College football is a sport that sees some unexpected things happen year in and year out. This past year, we saw teams like Tennessee, Oregon, and Boise State make deep runs, while teams like Penn State, Ohio State, and Notre Dame continued to live up to expectations.
We have now entered the college football predictions part of the offseason. While some teams are expected to fall flat, others are expected to rise to the occasion and even have breakout and unexpected seasons. One of college football’s most respected analysts, Josh Pate, ranks his boldest predictions ahead of the 2025 season.
Josh Pate Breaks Down the Most Outrageous College Football Predictions for 2025 Playoff Contenders
Analyst Josh Pate dove into bold CFB predictions on his latest “Josh Pate’s College Football Show” podcast. From Arizona State’s title run to Texas A&M’s rushing dominance, rating them on a 1–10 boldness scale. One is the least bold, and 10 is the most daring.
Pate’s first prediction, which he went over on the show, was sent by a user saying that three of LSU, Oklahoma, Ohio State, and Clemson will be in the 2025 Final Four of the College Football Playoffs.
Pate gives this a 9.75. He says the team that will find it the hardest will be Oklahoma, which is expected to win roughly seven games. But the reason it’s so bold is because of the bracket issue, and whether the brackets will line up favorably with this prediction.
The next prediction he read saw someone say Texas A&M will have the best rushing attack in the SEC this year. Pate also agrees with this, as he says this one is “not so bold.” He ranks this at a 7.5 on the scale and believes they will be the best rushing team in the SEC this year.
Next up, a user sent in a prediction saying that Arizona State will once again win the Big 12 Championship game and make it to the National Championship game. Pate gives this a 9.25. The Big 12 is a “crap shoot” as Pate calls it. Texas Tech, Arizona State, and Kansas State all have the same odds to win it, with teams like Baylor, Utah, and BYU not far behind.
The last prediction saw a user say that Illinois would make the College Football Playoff. Pate gives this an 8.5 on the scale. He doesn’t find it crazy, given how talented the Illinois Fighting Illini team is. Illinois is coming off the first 10-win season since 2001, over two decades ago.
KEEP READING: Which College Football Games Should You Attend in 2025? Josh Pate Teases Texas at Ohio State, LSU at Clemson, Among Others
Some predictions are certainly more bold than others. It remains to be seen which predictions will come true and which won’t. However, one thing we know for sure is to strap in and enjoy another stacked college football season.
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