With Alabama, Arizona State, and Ohio State being the only Power 4 schools not to lose any starters or production players to the transfer portal this year, expectations are sky high.
It is so high that for two teams—Alabama and Ohio State—failing to make the 12-team College Football Playoff would likely be perceived by many as a program-wide failure.
Why Alabama and Ohio State Face Unforgiving Playoff Expectations in 2025
On Monday’s “The Ultimate College Football Show,” college football analysts Brad Crawford, Emily Proud, and Gerald “Smoke” Dixon discussed the possible ramifications of each of the three missing the CFP.
“I think if Ohio State — the defending national champion with the best player in college football on offense, Jeremiah Smith, and best player on defense, Caleb Downs, coming back — don’t make a 12-team playoff in a top heavy Big Ten, yes, it’s a failure,” Crawford said.
“For Arizona State, I don’t think it would be. I mean, we’re only two seasons removed, Kenny Dillingham that is, from going 3-9 with the Sun Devils, and now he has his quarterback back, and they should be a team, Emily, that competes for that top-tier spot in the Big 12. But for Ohio State to defend your title, you have at least to get back to the first round of the postseason.”
“I think for Alabama and Ohio State just because it’s Alabama and Ohio State and when you don’t lose anyone to the portal you’re saying ‘I’m bringing back my team’ in Alabama’s case this is Kalen DeBoer’s team now, this is a team that he and Courtney Morgan’s put together, two years, so now they’re all in,” Dixon said.
“They have the quarterback with Ty Simpson and Keelon Russell, whom they recruited. They brought guys in from the portal, so you can’t miss the playoffs two years in a row in Alabama and don’t have that pressure on you.”
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“In Ohio State, you’re the returning national champs, you might have the number one and number two draft picks on your board, and also you got Ryan Day, why not show back up and do it, and if you fail at it, that’s a bad look for college football. Did you think the pressure was on you last year? I think it’s now heated up.”
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