov 9, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA – Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti reacts during a game against the Michigan Wolverines at Memorial Stadium. Bloomington, Indiana, USA – Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti reacts during a game against the Michigan Wolverines at Memorial Stadium.
Curt Cignetti’s first season at Indiana was a breakthrough, as the Hoosiers won 11 games for the first time in program history and secured a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.
However, Indiana stumbled in two of its final three games, both against the only ranked opponents it faced all year. The 38-15 and 27-17 losses to Ohio State and Notre Dame were more lopsided than the scorelines suggested.
Meanwhile, only one of Indiana’s 11 victories—a narrow 20-15 win over 7-5 Michigan—came against a team that finished the season with a winning record.
Transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza arrives from Cal after throwing for 3,004 yards with 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He should fit well in Indiana’s high-powered offense. However, the talent gap exposed in IU’s late-season losses could make the Hoosiers an afterthought in the Big Ten. The team faces a much tougher schedule in 2025, with early matchups against Illinois, Iowa, and Oregon following an easy non-conference slate (Indiana State, Kennesaw State, and Old Dominion).
Southern California
Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA – USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley looks on during the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA – USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley looks on during the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium.
Few things are as predictable as USC entering a season with immense hype due to strong recruiting and transfer classes, only to underperform before October.
The Trojans’ 7-6 record in 2025 doesn’t tell the full story. They lost road games to Michigan, Minnesota, Maryland, and Washington, along with an overtime home defeat against Penn State—all by a combined 20 points. That, combined with an injury-riddled team managing to defeat Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl, may reignite belief in USC’s potential.
However, a wave of transfers leaving the program—especially on the defensive line, which was already a weak spot—raises concerns. The Trojans also lost promising running back Quinten Joyner and dynamic receivers Zachariah Branch, Kyron Hudson, and Duce Robinson, making their offensive outlook uncertain.
USC has a relatively easy start to 2025, facing FBS newcomer Missouri State, hosting Georgia Southern (coached by former Trojans head coach Clay Helton), and visiting last year’s Big Ten bottom-dweller Illinois. The Trojans must take advantage of this stretch to solidify their identity. Otherwise, a brutal three-game run featuring Illinois, Michigan, and Notre Dame could lead to yet another disappointing season—a trend USC has struggled to shake for over a decade.