Final week, Stewart Mandel and I talked on “The Audible” about our greatest bets amongst groups of their season win totals for 2025. It was throughout that dialog that I made a decision to leap again on the Clemson/Dabo Swinney bandwagon, which appeared largely deserted over the previous few years. The Tigers are one among my greatest bets to go over. They do open in opposition to a loaded LSU crew, however the sport is at Clemson, the place Dabo is 102-11 (although they misplaced two video games there final season). And Brian Kelly has additionally misplaced all three of his LSU season openers.
Listed below are my high picks. Win totals for 2025 are from BetMGM.
Clemson 9.5: Over
The Tigers have hit on a bunch of recruits over the previous few years, and I just like the addition of defensive coordinator Tom Allen, who inherits lots of expertise and can make Clemson fairly salty once more. Final 12 months, the protection ranked No. 64 in yards per play allowed, No. 68 in purple zone landing share, and No. 85 in opposition to the run. I count on Allen to tighten that up. I’m informed this protection is actually motivated to show the web page.
Peter Woods is a really disruptive 315-pounder inside, and TJ Parker is a proficient go rusher exterior. Clemson additionally added five-star recruit Amare Adams, a 6-3, 305-pounder who the employees thinks might be particular. He wowed them within the spring. Purdue switch Will Heldt, at 6-6, 265, is one other excellent participant. On the second degree, the Tigers have Sammy Brown, a speedy linebacker who was an enormous recruit for them and appeared each bit pretty much as good as his hype final 12 months. Wade Woodaz is one other stud linebacker, and at defensive again, they’ve a high nook in Avieon Terrell.
Offensively, they need to be explosive. Cade Klubnik had a breakout season in 2024, and now the receivers, significantly Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore, appear to be rather a lot like whom Tajh Boyd, Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence have been throwing to. They’ve 4 beginning O-linemen again, led by Blake Miller. They’ve to exchange Phil Mafah at RB, however freshman Gideon Davidson turned heads within the spring. He has nice imaginative and prescient and may be very versatile.
Clemson is a professional top-five crew once more. Clemson’s two hardest video games determine to be their first one (in opposition to LSU) and their final one, at South Carolina. It goes to Georgia Tech, UNC and Boston Faculty, and hosts SMU, Duke and FSU. I feel 11-1 may be very practical.
I really feel pretty much as good in regards to the Tigers as any crew coming into 2025. If I needed to predict the nationwide title sport matchup now, virtually 250 days away, I’d predict Clemson versus Texas.
BYU 7.5: Over
The Cougars have an skilled quarterback in Jake Retzlaff, whom they run sufficient to select up key first downs. There’s good talent expertise round him, reminiscent of working again LJ Martin and receivers Chase Roberts and Parker Kingston. Tight finish Carsen Ryan, who transferred from Utah, must be a terrific addition. They’ll have the most effective linebacker teams within the nation led by Jack Kelly and Isaiah Glasker.
They’ve six video games they’ll have a transparent benefit in: Portland State, Stanford, ECU, Arizona, Cincinnati and UCF. They go to Boulder to face a Colorado crew they smashed within the Alamo Bowl — and a crew changing its beginning QB, most of its greatest receivers and its Heisman winner (Travis Hunter). Past that, they’ve residence video games in opposition to West Virginia, TCU and Utah. Journeys to Iowa State and Texas Tech gained’t be simple.
Nebraska 7.5: Over
This one might draw lots of eye rolls and snickers. The Huskers as soon as once more sputtered down the stretch final season, however for the primary time since 2016, they made a bowl sport — they usually gained it. Nebraska went 2-5 in video games determined by 8 factors or much less. The brilliant facet is that it was doing it with a real freshman QB in Dylan Raiola and with a makeshift offensive setup late within the season. (Dana Holgorsen took over late.)
Holgorsen is likely one of the brightest offensive minds in faculty soccer, and now he has a whole offseason to fireplace up the playbook. I’ve heard Raiola has been excellent. The Huskers don’t have lots of pace except for Jacory Barney, who was a freshman final 12 months, however RB Emmett Johnson’s a very good again, they usually added two good switch WRs, most notably Dane Key from Kentucky.
The Huskers did very nicely within the portal, including OT Elijah Pritchett (Alabama) and CB-PR Andrew Marshall (Idaho). LB Marques Watson-Trent (Georgia Southern) was the Solar Belt Convention Defensive Participant of the 12 months.
Nebraska ought to get off to a quick begin, opening with Cincinnati, Akron and Houston Christian. It doesn’t play a real highway sport till mid-October in opposition to Maryland. Beginning 5-1 appears very believable. The second half of the schedule appears more durable, however they get Northwestern, USC and Iowa in Lincoln.
UCF 6.5: Beneath
Scott Frost labored some wonders in Orlando in his first stint. He can discover success there once more, however given the roster overhaul right here, I used to be shocked this quantity was as excessive because it was. UCF has to exchange 4 of its 5 beginning O-linemen. QBs Tayven Jackson and Jacurri Brown are playmakers, however anticipating a lot consistency behind a rebuilt O-line looks as if a giant ask, particularly contemplating UCF doesn’t have a receiver on the roster who caught a go final 12 months.
Arizona 5.5: Beneath
This crew fell aside final 12 months after a stellar 2023, when the Wildcats completed No. 11. They went 4-8 and received blown out in six of them. It’s 12 months 2 for Brent Brennan, who not solely has two new coordinators but in addition has to exchange final 12 months’s greatest participant, Tetairoa McMillan. Worse nonetheless, deal with machine Jacob Manu (217 tackles, 16.5 TFLs) left to reunite with former coach Jedd Fisch at Washington. Arizona additionally doesn’t have security Gunner Maldonado, who was terrific in 2023 however banged up for a lot of 2024. He left for Kansas State.
Arizona opens with Hawaii and Weber State, however after that, it’s powerful to search out three video games wherein it’ll be favored. It hosts Oklahoma State and Kansas and visits Cincinnati.
Florida 6.5: Over
Florida’s schedule offers me some pause; it options eight groups that shall be ranked sooner or later in 2025, together with the 2 most proficient groups within the SEC — Texas and Georgia. The Gators go to a Miami crew that blasted them in The Swamp final 12 months, too. But when I have been a Gators fan, I’d be optimistic.
This looks as if a really resilient bunch. As tough as issues received final 12 months, Billy Napier by no means misplaced that crew. The gamers performed onerous for him. They misplaced in extra time at Tennessee and have been aggressive in opposition to Georgia regardless of having to play a third-string QB. When true freshman DJ Lagway received again within the lineup, they beat LSU, Ole Miss (primed to make the Faculty Soccer Playoff on the time), drilled FSU on the highway after which beat Tulane of their bowl sport.
There’s loads of expertise past Lagway. Defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp is likely one of the greatest in faculty soccer; rival coaches have immense respect for him. Caleb Banks, their large defensive deal with (seven sacks) is one other headache for rivals. Additionally they have a seasoned offensive line anchored by middle Jake Slaughter.
In opposition to a stacked schedule, count on some inconsistency — however this group is nice sufficient to win eight or 9 video games.
LSU 8.5: Over
The Tigers went all on this offseason within the portal and made a bunch of huge additions after shedding lots of big-time expertise the previous two years. They nonetheless have Garrett Nussmeier, the most effective QBs in faculty soccer, and I count on he’ll go away Baton Rouge as an NFL Draft first-rounder. The O-line misplaced 4 draft picks this offseason, together with top-five decide Will Campbell.
The excellent news: WR Nic Anderson, a switch from OU, is super-talented. Kentucky WR switch Barion Brown is perhaps the quickest CFB participant in pads. Braelin Moore from Virginia Tech is an skilled inside lineman. LSU added confirmed playmakers on the protection: USF’s Bernard Gooden (10 TFLs) and FSU’s Patrick Payton. The protection final 12 months, which had been woeful, improved underneath DC Blake Baker in his first season. Harold Perkins, who tore his ACL in Week 4 final 12 months, is anticipated to be again and prepared for fall camp, as its LB Whit Weeks, who suffered a decrease leg damage.
The opener at Clemson is daunting, however the in-conference schedule by SEC requirements isn’t brutal. LSU doesn’t play Georgia or Texas and will get South Carolina and Florida at residence. This crew must be no less than a nine-win one.
Cal 5.5: Beneath
Justin Wilcox is an effective coach, however he doesn’t have lots of sources. Cal was a troublesome job even earlier than the Pac-12 fell aside. This offseason, the Bears misplaced a bunch of excellent gamers within the portal: QB Fernando Mendoza left for Indiana, and RBs Jaydn Ott and main rusher Jaivian Thomas went to OU and UCLA. TE Jack Endries went to Texas. WR Nyziah Hunter left for Nebraska. Ohio State switch QB Devin Brown may be very proficient, however he hasn’t performed a lot.
New Cal common supervisor Ron Rivera, a former star linebacker for the Bears, has his arms very full.
The Bears open at Oregon State, a crew they whipped in 2024, they usually go to San Diego State, one other crew they blew out. However except for a Week 2 sport in opposition to Texas Southern and visiting archrival Stanford, whom they barely beat final 12 months, it looks as if they’ll be an underdog in each sport.
(Photograph of Dabo Swinney: Grant Halverson / Getty Photos)
