College football viewer’s guide: Everything you need to know for this season

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The return of college football is almost here.

Unlike last season, there’s not much new with the College Football Playoff this year — and the format may not be changing again soon with conferences divided on the best long-term solution for the sport.

So in the meantime, the 12-team playoff awaits again this season, with one change: The top four seeds will be the top four teams in the rankings no matter if they’re conference champs or not. (Last year, the top four conference champions received the four first-round byes, resulting in Boise State and Arizona State getting byes despite being ranked No. 9 and No. 12, respectively.)

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With that little bit of housekeeping out of the way, here’s everything you need to know ahead of an action-packed 2025 college football season.

CFP future still up for grabs as Big Ten pushes auto-bid format

The conferences are currently at an impasse as the Big Ten is adamant in its support for a playoff format that no one else likes. The conference is advocating for a 16-team playoff that guarantees four bids each to the Big Ten and SEC, while the ACC and Big 12 each get two bids. The remaining four spots would be reserved for the top Group of Five champion and three at-large teams.

Read more on future playoff formats right here.

Coaches under the most pressure this season

The 2025 season could be a referendum on many coaches.

As there wasn’t much coaching turnover in the power conferences after the 2024 season, numerous coaches enter this season needing their teams to have strong performances. Not all of the coaches on the list are on the hot seat, per se — we have one first-year coach on it — but here are 10 coaches who could really use great seasons.

Read more on coaches under pressure right here.

Familiar faces, new places: QB transfer to know

With millions in NIL money being thrown around, quarterbacks have jumped from team to team over the past several years. It can be a bit hard to keep track of all the movement, so here are 10 of the biggest quarterback moves over the offseason as teams like Miami, Louisville and Colorado looked to add veteran QBs to replace starters who bolted for the NFL.

Read more on QB transfers to know right here.
Read about the biggest QB competitions right here.

Familiar faces, new places: Non-QB transfers to know

A new QB can help a team turn a corner quick, but there are plenty of other key positions that can change a game in a heartbeat. From new Michigan running back Justice Haynes to LSU wide receiver Nic Anderson, there were plenty of gamebreakers on the move in between season. We run through the biggest transfers outside the QB position you need to know about.

Read more on non-QB transfers right here.

It’s never been easier to rebuild quickly in college football thanks to the transfer portal. It’s like the wild west with a free-for-all twice a year when programs try to grab the best players available to beef up their rosters and fill their biggest holes. Immediate turnarounds are possible, but so are sudden drop-offs. Results vary; change across the sport’s landscape is guaranteed.

With that said, here are the teams that appear primed for a level-up this season — whether going from an embarrassing season to more respectable, or a middling team that could punch its way into the playoff.

Read more on teams poised to bounce back right here.

Fans know there are varying levels of disappoint in college football. Teams that are used to making the College Football Playoff feel robbed when they don’t. Other programs are content finishing .500 and making a bowl game.

So which teams are set up for a down season in 2025? With player movement aplenty and expectations all over the place, these teams may not be happy with where they’re at come December.

Read more on teams poised to disappoint right here.

Best non-conference games this season

While some power conference teams are dodging marquee games outside of league play, others are embracing them. Nowhere is that more evident than in Week 1, which is full of can’t-miss non-conference games. Texas-Ohio State, Florida State-Alabama, LSU-Clemson, Syracuse-Tennessee and Notre Dame-Miami all play on opening weekend in a loaded slate. And that doesn’t even include Bill Belichick’s college debut on Monday night, when UNC hosts TCU in Chapel Hill.

Read more on the best non-con games right here.

For the second year in a row, Yahoo Sports ran a simulated season in EA Sports’ new college football video game. Were the results realistic? You be the judge.

Read more on our college football video game simulation right here.

This news was originally published on this post .