{"id":130144,"date":"2025-08-08T22:18:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T22:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/130144\/"},"modified":"2025-08-08T22:18:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T22:18:13","slug":"defining-success-for-ohio-state-michigan-and-other-top-programs-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/130144\/","title":{"rendered":"Defining Success For Ohio State, Michigan and Other Top Programs in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Joel <\/p>\n

Joel Klatt<\/p>\n

Lead College Football Analyst<\/p>\n

<\/a> <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s face it, your team likely isn\u2019t going to win the national championship this season, and that\u2019s probably OK for many programs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Success can be defined in a multitude of ways for each team entering the 2025 college football season. Obviously, some teams have higher expectations than others, with a nine-win season at one place bringing a lot more joy than a 10-win season somewhere else. For some other places, the expectation might be to play in the final game of the college football season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s define what a successful season will be for a handful of teams in 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Alabama<\/a>: Make College Football Playoff, inch toward semifinal <\/p>\n

The Crimson Tide have never missed the CFP in back-to-back seasons, and I\u2019m sure Kalen DeBoer doesn\u2019t want that on his record. This team\u00a0has\u00a0to go to the CFP. Not only that, but I think Alabama probably has to win a game in the CFP, too.<\/p>\n

Ryan Grubb reuniting with DeBoer is huge. DeBoer has had plenty of success with Grubb on his staff in the past, including when he was at Washington<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This is a program that was at the pinnacle of the sport. We\u2019ve never seen anyone do what Nick Saban did at Alabama, putting up sustained success that we\u2019ll never see again. We all think DeBoer is a very good coach, but the pressure is mounting.<\/p>\n

Michigan<\/a>: In the College Football Playoff mix <\/p>\n

Last year was clearly a bump in the road in Ann Arbor. In Year 2 under Sherrone Moore, expectations will be higher. Maybe not as high as they are in Alabama, but this fan base is used to being in the top echelon. You can\u2019t be a top program and not expect to be in the CFP mix.<\/p>\n

If Michigan is in the CFP mix, I think many would agree that Moore would be building toward something in Ann Arbor. He has a young quarterback in Bryce Underwood<\/a> to build around, which is promising. If Michigan is 9-3 or 10-2 at the end of the regular season, that would be a good sign and last year will be quickly forgotten.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ohio State<\/a>: Reach College Football Playoff semis, beat Michigan <\/p>\n

It\u2019s very simple, and I\u2019ve talked about this with Ryan Day a lot: You need to win every game if you\u2019re a part of the Ohio State program. But let\u2019s also be honest here, after getting over that hump last year and having to replace 14 NFL Draft<\/a> picks, the bar can be lowered just a little bit. I don\u2019t know if the Buckeyes have to make the national championship game this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, Day would disagree with me and say that he still expects to win every game. But if Ohio State reaches the final four or plays for a Big Ten<\/a> title, it would show that it\u2019s not going anywhere after last season. If it can do that, and Julian Sayin<\/a> potentially develops at quarterback, Ohio State would be building toward plenty of positive momentum going into 2026, when it will still have Jeremiah Smith<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Oh, and Ohio State has to beat Michigan. You can\u2019t take another loss to the Team Up North. I\u2019ve watched last year\u2019s game back plenty of times and I\u2019m still in disbelief.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Texas<\/a>: Play in national championship game <\/p>\n

We no longer have to ask if Texas is back. The Longhorns are back and I think they\u2019re the best team in the SEC<\/a>. It\u2019s great for them that they\u2019ve made the semis in back-to-back years, but that means they can\u2019t lose in a round earlier than that or even lose in the semis for a third straight year. They have to go play for the title.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When Arch Manning committed to Texas, the goal and expectation were to eventually win a title. Manning is just one of the many reasons, though, why I\u2019m bullish on Texas entering the year. Texas has an incredible defense, with stars at all three levels.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Steve Sarkisian has a team that can win a national championship. It\u2019s time for him to play for one, at the very least.<\/p>\n

LSU<\/a>: Make the College Football Playoff, have a better season than Notre Dame<\/a> <\/p>\n

There\u2019s not just a bar that LSU has to measure itself against, but it also has to compare its success to Notre Dame\u2019s. The fact that the team Brian Kelly left just played for a national championship only ratchets up the pressure for him in Baton Rouge.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s go back in time. Dan Hawkins did an incredible job at Boise State<\/a>, but he struggled at Colorado<\/a>. At the same time, Chris Peterson helped Boise State continue to have success, even elevating the program. It made everyone think that Peterson was the one responsible for Boise State\u2019s climb.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not saying it\u2019s the same thing with Kelly and Marcus Freeman, but people will think that way. It didn\u2019t help that Kelly got $100 million and felt LSU had a higher ceiling than Notre Dame. If Notre Dame is going to outperform LSU, though, is the ceiling LSU or is it Brian Kelly?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Georgia<\/a>: Reach College Football Playoff semis <\/p>\n

Georgia\u2019s an interesting one, isn\u2019t it? After winning back-to-back titles, a lot of us think that Georgia is clearly one of the four best teams in college football. I\u2019m not sure if that\u2019s still true. I didn\u2019t have the Bulldogs in the top four of my preseason top 25.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an interesting thought exercise: What if Georgia loses in the SEC Championship Game and falls in the quarterfinals of the CFP in 2025? That would mark the third straight year that it didn\u2019t reach the CFP semis, which would mean that there would be a cycle of elite recruits who played through their minimum eligibility in college football without seeing Georgia play in the final four.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Georgia feels like it\u2019s at the top of the upper echelon of teams in the country. In order to feel valid in that belief, you have to make it to the CFP semis at least once in a three-year span. If you do that, then you can win the national championship. Those are spots reserved for elite programs.<\/p>\n

This is a big year for Kirby Smart. He\u2019s trying to replace a veteran quarterback and other spots on the roster, but the schedule is favorable for Georgia.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Penn State<\/a>: Play in national championship game <\/p>\n

In a lot of ways, last season was a breakout year for James Franklin\u2019s program. Yet, it still failed to do the things we want to see Penn State do. We want to see this team win a matchup game, where it beats a team that has similar or superior talent. Penn State has majored in beating the teams it\u2019s supposed to beat.<\/p>\n

Now, it\u2019s time to get over the hump. Penn State played in the semis last year. This year, it needs to reach the national championship game. Whether Penn State wins that game or not is obviously anyone\u2019s guess, but it needs to beat a blue blood or win a matchup game in order to get there.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Penn State will have chances to do that in the regular season, and possibly the Big Ten Championship Game. Even then, though, there\u2019s a scenario where Penn State beats Oregon<\/a> at home early in the year before losing at Ohio State later on that could cause people to still doubt it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Nittany Lions have all of those returning guys, like Drew Allar<\/a> and Nicholas Singleton<\/a>, as well. They really should get to the national championship game.<\/p>\n

USC<\/a>: Win nine games <\/p>\n

I think most people would say USC has been a disappointment since Lincoln Riley got there in 2022. The Trojans got worse record-wise each season and they lost a lot in the portal this offseason.<\/p>\n

However, there\u2019s a lot of optimism around that program. I\u2019m buying a little bit of it. I had a small conversation with Lincoln Riley recently and he said his team is going to be good.<\/p>\n

Take that for what it\u2019s worth, obviously, but it had a bunch of close losses last year and it\u2019s building momentum toward 2026 with the No. 1 recruiting class (via 247 Sports) for next year. So, Riley might not need to have a tremendous season for us to think USC is trending in the right direction. Still, USC needs to take a step forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you gave me USC winning nine games in 2025, I would be buying its stock moving forward, all things considered. And maybe if USC reaches nine wins, it\u2019s playing in a game with CFP implications.<\/p>\n

Oregon<\/a>: Reach CFP semis <\/p>\n

Oregon is starting to feel like a perennial power in the sport. But to really be a perennial power, it needs to make the final four. That means taking a step forward from last year, regardless of whether it gets a bye in the CFP.<\/p>\n

It feels like this is where Oregon belongs. Dan Lanning is an elite coach and it feels like the Ducks are a program that\u2019s going to recruit the players that put them in this position. We want to see progress, though.<\/p>\n

Miami (Fla.)<\/a>: Reach College Football Playoff <\/p>\n

I think people would say the Hurricanes had a successful year last year until the very end. That Syracuse<\/a> game had to feel like a kick in the teeth after their 9-0 start.<\/p>\n

Miami lost Cam Ward, but it had an impressive offseason. The Hurricanes brought in Carson Beck<\/a>, built a good offensive line and hired a defensive coordinator I really like. So, Miami has to go to the CFP.<\/p>\n

Mario Cristobal has put Miami in the conversation for almost every elite recruit in the country. However, many of those recruits pick other places because those places have proven they can go further than Miami. The Hurricanes have never made the CFP and that needs to change.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Miami also plays in a relatively weak ACC. It should get to 10 or 11 wins because of that. If it doesn\u2019t get there, then you have to call into question if it\u2019s going to work with Cristobal. Eventually, he has to build some sort of track record.<\/p>\n

Texas Tech<\/a>: Be in the College Football Playoff mix <\/p>\n

We don\u2019t usually talk about Texas Tech, but Joey McGuire has a fascinating season in front of him. The Red Raiders infused a ton of talent onto this roster with a lot of cash over the offseason, getting the second-best transfer portal class in the nation (per 247 Sports). Behren Morton<\/a> returns at quarterback for Texas Tech, and it\u2019s in a conference where if you improve just a little bit, you\u2019ll take a substantial step forward. That\u2019s what happened with Colorado last season, going from four to nine wins.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Texas Tech can do something similar if it can just get a little better defensively. If it can, it\u2019ll probably be in the mix to win the Big 12 title, thus putting it in the mix for the CFP.\u00a0 When you consider how many resources have been put into the program and how wide open the Big 12 is, Texas Tech needs to be in the CFP mix. If you can\u2019t be in the mix this year, then when is it going to happen? I think Texas Tech can be in that mix, though.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Joel Klatt is FOX Sports’ lead college football game analyst and the host of the podcast “The Joel Klatt Show.<\/a>” Follow him at @joelklatt<\/a> and subscribe to the “Joel Klatt Show” on YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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