2025 college football guide for the bandwagon fan: Florida, Utah, Georgia Tech, Iowa

We can finally relax and take a breath. It’s time for actual football.

We don’t have to worry about the House settlement or talk of transfer portal windows. And we definitely don’t need to pay attention to the Big Ten’s idea to super-size the College Football Playoff (though you should read Sam Khan’s story about what would work if the field does expand).

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So with the season set to begin this weekend, you might be looking for a team to root for this fall. Maybe you’ve lost all confidence in your favorite program. Maybe you’re new to the sport. Perhaps, you’re looking for a second team to embrace.

And with 136 programs in college football, there are plenty of options to choose from.

No matter the reason, we are here to help.

Here is our bandwagon fan’s guide to the 2025 season, highlighting one team from each conference.

Georgia Tech

2024 record: 7-6

2025 prediction: Fourth in the ACC

Preseason rank: No. 31 in The Athletic’s 136

Why you should get on board: Because it’s fun watching the Yellow Jackets throw a more talented team into the deep end of the pool and make it fight for everything — see last year’s upset of Miami and an eight-overtime loss at Georgia. Their identity under head coach Brent Key, a former offensive lineman, is clear: be physical, run the football and control the line of scrimmage. Quarterback Haynes King and running back Jamal Haynes lead a very entertaining rushing attack, and Georgia Tech brings back the man pulling the strings on offense, coordinator Buster Faulkner. The Yellow Jackets could be a dark horse in the ACC title race; they face just one team (Clemson) that was picked in the top five of the league’s preseason poll. That game is at home, too.

Why you shouldn’t: While King’s tough and rugged playing style is fun to watch, it could also lead to injury. He missed two games last year, which resulted in losses to Notre Dame and Virginia Tech, and was limited in some others. And the offensive line has to replace three starters. New defensive coordinator Blake Gideon also has to improve a unit that ranked 72nd nationally in both scoring defense and yards per play allowed last season.

Bottom line: A lot rides on keeping King healthy, but there’s experience at quarterback, a solid coaching staff and a manageable schedule — the toughest road game is at Duke. Yes, the defense has to take a step forward, but things are lined up nicely for Georgia Tech to make a run this season.

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Utah

2024 record: 5-7

2025 prediction: The Big 12 did not conduct a preseason poll

Preseason rank: No. 18 in The Athletic’s 136

Why you should get on board: Always buy low when there may be doubts about coach Kyle Whittingham’s program. Last year was certainly disappointing — it was the Utes’ first losing season since 2013 — but Whittingham turned to New Mexico and brought in exciting upgrades at quarterback (Devon Dampier) and offensive coordinator (Jason Beck). That should rejuvenate an offense that ranked 102nd nationally in scoring and 111th in yards per play, and allow the Utes to play more complementary football. The defense still ranked 25th in scoring despite being put in disadvantageous positions by the offense.

Why you shouldn’t: The schedule is a grind. Utah doesn’t miss many of the Big 12 heavyweights. There are home games against Texas Tech, Arizona State and Kansas State and road trips to BYU and Baylor. While the defense is always solid, the unit returns just five starters and suffered some depth losses among the line. And will the offense be able to find some true playmakers among its pass catchers?

Bottom line: Whittingham knows how to win. He won conference titles in the Mountain West and the Pac-12, and there’s no doubt he wants to atone for the Utes’ debut season in the Big 12. There’s been constant retirement speculation with Whittingham, so we’re never truly sure which season will be his last. But it’s clear he wants to leave the program on an upward trajectory. The schedule is tough, but the ingredients are there for Utah to be a Big 12 title sleeper.

Iowa

2024 record: 8-5

2025 prediction: Ninth in the unofficial Big Ten media poll

Preseason rank: No. 29 in The Athletic’s 136

Why you should get on board: The offense could be … fun? The quarterback position has been a black hole for Iowa for several seasons, but the Hawkeyes added highly touted transfer Mark Gronowski, who led South Dakota State to FCS national championships in 2022 and 2023. Gronowski is experienced and can make plays with his arm and legs. His physical running style fits well in the Big Ten. His arrival should help an Iowa offense that improved from 132nd nationally in scoring offense in 2023 to 72nd in Tim Lester’s first year as offensive coordinator.

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Why you shouldn’t: Can we really trust this offense to be fun? Will Gronowski have enough targets at receiver? The Hawkeyes have some solid options at running back (Kamari Moulton and Jaziun Patterson) who waited for this opportunity, but the loss of star Kaleb Johnson can’t be overlooked.

Bottom line: Illinois is too trendy to pick in this spot. Indiana already enjoyed its breakthrough season last fall. So, Iowa could be a worthy program to invest your time in. There is finally legitimate hope the offense might have a pulse, and you know the defense will always be strong. The schedule includes tough home games vs. Penn State and Oregon and road games at Iowa State, USC and Nebraska.

Florida

2024 record: 8-5

2025 prediction: Sixth in the SEC

Preseason rank: No. 15 in The Athletic’s 136

Why you should get on board: You watched the SEC documentary series on Netflix, and it convinced you to buy into Billy Napier and the Gators’ trajectory. Even though Napier was consistently in hot-seat conversations in 2024, Florida won four consecutive games to end last season, providing plenty of optimism for 2025. It’s not difficult to place faith and root for a program with a quarterback as talented as sophomore DJ Lagway, either. He’ll be surrounded by a good offensive line and a solid supporting cast at the skill spots, and there’s talent on defense, too.

Why you shouldn’t: The schedule is so difficult that it almost feels like any talk of the postseason is a non-starter. There are games on the road against LSU, Miami, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and matchups at home vs. Texas, Georgia and Tennessee. It doesn’t help that Lagway has dealt with shoulder soreness, which kept him out of spring practice, and a calf injury that limited him at the start of training camp.

Bottom line: If you choose this bandwagon, just know there’s a possibility Florida might be an improved team this season without much to show for it in the win-loss record. However, if you jump on now and the Gators do break through against that schedule, then a Playoff bid is a distinct possibility. So there’s a lot of risk involved here, but the ceiling — to quote the great Michael Jordan — is the roof.

Group of 5 bandwagons to consider

Rice

2024 record: 4-8

2025 prediction: The American did not conduct a preseason poll

Preseason rank: No. 127 in The Athletic’s 136

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Academic requirements are stringent at Rice, so life is generally tough for a program that hasn’t enjoyed a winning season since 2014. So know if you choose this bandwagon, you’re facing an uphill climb. But credit the Owls administration for at least making things interesting and hiring Scott Abell from Davidson this past offseason.

Abell coached in the Pioneer League — a FCS conference whose members don’t offer athletic scholarships to football players — so he’s used to coaching in difficult situations. He’s bringing his unique spread offense to Rice as the program tries to go against the grain to offset the talent deficit it faces against most teams on its schedule.

There will be some growing pains in Year 1, but the offense should be fun to watch as the players get more comfortable as the season progresses. It’s bound to catch some poor opposing defense off guard.

Davidson running a Slot Back Slip Screen off Triple Option Action! pic.twitter.com/cyviHNnMRY — Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) November 8, 2022

Western Kentucky

2024 record: 8-6

2025 prediction: Conference USA did not conduct a preseason poll

Preseason rank: No. 63 in The Athletic’s 136

The Hilltoppers are importing an offense from the FCS level once again. Coach Tyson Helton did this back in 2021 with great results after they added quarterback Bailey Zappe and offensive coordinator Zach Kittley from Houston Baptist and lit up opposing defenses through the air. This offseason, Helton went to Abilene Christian and landed quarterback Maverick McIvor, who began his college career at Texas Tech, and offensive coordinator Rick Bowie.

Though WKU has been good lately, it still hasn’t gotten over the hump and won a conference title under Helton. And the offense has regressed, failing to finish in the top 25 in scoring or top 50 in yards per play since 2022.

This might be a good time to jump aboard.

Kent State

2024 record: 0-12

2025 prediction: Last in the MAC

Preseason rank: No. 136 in The Athletic’s 136

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The Golden Flashes were so bad last season that they were an automatic qualifier for this season’s Bandwagon Guide. This program needs all the support it can get. Kent State lost games by scores of 71-0 (Tennessee), 56-0 (Penn State) and 41-0 (Ohio) last year. It was ugly — the Golden Flashes finished last nationally in scoring offense and scoring defense. They’ve also lost 21 games in a row dating back to September 2023. Offensive coordinator Mark Carney is serving as the interim head coach after coach Kenni Burns was fired in April for ethics and other violations.

The Golden Flashes open the season against FCS Merrimack, and there’s an Oct. 11 game against UMass. Those might be Kent State’s two best chances to end the losing skid this year.

Hawaii

2024 record: 5-7

2025 prediction: Seventh in the Mountain West

Preseason rank: No. 109 in The Athletic’s 136

The Rainbow Warriors might be ready to turn a corner. Coach Timmy Chang walked into an incredibly difficult situation in January 2022 after there was a heavy roster exodus in the late stages of Todd Graham’s tenure. Hawaii has improved gradually over the past few years and was relatively close to reaching a bowl last season. The Rainbow Warriors lost three games by three points or less in 2024.

Quarterback Micah Alejado is relatively inexperienced but passed for 469 yards and five scores in the 2024 season finale against New Mexico, and he offers some promise even though he lacks ideal size at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds. A strong Hawaii passing attack will make those late-night kickoffs much more entertaining. This team is worthy of your support.

Southern Miss

2024 record: 1-11

2025 prediction: Fifth in the Sun Belt West Division

Preseason rank: No. 104 in The Athletic’s 136

The Golden Eagles will be a fascinating experiment to watch unfold this season. Southern Miss went winless in the Sun Belt in 2024 but hired Charles Huff away from Marshall after he led the Thundering Herd to the Sun Belt championship.

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Huff, who clashed with Marshall’s administration about his contract, brought 19 transfers from the Herd with him. That includes standout quarterback Braylon Braxton.

This is a proud program with a history of success, but Southern Miss has fallen on hard times, with four losing records in the last five seasons. It’s a tough road ahead. How fast can the infusion of Marshall transfers get things turned around? We haven’t seen many cases like this in college football before.

(Photo of DJ Lagway: James Gilbert / Getty Images)

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