Sleeper Big Ten, SEC teams that could shake up the College Football Playoff race in 2025

For the Andy and Ari On3 show this week, a mailbag question came through from a man named Chris that helped us look outside of the usual suspects when trying to formulate opinions on how the 2025 college football season could shake out.

Here it is: “The top of the Big Ten and SEC are stacked. Are there any second-tier Big Ten or SEC teams you could see making a run next season? For purposes of the question, I would consider Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon, Michigan, maybe, and Indiana as top-tier Big Ten teams. As for the SEC, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and LSU would be top-tier.”

Make a run could mean anything, but for purposes of this thought exercise, lets say a nine- or 10-win season and in College Football Playoff contention come late November. Let’s get started.

Illinois

Maybe some people see Illinois coming. Everyone likes to try to bill Illinois as this year’s Indiana, though the main difference in that comparison is that Indiana truly did come out of nowhere. Illinois beat South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl to cap off a 10-win season, its first since 2001. Bret Beilema’s team returns basically everyone, including quarterback Luke Altmyer, and the Illini added West Virginia’s leading receiver Hudson Clement in the portal. They also return their entire offensive line, cornerback Xavier Scott, safeties Dylan Rosiek, Matthew Bailey and Miles Scott. Illinois has a chance to be really, really good.

Nebraska

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola was so hyped at this time last year, there almost has been an overcorrection of how much we’re talking about him now. He had a very productive true freshman season, and with the sophomore jump, Raiola still has a chance to be a star in this sport. Matt Rhule also has a long history of building programs and assembling functional rosters, which was something that was missing in Lincoln during the Scott Frost era. Though CFP contention probably seems premature in this spot, crazier things have happened, especially considering the Cornhuskers don’t ahve a big-time non-conference game to potentially bog down their record.

Washington

In college football, we have a tendency to think what happened last year is permanent and nothing is changing. The irony, of course, is that nothing changes as rapidly as teams do in today’s college football. Yes, Jedd Fisch had a rough go of it in his first season at Washington last year, but is he all of a sudden a terrible coach? Of course not. Washington has one of the most exciting young quarterbacks in the country in Demond Williams, which opens the door of possibility. If Washington takes a similar leap as Arizona did in year two under Fisch’s leadership, Washington has a chance at being much better than people expect. It has to play Oregon, Ohio State and Michigan this year, but if the Huskies find a way to win one of those? You may have something interesting in November.

Iowa

When you think about Iowa football, you think about laughably bad offense and great defense. It seems to be the same there every single year. But guess what? Iowa brought in quarterback Mark Gronowski from South Dakota State. If you haven’t watched his tape, do it. The Hawkeyes have a chance at a semi-explosive offense with a healthy Gronowski at the helm. It’s a borderline lock that the Hawkeyes will have an elite defense. Dare to dream.

Florida

Florida is going to have the best quarterback in the country in D.J. Lagway. Some people are resistant in thinking in those terms, but anyone who has open eyes and a clear heart watched him play last year and saw something special. Florida’s players developed last year as the season went on — especially on the defensive line — and the Gators bring in two elite-level receiver prospects in Vernell Brown III and Dallas Wilson to help Lagway out. You may roll your eyes, but Florida has a chance to be something special this year if things click for Billy Napier, who has existed on the hot seat his entire tenure in Gainesville.

Oklahoma

People have left Oklahoma and Brent Venables for dead. They stunk last year, so there’s no question they’ll stink again, right? Wrong. Oklahoma brought in the single most influential transfer in the 2025 portal cycle in quarterback John Mateer, along with Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. The Sooners also added Californai running back Jadyn Ott into the mix. If the offensive line is improved and Venables cooks up a good defense like he always does? Look out. The problem is Oklahoma has the toughest schedule in college football this year. It’s tough enough, though, where 9-3 actually could get the Sooners into the CFP.

Auburn

Auburn was the best bad team in college football last year. Despite having dysfunctional quarterback play the entire season, the Tigers fought hard, ran the ball well and were highly competitive against good teams. Now head coach Hugh Freeze — who has a long history of drawing up some ball plays — brought in three options at quarterback. It seems like Jackson Arnold, the Oklahoma transfer, will get the call. If he has a solid, productive offseason in which he develops, high-level quarterback play combined with an amazing 1-2 receiver punch of Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton Jr. could have the Tigers back in contention.

South Carolina

Lagway and Texas quarterback Arch Manning get the bulk of the attention when it comes to emerging SEC quarterback stars, so here’s some love to LaNorris Sellers. South Carolina was very good last season, but now it has a seasoned athletic freak as a starter who has every bit of an opportunity to be a household name in the sport as Lagway. Add in that South Carolina also has one of the best defensive players in the sport in Dylan Stewart, and there is a core that’s pretty solid there. South Carolina has to go from having potential to winning games each week in the SEC. That’s Shane Beamer‘s job to figure out.