College Football Teams With Best Shot to Go Undefeated in 2025

College football is just five months away, and a solid group of teams have their sights set on the 2025 playoff.

While going undefeated is still the best path to get there, the expanded 12-team system leaves more room for error.

That's fortunate for most, because with conference expansion and big nonconference games, it's hard for any team to go undefeated. But some have done it—most recently Michigan in 2023, Georgia in 2022, Alabama in 2020 and LSU in 2019. 

Let's take a look at which teams have the best shot to do so in 2025. To be clear, we aren't guaranteeing that each of these teams will finish unbeaten. But they have the best chances to, when looking at home and away schedules, as well as roster and coaching staffs. 

Although Texas returns just 29 percent of its production on offense, per ESPN's SP, there is reason for optimism in Austin. 

Head coach Steve Sarkisian is handing the keys to the Longhorns offense to Arch Manning after the QB sat for two years behind Quinn Ewers. Although we haven't seen a ton of what Manning can do, he gets plenty of talent returning around him, like running backs like CJ Baxter, Quintrevion Wisner and Jerrick Gibson. 

Ryan Wingo is the most experienced receiver returning, but young guys like DeAndre Moore and Khalil Lockett can step up.  

As for Texas' schedule, yes, I'm aware that the Longhorns open Week 1 at Ohio State. But I already picked Texas as a way-too-early upset, as OSU is in a massive rebuilding year. The rest of Texas' road games include Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Georgia. Obviously the Florida and Georgia games stand out, but you can make the case that Texas can beat both of those teams in close ones. 

The Longhorns get San Jose State, UTEP, Sam Houston State, Vanderbilt, Arkansas and Texas A&M. Texas will likely be favored in most of those by a couple of scores, aside from the Aggies game. 

The Nittany Lions are going to be the team to watch in 2025. Penn State returns quarterback Drew Allar and both running backs in Nicholas SIngleton and Kaytron Allen. On defense, leaders like linebacker Dominic DeLuca, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton and defensive tackle Zane Durant also return. 

Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki is back, too, and Penn State managed to hire away Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.  

As far as Penn State's schedule, the Nittany Lions get some of their toughest matchups at home, including vs. Oregon, Indiana Nebraska. Yes, Penn State has to go on the road to play both Iowa and Ohio State, but the Nittany Lions have the clear talent advantage over both of these teams. 

The rest of PSU's schedule looks favorable, with out-of-conference games vs. Nevada, FIU and Villanova. Penn State should be favored in road games vs. UCLA, Michigan State and Rutgers, too. 

From on-field talent to its coaching staff, Penn State will be a force to be reckoned with in 2025. 

Notre Dame didn't have a great showing in the national championship. But thanks to head coach Marcus Freeman instilling a new culture in South Bend, The Fighting Irish should be a playoff contender regularly. 

Notre Dame returns 49 and 66 percent of its production on offense and defense, respectively, so there will be some rebuilding to be done. Star running back Jeremiyah Love will be the feature of the offense in 2025.

Aside from a tough Week 1 game, the Fighting Irish's schedule shapes up quite nicely. 

The Irish open the season with a road trip to take on the Miami Hurricanes. Obviously Carson Beck and the Canes will also be vying for a playoff spot as well in 2025, so this is the toughest game on ND's schedule.  

But after that, things look manageable. The Irish get home games against Texas A&M, Purdue, Boise State, NC State, USC, Navy and Syracuse. The Irish will likely be favored in all of those, with the A&M game being the closest. The rest of the away slate includes games at Arkansas, Boston College, Pitt and Stanford. 

Don't be surprised if Notre Dame makes it into the playoff unbeaten in 2025. 

Michigan wasn't in the playoff hunt last season. But it finished off the year on a high note, upsetting Ohio State on the road and beating Alabama in the Reliaquest Bowl. 

The Wolverines enter 2025 with that momentum. At quarterback, Michigan will turn to 5-star quarterback prospect Bryce Underwood. He was the No. 1 overall QB from 2024, flipping from LSU last fall.

Michigan also brings plenty of experience from last season, returning 64 percent of its production, good for 29th nationally. A few of the biggest names returning include tight end Max Bredeson, edge-rusher Derrick Moore and linebacker Ernest Hausmann. 

As for Michigan's schedule, the two games that stand out are the road trips to Oklahoma, Nebraska and USC. It's unclear what to expect from all three of those teams in 2025, although Oklahoma did land quarterback John Mateer from the transfer portal. 

The Wolverines' home slate features Big Ten opponents in Wisconsin, Washington, Purdue and Ohio State. Don't be surprised if Sherrone Moore gets Michigan back into the playoff in just his second season in Ann Arbor.  

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers look like the biggest contenders inside the ACC. Clemson ranks first overall in returning production for 2025. The biggest names coming back include quarterback Cade Klubnik, receivers Antonio Williams and T.J. Moore. On defense, leaders like T.J. Parker and Peter Woods return, as do linebackers Wade Woodaz and Sammy Brown. 

Although Clemson's schedule includes some challenges, the opportunity to run the table is there. The biggest challenge will be facing the LSU Tigers at home in Week 1. Getting LSU at home for this one is big for Clemson. 

The Tigers also get the majority of its bigger games at home, including ones vs. Syracuse, SMU, Duke and Florida State. There are road games that look tricky—most notably vs. Georgia Tech, Louisville and South Carolina.

While there is a real opportunity for Tech to pull off an upset early in the season over Clemson, the Tigers have the clear talent advantage. The same goes for Louisville and South Carolina, even though both of those are likely to be close ones.

Clemson's schedule does look tough, but the Tigers have the talent to overcome that in 2025 following a surprise playoff berth in 2024.   

The Cyclones made it to the Big 12 title game last season. Although Iowa State had a disappointing showing, losing 45-19, it finished strong with a Pop-Tarts Bowl victory over Miami. 

Iowa State returns 58 percent of its overall production from last season, including starting quarterback Rocco Becht and running back Carson Hansen. 

As Iowa State looks to make it back to Arlington for the Big 12 title game, its schedule sets up nicely. ISU does open with a tough game against Kansas State in Dublin, and that game could go either way. 

Otherwise, the Cyclones have home games against their toughest opponents, like Iowa, Arizona, BYU, Arizona State and Kansas. The away games include Arkansas State, Cincinnati, Colorado, TCU and Oklahoma State. Iowa State should be favored in most of those, with the Colorado game looking like the toughest one. 

A trip back to the Big 12 title game is very much in the cards for Matt Campbell and his 2025 Iowa State team.