Storied College Football Programs That Will Struggle in 2025
Struggling in college football is relative.
For some teams, it means not making bowl games and firing their coach. For other, more storied traditional programs, it can mean losing more games than expected.
Case in point: Alabama's 9-4 campaign in 2024 would have been a superb season for 80 percent of the teams in college football, but for the Crimson Tide and first-year coach Kalen DeBoer, it was a colossal disappointment, snapping a 16-year streak of double-digit wins.
Welcome to Expectationville, population one fewer coach if you don't meet them.
That's what makes Florida State's '24 spiral from an undefeated regular season to one ACC win so unfathomable. Talk about falling off the face of the college football planet.
Now, both of those programs will try to dig their way out of the hole they created this year. Others will do the same. What's wild is there are a whole lot of rivals on this list, too.
Of course, the transfer portal is a great equalizer, so things could change very quickly for any of these teams, but until they do, we think they could have issues again.
Here are a few teams who we don't expect to live up to their fans' expectations next season.
Alabama Crimson Tide
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Let's get this out of the way up front: The Crimson Tide could win nine or even 10 games, and it would be considered "struggling" for them. We expect they will be around that mark again next year, and there's nothing wrong with that.
But making it to the College Football Playoff is the expectation every season in Title Town, thanks to the dynasty former coach Nick Saban built.
There's nothing wrong with what first-year coach Kalen DeBoer did in Tuscaloosa this year, finishing 9-4 despite a shocking setback in the ReliaQuest Bowl to a depleted Michigan team to close the season and refresh the bitterness of losing to mediocre Vanderbilt and Oklahoma, as well as rival Tennessee.
Some would say quarterback Jalen Milroe's departure to the NFL is a crimson blessing in disguise considering he was never suited to run DeBoer's offense, and that may be accurate. But if Ty Simpson or Austin Mack were, wouldn't they have played?
Elite incoming freshman Keelon Russell certainly looks the part, but relying on a first-year starter under center is a tall order. The Tide, again, are dealing with a lot of defections to the NFL and the transfer portal.
DeBoer is tasked with putting a bunch of pieces together, but inexperience at some important positions will make getting to the playoffs tough. If the Tide don't, that's considered a "struggle" here.
Auburn Tigers
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It's win-now mode for Hugh Freeze, and the aggressiveness Auburn has shown so far this offseason in the transfer portal proves the Tigers' desperation.
The thought here is that, thanks to pickups like former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold and Georgia Tech receiver Eric Singleton, as well as the offensive tackle duo of Mason Murphy (USC) and Xavier Chaplin (Virginia Tech), things will improve tremendously on the Plains.
But how much? Well, if you believe On3 Sports, a whole heckuva lot.
Yeah, not buying it. The Tigers are going to improve to probably seven or eight wins, which will (easily) be the best of the Freeze era. But that's still considered a struggle by Auburn's standards.
The prediction here is we'll see Auburn take a very nice step forward in 2025, and the Arnold era will ramp up a notch in two years as the Tigers get back to winning at the clip they're used to. The way Freeze has recruited, that talent has to shine through eventually.
Next year is just one season early.
Florida State Seminoles
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If anybody tells you they predicted the Florida State Seminoles going 2-10 and winning just a single game in the ACC in 2024, you need to take that person to Vegas immediately.
What started out as a disappointment turned into the type of season that caused assistant coaches to get fired and head coach Mike Norvell to have to address the future of his program.
Now, in '25, things should improve with Gus Malzahn leaving his head coaching duties at UCF to become the Seminoles offensive coordinator and some key portal additions arriving, but how much?
This is a program that went undefeated in the regular season just a year ago, but Norvell—who has been a transfer portal master prior to this past year—proved that without chemistry and with a perfect storm of injuries, that method can backfire.
Getting dual-threat signal-caller Thomas Castellanos to take over under center could be a big boost with Malzahn's past of molding mobile quarterbacks, but he's not a slam-dunk, exactly like DJ Uiagalelei a season ago.
Can this team really get back to eight or nine wins? That seems like a stretch with all the holes.
Miami Hurricanes
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It's become cliche and already has been mentioned in this slideshow, but the transfer portal certainly can right a lot of wrongs.
Two years ago, coach Mario Cristobal's Miami Hurricanes sputtered to a 7-6 season in his second year in Coral Gables, but they struck portal gold with one-year wonder Cam Ward, who used his brilliant final year to make a run at the Heisman Trophy and play his way into a likely top-five NFL draft pick.
But now Ward's gone, and from what we all saw in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, Emory Williams has a long way to go to be the answer in '25.
The Hurricanes were close to making the College Football Playoff this year, so expectations are now extremely high that they're "back" to being The U. But fixing the quarterback position is a must.
Inside The U's David Lake recently mentioned names like former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (who has declared for the NFL draft) and Texas signal-caller Quinn Ewers (who will either head to the NFL, the portal or stay another year in Austin) as options. The 'Canes were also involved with former Washington State quarterback John Mateer, who went to Oklahoma.
With the right QB1, Miami could fall off this list. But that's a massive question right now.
Oklahoma Sooners
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There's no question about it: Brent Venables is firmly on the hot seat.
The Oklahoma Sooners aren't going to accept mediocrity for long. While there were glimmers at times in 2024 such as a late-season upset win over Alabama, losing the Armed Forces Bowl to Navy dropped them to a losing record.
That won't cut it.
Venables had a difficult time replacing offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, who left to become Mississippi State's head coach, and that side of the ball failed them in the Sooners' first foray into the SEC. He fired Seth Littrell during the season and recently replaced him with Ben Arbuckle.
The best news for OU is that Arbuckle wound up being a two-for-one deal as the former Washington State coordinator was able to help the Sooners land coveted dual-threat quarterback John Mateer, who left the Cougars, too.
Now, Mateer will try to be in Norman what Jackson Arnold wasn't. Of course, it didn't help Arnold that Venables had such a short leash with him, which is why he's off to Auburn.
If the Mateer-Arbuckle experiment works out, OU could have a much-improved '25, but the competition is a major uptick from what both faced as Cougars. And the Sooners need massive improvements on both sides of the ball to approach double-digit wins.
Those are the expectations at the storied program, though. It may be a struggle to get there.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
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Calling Oklahoma State a "storied" college football program is a little bit of a stretch, but the Cowboys have won a national championship to go along with 11 league titles.
This past season, they were expected to be a major player in the newly revamped Big 12 with veteran quarterback Alan Bowman and All-American running back Ollie Gordon II leading the way.
Boy, did that ever crash and burn.
The Cowboys somehow went winless in the league and finished 3-9 for the season. The major culprit was a run defense that finished next-to-last in the nation, low-lighting a defense that allowed more than 500 yards per game.
Getting uber-athletic quarterback transfer Hauss Hejny from TCU will help as he followed new Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Doug Meacham from Fort Worth. He will compete with redshirt junior Garret Rangel, redshirt sophomore Zane Flores and redshirt freshman Maealiuaki Smith for the starting job.
Coach Mike Gundy restructured his contract to stay at his alma mater, getting a reduction of $1 million, so all isn't rosy in Stillwater. But the Cowboys are trying to overhaul the roster, bringing in 19 portal players (so far).
Will that be enough to turn the tide, or will OSU have to saddle up for another struggle of a season? Guess we'll see.
UCLA Bruins
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There were times during UCLA's 5-7 (3-6) season, its first in the Big Ten, that the Bruins looked like they weren't too far away from being competitive.
First-year coach DeShaun Foster showed some flashes of doing some positive things in rebuilding the program after Chip Kelly left to become Ohio State's offensive coordinator. There was some defensive prowess, and while the offense sputtered, they did run the ball well at times.
Now, the Bruins are rebuilding their roster through the transfer portal with 18 commitments already. Former Appalachian State quarterback Joey Aguilar looks like the odds-on favorite to lead the Bruins next year, and receiver Mikey Matthews is a big piece of the puzzle, too.
Most of the additions, however, are on the defensive side, and while the commitments don't feature some of the top players (all are 3-star transfers according to 247Sports), there are a lot of dudes who've played a lot of football.
Foster has a long way to go to build back the once-proud program, and '25 may be another losing campaign. But at least it looks like the Bruins may have made the right call at coach by hiring their former star running back.
USC Trojans
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The Lincoln Riley era at USC has been interesting, to say the least, and it hasn't gone nearly as well as many predicted.
Now, the Trojans are prepared to enter their second season in the Big Ten with a lot of holes to fill, and they continue to be depleted by the transfer portal as a pair of starting offensive linemen are gone, as well as electrifying playmaker Zachariah Branch.
This looks like Jayden Maiava's team for the future, but the Trojans haven't been able to surround him with difference-making offensive players yet, which is perhaps the biggest shocker of the Riley era.
USC's win over Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl provides a catalyst for the offseason, and there is reason for excitement and hope. But the Trojans have a long way to go to compete for the top of a rugged, deep conference like the Big Ten.
One good thing is defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn's unit improved throughout the season and showed some swagger in the comeback win over the Aggies. But just how deep will the roster inefficiencies go next year?
This team is dealing with 21 departures, and there are some high-quality players gone. The Trojans thus far only have five commitments, though they are trying to be aggressive in adding guys.
Riley is on hot-seat watch, so a major turnaround in '25 is necessary. It looks like an uphill battle.
Utah Utes
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There's no question Utah's first season in the Big 12 in 2024 was a forgettable one.
The Utes were supposed to compete for the top of the league and instead tumbled to a 5-7 record, winning just two league games and dealing with injuries once again to quarterback Cameron Rising, who simply couldn't stay healthy during his career.
Now, the Rising era is over in Salt Lake City, and turning the page may be the best thing for all parties. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has restocked the offensive shelves from the transfer portal, and those additions could pay big dividends.
Some of the most exciting possibilities are former New Mexico quarterback Devon Dampier, who signed and will compete for the starting job, 4-star former Washington State running back Wayshawn Parker and former SEC players in athlete Nate Johnson (Vanderbilt) and receiver Creed Whittemore (Mississippi State).
Those guys could inject a jolt of energy into a program needing it, and you've always got to expect Whittingham will have a solid defense.
Even though this may not be what you'd call a "storied" program, ever since the days of Urban Meyer and into the Whittingham era, the Utes have become used to winning a lot of games.
Next year will be a step, but it'll still be a struggle to get back to competing for championships.
Washington Huskies
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If you don't love the potential of diminutive-but-dynamic quarterback Demond Williams Jr., you haven't been watching just how exceptional his ability is.
But, for coach Jedd Fisch, he has a long way to go to rebuild the Washington Huskies to the program it was before Kalen DeBoer left for Alabama.
When he bolted, so did a ton of players off the national runners-up from 2023, and when the Huskies transitioned to the Big Ten, things got more difficult. Williams could become one of college football's most electrifying dual-threat signal-callers, but he needs help.
The biggest receiver weapon (Giles Jackson) is off to the NFL, so the Huskies need some help with playmakers. Fisch rebuilt Arizona quickly, so you have to think he will have answers, but where will they come from?
Getting potentially elite pass-catcher Johntay Cook II from Texas is a nice start and a strong weapon around which to rebound the passing attack.
But this is going to take time.
Washington has a long, rich history of success. DeBoer quickly brought the Huskies back to prominence, only for their loyal fans to see them tumble again. Even so, despite replacing quarterback Will Rogers with Williams this year, they made it back to a bowl, losing to fall to a 6-7 record.
Wisconsin Badgers
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When Luke Fickell left what he'd built as the Group of Five crown jewel in Cincinnati for Wisconsin, everybody thought that he'd bring the Badgers back to the national prominence they were so used to.
It hasn't been an overnight thing.
Now, the Badgers are trying to replenish the offense yet again, as Tyler Van Dyke's early season-ending injury a year ago ended his opportunity to help with the rebuild, and now, he's back in the portal.
Fickell will oversee a battle between a pair of transfer quarterbacks in Billy Edwards Jr. (Maryland) and Danny O'Neil (San Diego State) for the starting job under center next year. Edwards threw for 2,881 yards and 15 touchdowns with the Terrapins, and O'Neil threw for 2,181 yards and 12 scores as a true freshman with the Aztecs.
Those are a couple of exciting options, but more work remains. Leading rusher Tawee Walker entered the portal and looks like he will either sign with Georgia or Cincinnati. He was the biggest name out of 25 defections.
Fickell is bringing in 11 new transfers on defense from the portal, and there are spots to shore up everywhere. The Big Ten isn't getting any easier, so getting to eight or nine wins in 2025 will be a challenge.
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