{"id":460274,"date":"2025-12-20T15:39:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T15:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/460274\/"},"modified":"2025-12-20T15:39:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T15:39:13","slug":"college-football-playoff-hope-o-meter-2025-how-do-fans-feel-about-their-chances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/460274\/","title":{"rendered":"College Football Playoff Hope-O-Meter 2025: How do fans feel about their chances?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Athletic has live coverage of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/live-blogs\/miami-vs-texas-am-live-updates-college-football-playoff-score-result\/3yNM1EA6r74D\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Miami vs. Texas A&amp;M<\/a> in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/live-blogs\/miami-vs-texas-am-live-updates-college-football-playoff-score-result\/3yNM1EA6r74D\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">College Football Playoff first round<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Most fan bases are optimistic in August, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6576311\/2025\/08\/28\/college-football-2025-preseason-rankings-fan-predictions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">that was the case<\/a> for all 12 of the teams that reached the 2025 College Football Playoff.<\/p>\n<p>So, where does confidence stand now with a national championship in the balance? In the latest installment of our Hope-O-Meter survey, all but three fan bases are confident that their team can raise the trophy.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s understandable why fans of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6896444\/2025\/12\/18\/college-football-playoff-2025-james-madison-oregon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">James Madison<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6895089\/2025\/12\/17\/tulane-college-football-playoff-group-of-5\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tulane<\/a>, a pair of Group of 5 programs, aren\u2019t expecting to pull off the impossible. But why are fans from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6902599\/2025\/12\/19\/alabama-college-football-playoff-nick-saban-kalen-deboer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alabama<\/a>, a program that has won six national championships since 2009, saying they\u2019ll be content with winning only one Playoff game this time around? Was the loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game so ugly that most Crimson Tide fans are expecting the team to roll over if it faces Indiana in the Rose Bowl?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey shouldn\u2019t have made it after laying that egg against Georgia,\u201d said Bama fan Jared P. \u201cI have no doubt that they will beat Oklahoma. But Indiana is going to cave them in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a Bama fan, usually I expect nothing less than a natty but currently half of our key players are injured,\u201d added Nolan W. \u201cI don\u2019t trust this head case version of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6896657\/2025\/12\/18\/ty-simpson-alabama-tennessee-martin-coach\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ty Simpson<\/a>, and our offensive line thinks they\u2019re at a turnstile cosplay convention.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>What does a successful Playoff run look like for fans of the top four seeds?<\/p>\n<p>The majority of Indiana and Georgia fans believe making the national championship game would suffice. Texas Tech fans would be happy simply getting to the semifinal round. But for fans of the defending national champion Buckeyes, a repeat is all that will make the majority content.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndiana was just a hard fight where some bad play calling on third and fourth down led to a field goal choke,\u201d said Buckeyes fan Adam. \u201cI still believe Ohio State is the best team in the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a closer look at what fans would consider a successful Playoff and how they feel about their chances, along with a look back at what some pessimists were saying about their team in the preseason.<\/p>\n<p>1. Indiana Hoosiers<\/p>\n<p><strong>Win it all:<\/strong> 23.6% | <strong>Make the title game:<\/strong> 39% | <strong>Win at least one game:<\/strong> 30.8% | <strong>Just happy to be here:<\/strong> 6.7%<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s been a dream season in Bloomington, and the reality is that few in the fan base are going to view this as a bad year even if the Hoosiers somehow get bounced in the Rose Bowl. That\u2019s why fewer than one-in-four of the Indiana faithful said winning a national title is the only thing that would make the Playoff run a success.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have been a season ticket holder for Indiana Football since 2018 (and a fan before that),\u201d said Alex K. \u201cOutside of a brief stretch during the Tom Allen years, it could be pretty much assumed we were going to lose every conference game we played in. I attended the games more so because I love college football and Indiana is my alma mater. Fast forward to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6852835\/2025\/12\/03\/indiana-football-coach-curt-cignetti-big-ten-championship\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Curt Cignetti\u2019s hiring<\/a>. I was in Lucas Oil Stadium last Saturday night and when the confetti fell, I started crying. I never thought Indiana would be in this position. I honestly think they can win it all. Even if they don\u2019t, I\u2019ll always have the memories of this season!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Said Kookie, who classified himself as just being happy to make it back to the Playoff: \u201cDude. We sucked. My whole life. Now we are expected to win. We are just enjoying the ride while we wholeheartedly believe IU can win the damn thing!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do fans think they can win it<\/strong> <strong>all? <\/strong>99 percent say yes<strong><br \/>BetMGM championship odds:<\/strong>\u00a0+275<br \/><strong>Season-opening odds:<\/strong> +10,000<br \/><strong>Preseason Hope-O-Meter:<\/strong> 98 percent optimistic<\/p>\n<p><strong>Preseason pessimism:<\/strong> \u201cI mean, it probably won\u2019t be as good as last year. But it won\u2019t be a train wreck like the rest of my life. So that\u2019s good!\u201d \u2014 Andre K.<\/p>\n<p>2. Ohio State Buckeyes<\/p>\n<p><strong>Win it all:<\/strong> 53.8% | <strong>Make the title game:<\/strong> 37.1% | <strong>Win at least one game:<\/strong> 8.8% | <strong>Just happy to be here:<\/strong> 0.4%<\/p>\n<p>The tune for Buckeyes fans definitely changed since the preseason. While some hoped they could go back-to-back, the general sentiment in Columbus was that Ryan Day had too much talent to replace and a young quarterback who was bound to trip up at one point or another. Now, though, anything short of winning the Cotton Bowl and reaching the title game will be seen as a failure by most Ohio State fans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnly worried about UGA and Indiana,\u201d Jim said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think they should win the natty,\u201d Randy said. \u201cI don\u2019t think Indiana can beat them twice in one year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do fans think they can win it all? <\/strong>98.8 percent say yes<strong><br \/>BetMGM championship odds:<\/strong> +225<br \/><strong>Season-opening odds:<\/strong> +450<br \/><strong>Preseason Hope-O-Meter:<\/strong>\u00a097 percent optimistic<\/p>\n<p><strong>Preseason pessimism:<\/strong> \u201cOther than Jeremiah Smith \u2014 the rare player not only worth all the hype he may actually deserve, but probably deserves even more \u2014 this offense is young. Too young to make much of a run. I see four losses with two of them being the opener with Texas and the inevitable Ryan Day meltdown with Michigan that ultimately costs them a playoff spot.\u201d \u2014 Eric Furniss<\/p>\n<p>3. Georgia Bulldogs<\/p>\n<p><strong>Win it all:<\/strong> 37.1% | <strong>Make the title game:<\/strong> 46.8% | <strong>Win at least one game:<\/strong> 14.9% | <strong>Just happy to be here:<\/strong> 1.2%<\/p>\n<p>This is the fan base with the second-highest \u201cwe need to win the national title to make this a successful Playoff run\u201d vibes. Georgia fans were definitely disappointed with losing to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl last year, but they are much more confident that Kirby Smart can make a run to a third championship based on how the defense has played of late.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUGA seems to be one of the three best teams in the Playoff,\u201d Allen said. \u201cIn a late-game fistfight with the other two best teams (Indiana and Ohio State), I like our chances since the Dawgs have had to win late repeatedly. But Ohio State and IU are legit, so I\u2019m taking nothing for granted. Plus, balls bounce, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Paul S. is a little more confident: \u201cThis team got better as the year went on and at times looks like the two championship teams we had in 2021 and 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do fans think they can win it all? <\/strong>99.4 percent say yes<strong><br \/>BetMGM championship odds:<\/strong> +500<br \/><strong>Season-opening odds:<\/strong> +600<br \/><strong>Preseason Hope-O-Meter:<\/strong> 91 percent optimistic<\/p>\n<p><strong>Preseason pessimism:<\/strong> \u201cGunner Stockton is unproven beyond a few games last year.\u00a0 The whole team vibe is \u2018rebuild\u2019 followed by \u2018Why is Mike Bobo still OC?\u2019 9-4 or 8-5. Yeesh!\u201d \u2014 John<\/p>\n<p>4. Texas Tech Red Raiders<\/p>\n<p><strong>Win it all:<\/strong> 0.0% | <strong>Make the title game:<\/strong> 16.2% | <strong>Win at least one game:<\/strong> 75.7% | <strong>Just happy to be here:<\/strong> 8.1%<\/p>\n<p>The biggest question for Red Raiders fans heading into the season wasn\u2019t if the team <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6821329\/2025\/11\/20\/texas-tech-gm-james-blanchard-portal-bio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GM James Blanchard<\/a> put together was talented \u2014 it was more about if it would all come together fast enough to win the program\u2019s first Big 12 championship. It happened, and now the Red Raiders are three wins away from a national championship. Less than 10 percent of Raiders fans responded to our survey saying they don\u2019t think Texas Tech can win it all. Most, however, would be satisfied with simply winning the Orange Bowl and beating the Oregon-James Madison first-round winner.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe goal was always to win the Big 12, anything after is icing on the cake,\u201d Alex said. \u201cThis team can do more than that, though, and I think they will.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Added Cody Empkey: \u201cI believe this defense is truly the best unit of any team in the Playoff. We will go as far as they take us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do fans think they can win it all? <\/strong>91.9 percent say yes<strong><br \/>BetMGM championship odds:<\/strong> +900<br \/><strong>Season-opening odds:<\/strong> +15,000<br \/><strong>Preseason Hope-O-Meter:<\/strong> 98 percent optimistic<\/p>\n<p><strong>Preseason pessimism:<\/strong> \u201cToo much money spent on players who haven\u2019t proven they can be part of a cohesive team. Too much pressure on a coach to produce immediately.\u201d \u2014 Kevin<\/p>\n<p>5. Oregon Ducks<\/p>\n<p><strong>Win it all:<\/strong> 23.6% | <strong>Make the title game:<\/strong> 58.4% | <strong>Win at least one game:<\/strong> 18% | <strong>Just happy to be here:<\/strong> 0%<\/p>\n<p>After watching their team go undefeated but get knocked as the top seed in last year\u2019s tournament, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6897014\/2025\/12\/18\/oregon-nil-college-football-playoff\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oregon<\/a> fans began the season hopeful that quarterback Dante Moore and a cast of unproven receivers would end up being good enough to lead them back to the postseason. Now, the overwhelming sense from Ducks fans is they have to at least make it to the national championship game to call this a successful Playoff run. Still, a percentage of fans believe the Ducks won\u2019t win the title.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFeel like it\u2019s been almost 20 years of having a legit title shot only for one unfortunate set of circumstances after another that eventually bite them at their peak,\u201d Brent B. said. \u201cIf Indiana can do it in two years, while Oregon has been building for decades, it would kill me a bit inside. Time for this team to finally catch fire and catch a break. The bracket is set up perfectly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Added Keith Dobkow: \u201cIt\u2019s just time. Time to be an official blue blood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do fans think they can win it all? <\/strong>93.8 percent say yes<strong><br \/>BetMGM championship odds:<\/strong> +800<br \/><strong>Season-opening odds:<\/strong> +700<br \/><strong>Preseason Hope-O-Meter:<\/strong> 97 percent optimistic<\/p>\n<p><strong>Preseason pessimism:<\/strong> \u201cIf we couldn\u2019t win it all with Bo Nix playing out of his mind, I\u2019m skeptical that it\u2019s going to get better than that. Plus, that Ohio State loss was just too brutal to forget.\u201d \u2014 Aarron<\/p>\n<p>6. Ole Miss Rebels<\/p>\n<p><strong>Win it all:<\/strong> 2.2% | <strong>Make the title game:<\/strong> 21.7% | <strong>Win at least one game:<\/strong> 76.1% | <strong>Just happy to be here:<\/strong> 0%<\/p>\n<p>Even though the Rebels felt as though they missed an opportunity last year, fans believed Lane Kiffin\u2019s coaching and work in the transfer portal would have the team right back in contention to make the Playoff in 2025. He exceeded expectations and went 11-1 before breaking Rebels fans\u2019 hearts and leaving for LSU. Now, most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6893588\/2025\/12\/17\/ole-miss-football-embraces-choas-can-the-rebels-block-out-the-noise-and-prove-they-belong\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ole Miss<\/a> fans are not optimistic that their team can win a championship.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a little bit of a miracle season given all the hurdles the team has to overcome,\u201d Austin said. \u201cThere seems to be something magical about this team. Let\u2019s see how long it can last!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lofton thinks one Playoff win with Pete Golding as head coach would make it a successful postseason. But getting two would make the faithful feel a lot better. \u201cTo beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl would be huge for a program that now needs to show more than anything that it can win without you know who,\u201d he said. \u201cAnything less is sort of an underwhelming end for one of the greatest teams in school history.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do fans think they can win it all? <\/strong>65.2\u00a0percent say yes<strong><br \/>BetMGM championship odds:<\/strong> +2500<br \/><strong>Season-opening odds:<\/strong> +2500<br \/><strong>Preseason Hope-O-Meter:<\/strong> 99 percent optimistic<\/p>\n<p><strong>Preseason pessimism:<\/strong> \u201cFeels like last year was the year and we blew it.\u201d \u2014 Dylan<\/p>\n<p>7. Texas A&amp;M Aggies<\/p>\n<p><strong>Win it all:<\/strong> 3.2% | <strong>Make the title game:<\/strong> 14.7% | <strong>Win at least one game:<\/strong> 77.9% | <strong>Just happy to be here:<\/strong> 4.2%<\/p>\n<p>Mike Elko isn\u2019t winning at Curt Cignetti levels, but he\u2019s not far off in Year 2 with the Aggies. The truth is, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6888226\/2025\/12\/16\/texas-am-football-college-football-playoff-miami\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Texas A&amp;M<\/a> fans weren\u2019t expecting a lot from quarterback Marcel Reed, and many thought they were likely headed for another 8-4 season. The preseason Hope-O-Meter survey results for the Aggies included more pessimists than the other teams that eventually made the Playoff. But times are changing in College Station. Only a quarter of Texas A&amp;M fans who responded to our survey believe the Aggies aren\u2019t capable of winning it all. But most say they\u2019ll call it a successful Playoff run simply by beating Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt least they gave us a gimme first game against Miami. Then it gets tricky,\u201d Garrett said. \u201cBut I think we have the talent to make a run.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Said Sam: \u201cIt will be tough to get past Ohio State, but if we do upset them, then the sky is the limit!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do fans think they can win it all?<\/strong> 75.8\u00a0percent say yes<strong><br \/>BetMGM championship odds:<\/strong> +1700<br \/><strong>Season-opening odds:<\/strong> +3000<br \/><strong>Preseason Hope-O-Meter:<\/strong> 73 percent optimistic<\/p>\n<p><strong>Preseason pessimism:<\/strong> \u201cNo matter who we hire, no matter how well we recruit, no matter how much money is poured into the program we seem destined to finish 8-4. Forever.\u201d \u2014 Blair<\/p>\n<p>8. Oklahoma Sooners<\/p>\n<p><strong>Win it all:<\/strong> 4.3% | <strong>Make the title game:<\/strong> 6.1% | <strong>Win at least one game:<\/strong> 80.9% | <strong>Just happy to be here:<\/strong> 8.7%<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6901074\/2025\/12\/19\/oklahoma-brent-venables-college-football-playoff\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oklahoma<\/a> fans were basically on the verge of jumping off the Brent Venables bandwagon at the start of the season \u2014 if they weren\u2019t already there. But here the Sooners are hosting a first-round game and looking for their third win in the last 13 months against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6905495\/2025\/12\/19\/alabama-oklahoma-score-results-takeaways-college-football-playoff\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alabama<\/a>. Yes, John Mateer and the offense remain a concern. But nobody is talking about dumping Venables anymore.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis season is already a win. Way better than preseason expectations. I think we have a chance to win a game or two but happy just to be in the Playoff,\u201d said Albert Pender, who is among the strong majority of OU fans who would be pleased simply to win a first-round game.<\/p>\n<p>That doesn\u2019t mean there aren\u2019t those who believe the Sooners can make a run to their first championship since 2000.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoomer Sooner, baby!\u201d Boomer Bobb said. \u201cGot the D! Gonna get that O rolling! Ice that thumb, Mateer, and play like a Heisman hopeful (for next year). All the way, Oklahoma! We got this.\u00a0 Worst case, Longhorns will be watching us from their couches.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do fans think they can win it all? <\/strong>56.5 percent say yes<strong><br \/>BetMGM championship odds:<\/strong> +5000<br \/><strong>Season-opening odds:<\/strong> +7000<br \/><strong>Preseason Hope-O-Meter:<\/strong> 85 percent optimistic<\/p>\n<p><strong>Preseason pessimism:<\/strong> \u201cIt feels more likely our coach gets fired than we make the Playoff.\u201d \u2014 Jeremy<\/p>\n<p>9. Alabama Crimson Tide<\/p>\n<p><strong>Win it all:<\/strong> 9.5% | <strong>Make the title game:<\/strong> 19% | <strong>Win at least one game:<\/strong> 66.7% | <strong>Just happy to be here: <\/strong>4.8%<\/p>\n<p>As mentioned above, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6902599\/2025\/12\/19\/alabama-college-football-playoff-nick-saban-kalen-deboer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alabama<\/a> fans aren\u2019t feeling good heading into the Playoff after getting spanked by Georgia in the league championship game.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t be in the Playoff,\u201d Sean said. \u201cWe\u2019re not as good as Notre Dame or even Texas. I can\u2019t stand watching this offense. The running game is anemic. Luckily we drew Oklahoma, whose offense is somehow worse. Just hoping Indiana doesn\u2019t beat us by 30.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That doesn\u2019t mean there still aren\u2019t some diehard Crimson Tide fans who believe Kalen DeBoer\u2019s team can get back to looking like the team that won four consecutive games against ranked opponents in October.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBama has been up and down this year,\u201d Stephie concedes. \u201cThe SEC Championship Game was bad. But they bounced back from losses all season. When they need to, they can show up. So I\u2019m still optimistic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do fans think they can win it all? <\/strong>47.6\u00a0percent say yes<strong><br \/>BetMGM championship odds:<\/strong> +2500<br \/><strong>Season-opening odds:<\/strong> +1200<br \/><strong>Preseason Hope-O-Meter:<\/strong> 95 percent optimistic<\/p>\n<p><strong>Preseason pessimism:<\/strong> \u201cConcerned about our QB and the loss of culture.\u201d \u2014 Stan<\/p>\n<p>10. Miami Hurricanes<\/p>\n<p><strong>Win it all:<\/strong> 9.6% | <strong>Make the title game: <\/strong>13% | <strong>Win at least one game:<\/strong> 66.1% | <strong>Just happy to be here: <\/strong>11.3%<\/p>\n<p>The Hurricanes, who snuck into the Playoff as the last at-large team, haven\u2019t played on this big a stage in more than two decades. The reality is the Hurricanes still have not won an ACC championship since joining the league in 2004, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6891189\/2025\/12\/16\/miami-mario-cristobal-playoff-coach\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Miami<\/a> fans are truly just happy to be a part of the Playoff in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6891189\/2025\/12\/16\/miami-mario-cristobal-playoff-coach\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mario Cristobal<\/a>\u2019s fourth season. Does that mean they don\u2019t believe the Canes can get hot and win it all? No. Most do. But winning at Texas A&amp;M on Saturday and advancing to the Cotton Bowl would satisfy most of the fans and make them feel as though the Cristobal hire is finally paying off.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe talent level of the roster is Mario Cristobal\u2019s No. 1 achievement at Miami,\u201d John said. \u201cLeveraging it is the key to success. Either way, hard not to be pleased with the progress made and the hope for future success.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Added Rob J.: \u201cSleep on them all you want, talent-wise as good as anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do fans think they can win it all? <\/strong>90.4\u00a0percent say yes<strong><br \/>BetMGM championship odds:<\/strong> +2200<br \/><strong>Season-opening odds:<\/strong> +3500<br \/><strong>Preseason Hope-O-Meter:<\/strong> 93 percent optimistic<\/p>\n<p><strong>Preseason pessimism:<\/strong> \u201cFeels like a typical Miami season where there is a lot of hype and hope but ultimately they fall on their face en route to an eight-ish-win season, largely due to poor QB play. Carson Beck is definitely not the guy.\u201d \u2014 Greg B<\/p>\n<p>11. Tulane Green Wave<\/p>\n<p><strong>Win it all:<\/strong> 0% | <strong>Make the title game: <\/strong>2% | <strong>Win at least one game:<\/strong> 54.9% | <strong>Just happy to be here:<\/strong> 43.1%<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6895089\/2025\/12\/17\/tulane-college-football-playoff-group-of-5\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tulane<\/a> fans are growing accustomed to having good seasons and then losing their head coach and best players to Power 4 programs. That doesn\u2019t mean they don\u2019t want to enjoy a postseason run with Jon Sumrall before he heads off for Florida.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been a fan of this team since childhood, and an alumnus for over almost 20 years,\u201d Shane said. \u201cI never thought we\u2019d be here. And we might not be here again. So we need to maximize it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The reality is, fans of Group of 5 teams enjoy the opportunity to compete on the big stage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCollege football is not always about the team that has the best chance to win the championship, it is always about the team that wants to win the most,\u201d added Jeff.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do fans think they can win it all? <\/strong>11.8\u00a0percent say yes<strong><br \/>BetMGM championship odds:<\/strong> +50,000<br \/><strong>Season-opening odds:<\/strong> +15,000<br \/><strong>Preseason Hope-O-Meter:<\/strong> 92 percent optimistic<\/p>\n<p><strong>Preseason pessimism:<\/strong> \u201cWould have felt much more confident with Darian Mensah under center. Jake Retzlaff recently resurrected hope, but I doubt he spent enough time in the system to be efficient in it.\u201d \u2014 Fred MB<\/p>\n<p>12. James Madison Dukes<\/p>\n<p><strong>Win it all:<\/strong> 5.8% | <strong>Make the title game: <\/strong>1.9% | <strong>Win at least one game:<\/strong> 26.9% | <strong>Just happy to be here:<\/strong> 65.4%<\/p>\n<p>We get it: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6896444\/2025\/12\/18\/college-football-playoff-2025-james-madison-oregon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">James Madison<\/a> would not have made the field if not for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6870958\/2025\/12\/09\/acc-college-football-playoff-miami-virginia-duke\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ACC\u2019s tiebreaker fiasco<\/a>. There\u2019s no doubt Dukes fans are happy about it. It\u2019s been a wild ride, really. Four years ago, James Madison competed at the FCS level. Now, it\u2019s in the College Football Playoff. What the Dukes have to do now, most JMU fans hope, is not embarrass themselves.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPart of me thinks JMU can beat Oregon,\u201d Justin said. \u201cThe other part of me thinks I should see a psychiatrist.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Said Dawn: \u201cHonestly, I just want JMU to be more competitive than Liberty\u2019s 45-6 loss in the Fiesta Bowl (to Oregon) two years ago. Cautiously optimistic that our defense can keep things interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At least one JMU fan believes this game is about a lot more than football. \u201cTo indict an underdog\u2019s place in these playoffs is to indict the United States of America,\u201d Mark S. said. \u201cYou say what you want about James Madison, but we\u2019re not going to sit here and let you badmouth the United States of America! Dukes by 50.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do fans think they can win it all?<\/strong> 25\u00a0percent say yes<strong><br \/>BetMGM championship odds:<\/strong> +50,000<br \/><strong>Season-opening odds:<\/strong> +100,000<br \/><strong>Preseason Hope-O-Meter:<\/strong> 100 percent optimistic<\/p>\n<p><strong>Preseason semi-pessimism:<\/strong> \u201cWhile I don\u2019t think we end up competing for the G5 slot in the Playoff, I think this is the year we win the conference championship. Strong returning offensive line with a deep backfield.\u201d \u2014 Mark<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Athletic has live coverage of Miami vs. Texas A&amp;M in the College Football Playoff first round. Most&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":460275,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[8802,1428,1318,3919,9443,127816,1426,1317,1315,1316,4733,21286,1716,9445,62,13877,8799,35598,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-460274","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-alabama-crimson-tide","9":"tag-college-football","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-georgia-bulldogs","12":"tag-indiana-hoosiers","13":"tag-james-madison-dukes","14":"tag-miami-hurricanes","15":"tag-ncaa","16":"tag-ncaa-football","17":"tag-ncaafootball","18":"tag-ohio-state-buckeyes","19":"tag-oklahoma-sooners","20":"tag-ole-miss-rebels","21":"tag-oregon-ducks","22":"tag-sports","23":"tag-texas-am-aggies","24":"tag-texas-tech-red-raiders","25":"tag-tulane-green-wave","26":"tag-united-states","27":"tag-unitedstates","28":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115752649733734089","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/460274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=460274"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/460274\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/460275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=460274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=460274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=460274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}