In college football’s playoff era, only five programs have notched perfect seasons en route to a national championship with Michigan being the most recent in 2023. But now, the parity playoff expansion has brought to the sport — and the possibility of a team playing as many as 16 games on their way to the title game — the likelihood of an unblemished campaign is considerably low.
If it happens during the 2025 season, that team may go down as the new “best-ever.”
Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook, here’s a look at the 10 teams with odds at +800 or better for going unbeaten during the regular season, along with the potential path for each:
Toughest games: vs. Oregon, at Ohio State
Expectations are other-worldly for Penn State this season, perhaps at their highest levels since the 1980s when Joe Paterno won both of the program’s national championships over a five-year stretch. James Franklin’s roster is the best he’s ever had in Happy Valley. He’s averaging 9.6 wins per season since the 2016 campaign with five top-10 finishes during that stretch. If Penn State snaps an eight-game losing skid to the Buckeyes, there’s a great chance the Nittany Lions get to Indianapolis without a loss.
Ohio State Buckeyes (+430)
Toughest games: vs. Texas, vs. Penn State, at Michigan
Ryan Day has managed a pair of unbeaten regular seasons with the Buckeyes, both coming his first two years with the program. Four consecutive losses to Michigan has prevented that from happening again, but the dubious record against the program’s arch nemesis didn’t slow down Ohio State’s march to a national title last fall. Ohio State would gladly trade another loss to the Wolverines for the ultimate crown a couple months later, right?
Toughest games: at Miami, vs. Texas A&M, vs. Boise State
Redshirt sophomore CJ Carr is getting the nod at quarterback over Kevin Minchey when the Fighting Irish take the field next weekend against the Hurricanes in the season opener. That’s one of several “good on good” nationally-ranked matchups that highlight college football’s Week 1 slate. It’s also one of the matchups that could determine Notre Dame’s playoff fate this fall. Marcus Freeman’s program suffered an early loss last season before running the table all the way to the national championship game.
Toughest games: vs. LSU, at South Carolina
Dabo Swinney said it, not us. The Clemson coach became the first to go 15-0 en route to a national championship several years ago and believes this year’s team can accomplish history once again by adding another victory to its total. According to the 247Sports Team Talent Composite, Clemson enters the season with a top-five roster in college football and easily the deepest in the ACC. Defensive tackle Peter Woods, quarterback Cade Klubnik and wide receiver T.J. Moore are the three former five-star headliners within a two-deep that returns a conference-leading 16 starters, including four of five veterans along the offensive line.
Toughest games: vs. Alabama, vs. Florida (Jacksonville), vs. Texas
The Bulldogs have marched to 12-0 twice during Kirby Smart’s tenure and they won the national championship both of those seasons. Facing one of the SEC’s toughest schedules in 2025, it’s going to be difficult to repeat that unblemished success against several quality opponents. Georgia being on the slate for other conference elites is just as worrisome for a couple heavyweights coming to Athens.
Toughest game: vs. James Madison
New year. New team. Same expectations for the Flames. Jamey Chadwell’s first season at Liberty ended with a New Year’s Six bid to the Fiesta Bowl, where the Flames’ perfect record ended in lackluster fashion against Oregon. The betting favorite this fall in Conference USA, Liberty will have to do it without quarterback Kaidon Salter, who departed to Colorado in the offseason.
Oregon Ducks (+650)
Toughest games: vs. Indiana, at Penn State
Should there be fear of regression for the Ducks in 2025? After last season’s 13-1 finish, that feels likely if not guaranteed. However, the schedule sets up for major success if Dante Moore and Oregon’s new-look offense creates fireworks and a couple impact starters defensively can lead. Oregon should be favored in every regular-season game except one this season, that coming at Penn State.
Texas Longhorns (+650)
Toughest games: at Ohio State, at Florida, at Georgia
All of the offseason hoopla surrounding Texas is warranted. It’s Arch Manning. It’s Colin Simmons and Anthony Hill Jr. It’s Steve Sarkisian at the helm of the top-ranked Longhorns gunning for his third consecutive appearance in the playoff semifinals — or better — this season. That said, Texas is one of the hunted. After reaching the SEC title game during their first season in the league, the Longhorns will get every team’s best shot this fall with several title contenders, including the reigning national champions in the opener.
Alabama Crimson Tide (+750)
Toughest games: at Georgia, at South Carolina, vs. LSU
Ten wins for Alabama this season — with this schedule — solidifies a playoff berth and that’s the goal for Kalen DeBoer. He’s already had one unbeaten campaign as a Power Four coach, but doing so with the Crimson Tide is a stretch. Of the SEC’s handful of elites, Alabama is the least likely to go 12-0 en route to Atlanta, per FanDuel. If it happens, that would mean Ty Simpson was a difference-maker at quarterback with the hire of offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and Alabama’s defense took a big-time stride in an elite direction.
Boise State Broncos (+800)
Toughest games: vs. UNLV, at Notre Dame
There’s no Heisman Trophy candidate in the backfield to bail out the Broncos this season, but the path to 12-0 and getting the Group of Six’s auto-playoff bid is simple — beat Notre Dame. Leaving South Bend with a victory means Boise State is a legitimate contender for one of the coveted 12 seeds and could be making a return to the playoff.
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