Who is the next Arizona State? Five teams poised for a shocking run to the 2025 College Football Playoff

The 12-team College Football Playoff was built for expanded access to the national stage, but no one saw the curious case of Arizona State coming. The Sun Devils were picked dead last in the Big 12, but managed to shock the sport and reach the CFP as conference champions. 

You might as well get used to it going forward. Granted, there’s no guarantee that another program will go all the way from worst to first, but finding contenders requires a wider net than ever. With nine months to go until Selection Sunday, we’re going to try. 

The recipe for an Arizona State-style turnaround is simple, if you can follow it. The Sun Devils dealt with major injuries the season before, which masked the level of talent on the roster. The program had a breakout star in running back Cameron Skattebo, who went from good to Heisman contender. And finally, the quarterback situation took off as Michigan State transfer Sam Leavitt put together an All-Big 12 season. 

Not every turnaround will look exactly like the Sun Devils, but here are five teams coming into the year with middling expectations that could quickly overperform. 

2024 record: 6-7, 4-5 Big Ten

The first year under coach Jedd Fisch was always going to be brutal after the core of the 2023 national finalists nearly all departed for the NFL. A 6-7 season with wins over USC and Michigan showed potential. On the quarterback front, Demond Williams earned a pair of starts as a freshman and played exceptionally well in games against Oregon and Louisville. Fisch’s Arizona squads also…

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Author : Shehan Jeyarajah

Publish date : 2025-03-19 13:29:00

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