The college football season is around the corner and there’s a lot of hype around teams that could end up crashing the College Football Playoff. Last year it was SMU and Boise State that crashed the CFP. Who’s on the radar to crash it this year? The good thing about the College Football Playoff is that the more teams that can get it, the more parity is at stake.
Though neither Boise State nor SMU ended up winning a game, it was fun to have different teams represented. In his first year at Indiana, Curt Cignetti led the Hoosiers to the CFP as well. Here are the dark horses in every conference that could crash the CFP party in December.
American Athletic Conference: Memphis Tigers
The Memphis Tigers were 11-2 last year and suffered losses to Navy and UTSA, killing their College Football Playoff hopes. They were supposed to be the Group of 5 team to crash the party last year. This year, they make up for that. They lost A LOT from last year’s team, including Seth Henigan. That said, Ryan Silverfield just got an extension to stay in Memphis and he’s done well recruiting.
The Tigers are my guess to crash the party next year, though it won’t be easy. The AAC has proven to be a conference where any team could win it. The Tigers should be the biggest threat in the conference.
Atlantic Coast Conference: Louisville Cardinals
Miller Moss was a massive addition for the Louisville Cardinals, who lost Tyler Shough to the NFL Draft. With Moss, the Cardinals should be a team to watch in the ACC. Clemson is probably the favorite to win it all. Carson Beck is in Miami, making them a threat on paper and Georgia Tech probably has an outside chance too. I don’t think it’s a long shot to pick Louisville and if there is a team that could stir the pot, it’s the Cardinals.
Big 12 Conference: Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech could easily be the top team in the Big 12. They could also fall off just like Utah and Oklahoma State did and became major what ifs. The Red Raiders return a good crop of their team and like the AAC, this conference is wide open. Arizona State is probably the favorites to repeat as conference champions. I wouldn’t be surprised if Texas Tech dethrones them.
Big Ten Conference: Illinois Fighting Illini
Luke Altmeyer is going to take Illinois to the top this season. OK, maybe not the top of the conference per se, but they could have a season like Indiana where they become a force in the conference, catch fire at the right time and be one of the top teams. If they’re lucky, like Indiana, they can avoid playing in the conference title game and get one of the at-large spots.
Conference USA: Liberty Flames
Liberty has consistently been one of the top teams in the conference. Though they’ve typically relied on quarterback play, with a new face in the quarterback room, this year will be different from past years. Kaidon Salter, now at Colorado, gave them their best shot, but in a conference like C-USA, they should still be the top contenders.
Mid-American Conference: Ohio Bobcats
The Ohio Bobcats have a new coach, but that won’t keep them from defending their MAC title. The Bobcats return a solid core from last year and should be the best team in the conference again. Eddie George should take Bowling Green to new heights, but it won’t be in 2025. This isn’t a dark horse in the sense of a team that’s forgotten about, but in the sense that they’re a MAC team that would need a whole lot of help to get in.
Ohio opens the season against Rutgers, West Virginia and Ohio Sate in that order. If the Bobcats can manage to go to Columbus 2-0 or even 1-1, if they defend their conference title, they could be a long shot to reach the CFP as a G5 team; not likely but not all hope is lost.
Mountain West Conference: UNLV Rebels
The Mountain West belongs to Boise State, but Dan Mullin is on the hunt for a conference title. The Rebels had some roster turnover as well as a new coaching staff, but they should be a team that fights for one of the at-large spots. Boise State was able to do it last year, so the conference has the respect to maybe get another one this year.
SEC: South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina was precisely two losses away from playing in the conference championship game or even getting one of the at-large spots without needing the conference championship game appearance. Shane Beamer has the Gamecocks rolling and with LaNorris Sellers back, should be one of the top teams in the conference.
They’re a dark horse simply because this conference is very top heavy. With Florida, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, LSU and even Texas A&M as better teams, the Gamecocks’ road to the CFP won’t be easy. But it’s not out of the question that they find their way into the CFP.
Sun Belt Conference: James Madison Dukes
James Madison is a team that could very well be a G5 team that crashes the party. The Dukes didn’t skip a beat after Cignetti left for Indiana, taking some of the players with him as well. Though they didn’t play in the conference title game after falling off in conference play, they are a dangerous team that just might stir up the CFP field.