We think there are nine legitimate contenders for the college football national championship ahead of the 2025 season.
But none of those teams is anywhere close to perfect. Each of them have questions ahead of the second season of the 12-team College Football Playoff. Here are the biggest questions for each of our title-worthy teams (odds from BetMGM).
[Previously: 5 dark horse teams that could sneak into title conversation]
LSU (+1500 odds to win national title)
Can the Tigers avoid another 0-1 start?
Brian Kelly has made no secret of LSU’s need to start the season with a win. The Tigers have lost their last five openers and are 0-3 in Kelly’s time at LSU. LSU lost back-to-back games against Florida State in 2022 and 2023 before losing to USC to begin the 2024 season.
The Tigers have the talent to make a run at the national championship, but the schedule is not forgiving. For a loss at Clemson on Aug. 30 to be overcome, LSU would likely have to go 7-1 in the SEC. No three-loss team made the College Football Playoff as an at-large in 2024. That could change in 2025, but does LSU really want to test that out?
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Notre Dame (+1200)
What if a QB doesn’t emerge?
The Irish’s quarterback competition is down to CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey after Steve Angeli transferred to Syracuse in the spring. Riley Leonard completed 67% of his passes a season ago, but he also threw for fewer than 200 yards in seven of Notre Dame’s 16 games.
Can the Irish get by with that lack of passing production again and make another title run? It seems doubtful, especially if neither Carr nor Minchey can provide the value Leonard did on the ground. Notre Dame turned to Leonard to make plays with his legs in crucial short-yardage situations time and time again in 2024. The run game will be very good with a stacked offensive line and Jeremiyah Love in the backfield. But whoever wins the QB job will need to deliver in big situations like Leonard did.
Alabama (+1000)
Will Alabama fix its penalty issues?
Alabama found itself as the first team out of the playoff following a 9-3 campaign in 2024. The three losses came to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma. Against Tennessee, the Tide committed 15 penalties in a 24-17 defeat.
Overall, Alabama committed 7.4 penalties per game last season and ranked 116th in the country in penalty rate. Only one playoff team, SMU, committed more penalties per game.
Yes, there were Alabama teams under Nick Saban that committed more penalties per game than Kalen DeBoer’s first team did. But in a loaded SEC, Alabama can’t continue to make so many self-inflicted errors and hope to compete for the title.
Clemson (+900)
Can the Tigers beat multiple teams from the SEC?
We’re extremely high on the Tigers’ chances to win the national title this season. And to do so, they’ll likely have to beat at least two teams from the SEC.
Clemson is 2-5 against SEC opponents over the past three seasons. Those two wins came in 2023 when Clemson beat South Carolina to end the regular season and took down Kentucky in the Gator Bowl. Outside of that, Clemson has lost twice to South Carolina, lost to Tennessee in the Orange Bowl after the 2022 season and fell to Georgia and Texas a season ago.
LSU and South Carolina are on the regular season schedule in 2025 and the Tigers are likely going to face an SEC team or two in the College Football Playoff if they make a deep run like we think they can. If a national title is in the cards, Clemson is going to have to show it can take down the SEC’s best.
Oregon (+900)
How will Oregon replenish its depth at receiver?
With Tez Johnson, Traeshon Holden and Terrance Ferguson off to the NFL, Evan Stewart was set to be the only returning player on Oregon’s roster who had more than 30 catches in 2024.
But Stewart may miss a significant chunk of the 2025 season after suffering a knee injury during spring practices. He had 48 catches for 613 yards and five scores in 2024.
Without Stewart in the fold for at least the start of the season, Oregon will need some new faces to step up for QB Dante Moore. The good news is that Oregon’s offense under Will Stein is one of the most efficient in the country. Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel each were Heisman finalists over the past two seasons and completed over 70% of their passes. Can Moore get close to those numbers with so much turnover at receiver?
Penn State (+700)
Can the Nittany Lions shake the big-game questions?
It’s time for Penn State to win a massive Big Ten game. Especially if it wants to be considered a serious national title contender. The Nittany Lions host Oregon and head to Ohio State in 2025. Those are the team’s two toughest games of the regular season by far.
Penn State lost 45-37 to Oregon in the Big Ten title game in December. The Nittany Lions made that championship game after Ohio State’s final week loss to Michigan. It’ll be a big advantage to play the Ducks in prime time at Beaver Stadium.
Getting over the Ohio State hump may be even more important. The Buckeyes have won the last eight matchups between the schools dating back to Penn State’s 24-21 win in 2016. Getting at least a split between Oregon and Ohio State is probably necessary for Penn State to play for the Big Ten title again.
Georgia (+700)
What if the offense lacks a reliable big-play threat again?
Gunner Stockton showed enough in 1½ games at the end of the season to not be the biggest question mark on the Georgia offense. The 2024 Bulldogs offense was limited by a lack of big-play threats with the departures of Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey. Players like London Humphreys and Lawson Luckie showed flashes, but they combined for just 39 catches.
Georgia added two key receivers through the transfer portal in Zachariah Branch (USC) and Noah Thomas (Texas A&M). Can either of them become the No. 1 target for Stockton? Thomas was the Aggies’ leading receiver in 2024 with 39 catches for 574 yards and eight scores. Who will step up and fill the void?
Ohio State (+525)
Will the defense stay excellent with a host of new starters and a new coordinator?
No starter has officially been named at quarterback for the Buckeyes, but the defense as a whole may be a bigger question than who takes the first snaps at QB against Texas.
Ohio State returns All-American safety Caleb Downs, linebacker Sonny Styles and cornerback Davison Igbinosun from a unit that allowed 12.9 points per game in 2024. But eight other starters need to be replaced and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is now at Penn State. In his place is former Lions coach Matt Patricia. He’s coaching college football for the first time since he was a graduate assistant.
There’s still a ton of talent on this side of the ball, but how Patricia adjusts to the college game with a whole lot of new starters could determine how much of a shot the Buckeyes have of going back-to-back.
Texas (+475)
How will a revamped offensive line hold up in front of Arch Manning?
Guard DJ Campbell is the only returning starter on Texas’ offensive line. The Longhorns’ front five were largely injury-free in 2024 outside of an ankle injury that first-round pick Kelvin Banks dealt with over the course of the season.
Now Banks is with the Saints and right tackle Cam Williams also needs to be replaced. Trevor Goosby got experience at both tackle spots when Banks and Williams each missed a little bit of time in 2024 and he’s penciled in as Banks’ replacement on Manning’s blind side.
The offensive line will have to come together quickly against Ohio State in Week 1 and again at Florida on Oct. 4. But if it can hold its own, Texas could be in line for a special season.
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