In college football, expectations for teams to establish their dominance tend to be pretty early on in the season. But popular college football analyst Josh Pate suggests that we may be entering a new phase where it is harder to tell who the top teams are until far into the season, all the way to Week 7.
In fact, Pate claims that the uncertainty of this era is set forth by the unpredictable nature of the sport, and one that seems to gain traction among a haze of uncertainty drifting away before season 2025.
The Top Teams’ Uncertainty in College Football: Why We May Not Know Who’s Best Until Week 7
Pate also made quite a case in a recent conversation when citing the 2024 season as something that showcases how fluid rankings and the national title picture can be way more than ordinarily expected.
He noted Ohio State’s national championship win, remarkable as it was, could be seen in contrast to their earlier woes and a coach said to be on the hot seat as late as Thanksgiving weekend. Such unpredictability seems to have returned and may well mark the beginning of a trend.
The primary causative agent for this unpredictability is the nonexistence of returning quarterbacks on the part of top contenders. Pate has stated that no quarterback from the previous season’s starting four has returned among the top four, hence making it difficult to assess how these teams will come out immediately.
Besides this, a lot of other top teams must return less than 50% of their production, which means early inconsistency could multiply.
There will likely not be enough time to get into full swing in a season that has seen unprecedented turnover. It may be that the usual suspects, Alabama, Ohio State, or Georgia, may not appear to be title contenders initially, but as the season moves into full swing, they get all the build-up.
Pate also noted that there might be an outlier champion, just as Ohio State in 2024. It is possible that Oregon or Penn State could be the early-season momentum teams, only for the Longhorns, technically led by the developing Arch Manning, to catch fire late in November in winning the title.
This unpredictability in the preseason rankings gives an entry for such a surprise team.
Given the dynamic nature of this season, Pate’s advice is simple: do not marry any early opinions on teams. The difference between week one and week seven might be like night and day; a team can fall just as quickly as it can rise.
KEEP READING: Top Returning Quarterbacks in 2025, Led by Penn State’s Drew Allar
All the fans and analysts involved in college football must remain very flexible and nimble in their standings and predictions; it is plausible that after a few weeks of play, we may be able to identify the elite teams.
As the 2025 season progresses into the exciting part, the veil of uncertainty might well establish itself as an increasingly honoured norm in college football, thus rendering every single week much more captivating and unpredictable than ever.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
