Under-the-Radar College Football Teams That Can Alter 2025 Championship Races
At some point of every college football season, reality hits hard. Not everyone can be a conference or national champion.
But anyone can be a spoiler.
Looking ahead to the 2025 campaign, a handful of programs that look unlikely to contend for a title are nonetheless built to be a nuisance.
The following teams are capable of pulling off a timely upset to disrupt the conference standings and even the College Football Playoff race. And, most importantly, it seems they'll have several chances at those results.
Arkansas Razorbacks
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Few coaches open the 2025 season on a hotter seat than Sam Pittman, who's entering his sixth year as the boss at Arkansas.
The schedule is a half-empty, half-full conversation.
If you're a pessimist, you might see a trip to Ole Miss, a home clash with Notre Dame and a back-to-back at Tennessee and home to Texas A&M in the first seven games of the season as a harbinger of a midseason coaching change. That's before treks to expected title contenders LSU and Texas in November.
However, we watched the Hogs stun Tennessee last season. Arkansas has also routinely been a thorn for SEC hopefuls in recent years, even in losses.
Pittman's future is an open question, but the Razorbacks—led by returning quarterback Taylen Green—have the talent to cause some chaos.
Baylor Bears
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Let's start here: I am probably more optimistic about Baylor than the general consensus. This is a sneaky Big 12 contender, in my estimation.
At worst, however, the Bears will be pesky. Thanks to an experienced cast of returning players—including senior quarterback Sawyer Robertson—Baylor has a solid foundation.
After winning six straight games to close 2024, the Bears should be a confident group, too.
In the opening half of the season, Baylor heads to SMU and hosts both Arizona State and Kansas State. All three have landed preseason CFP attention, which is no surprise after SMU and ASU made the 12-team field last year.
Throw in a late matchup at home against Utah, and the Bears have opportunities to disrupt the Big 12 and national pictures.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
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At this point, it's an annual tradition.
Brent Key became the interim coach at Georgia Tech during the 2022 season. He promptly guided the Yellow Jackets to Top 25 wins at Pitt and North Carolina, earning the full-time job in Atlanta.
Tech upended both Miami and North Carolina in 2023, then shocked Florida State to kick off last season—even as the shine of that result faded—ruined Miami's perfect year and took Georgia to eight overtimes in 2024.
So, it's going to happen somewhere again, right?
Most notably, Georgia Tech hosts Clemson in mid-September and closes the regular season at home against Georgia. Safe to say Dabo Swinney and Kirby Smart will be preaching to not take Tech lightly.
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Kentucky Wildcats
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It's a good thing Mark Stoops is among the most secure coaches on the planet, because, ho-ho-hoooo-ly cow, this schedule is a nightmare.
I mean, seriously, it's brutal.
After opening the season at home against MAC favorite Toledo, Kentucky hosts Ole Miss. A few weeks later, the Wildcats travel to South Carolina and Georgia. Following a bye, UK hosts Texas and Tennessee. As if that's not enough, Florida comes to town and the 'Cats go to Louisville in November.
So, yeah, that's an incredibly demanding for a rebuilt roster. But the volume of possible upsets for UK is difficult to match.
Washington Huskies
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Ohio State and Penn State are viewed as top championship threats, and Oregon is close behind. Indiana made the CFP last season, Michigan has garnered plenty of bounce-back hype and Illinois is stacked with veterans.
Knowing all that, it's understandable that Washington—which went 6-7 last season—has flown under the radar.
Inside that 6-7 record, though? A perfect 6-0 mark at home.
This season, Washington is set to host Ohio State, Illinois and Oregon in addition to playing at Michigan—a team UW beat in 2024.
Don't necessarily expect the Dawgs to hang around a championship race, but they're primed to be a bother in the Big Ten as new quarterback Demond Williams Jr. takes control of the offense.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
