ESPN names 11 college football teams facing the most pressure in 2025

ESPN named the 11 college football teams facing the most pressure going into the 2025 season and there are plenty of teams under the gun. The 11 teams were split into different tiers, depending upon their situations.

Safe to say, some programs need to win big this year. Others need to show signs of significant progress or life as well.

So, let’s dive into ESPN’s pressure index for the 2025 college football season. We’ll start with some teams that want to see some ROI.

Miami

Miami is in the “return on investment tier,” per ESPN. Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes are certainly under pressure to deliver an ACC title and/or College Football Playoff appearance this year.

The pieces are in place and the talent has been accumulated in the past, present and future. But, all of that has to translate to on-the-field success as Cristobal goes into Year 4 in Coral Gables.

LSU

LSU is in the same tier as Miami, per ESPN’s list. Brian Kelly was a big investment as the school pulled him away from Notre Dame to deliver a national championship like the three coaches before him.

Kelly has yet to make the playoff and now goes into Year 4 without a CFP appearance or SEC title. But, there’s a Heisman worthy quarterback in Garrett Nussmeier under center and a veteran defensive star in LB Harold Perkins. They need to get it done.

Oklahoma

The Sooners made a big investment by bringing back Brent Venables, this time as head coach. But he’s gotta be under tremendous pressure after less than stellar results during his tenure.

More investments were made though to ensure Oklahoma can return to the top of the heap. They hired Jim Nagy as the new GM, built a front office, landed QB transfer John Mateer and other transfer stars Jaydn Ott (former Cal RB) and Kendal Daniels (former Oklahoma State DB). 

Texas Tech

Texas Tech took the term investment and put themselves in the dictionary. The Red Raiders have gone all-in on the transfer portal to reshape a roster for Big 12 and CFP contention. So yes, there’s pressure.

The school seems to be all in on Joey McGuire at head coach, but he’ll have to deliver a conference title at minimum. A senior-heavy team in Lubbock has the experience, they just have to prove it on the field.

Florida

Now we get to the “seeking a CFP breakthrough tier” in ESPN’s pressure list. The Gators have the pieces in place to finally “break through.”

Billy Napier and the Gators showed something down the stretch in 2024, so now naturally, they have to make the College Football Playoff in 2025. Young stars like DJ Lagway, Jadan Baugh, Jake Slaughter and Caleb Banks will determine how far this team goes.

USC

The Trojans nearly got to the CFP in Year 1 of the Lincoln Riley era. But two losses to Utah and a bowl game loss to Tulane highlighted the end of that 2022 season in the Pac-12.

So yes, Riley has pressure to deliver in Year 2 of the Big Ten and Year 4 overall. His buyout is massive, so he’s not necessarily on the hot seat. But going from 11 to eight to seven wins in consecutive years is going in the wrong direction.

Penn State

We are now on the “championship of bust tier,” per ESPN. Penn State is the only team on this list with that type of pressure.

The Nittany Lions are running it back with a lot of last year’s stars that got them to the CFP semifinals. It’s time for James Franklin and crew to put it all together and win the national title by season’s end.

Florida State

This next pressure tier is entitled “coach must deliver soon.” ESPN has Florida State and Mike Norvell is certainly feeling some sort of heat.

The team was 13-0 and ACC champions just a couple of years ago. But because of QB Jordan Travis’ injury, they were left out of the playoff and bottomed out in 2024. Going into Year 6, Norvell might have a more competitive team in 2025, but the Seminoles will have prove they belong against the conference’s elite.

Auburn

Hugh Freeze faces pressure going into Year 3 because, well, it’s Auburn and the SEC. He’s just 11-14 in two seasons so a more successful campaign would bode well.

The Tigers haven’t more than six games since 2019, so that’d be a good start for Freeze and company. At least doing that will buy him more time for a future CFP push.

Wisconsin

Luke Fickell made Cincinnati a national Group of Five power, including making the former-four-team-playoff. But he has more pressure at Wisconsin to deliver this season, considering he’s 13-13 in two years.

The Badgers’ fanbase is patient, but not competing for the Big Ten regularly, even without divisions anymore, is a sight to behold. Perhaps if Fickell gets back to the old school approach in Madison, the Badgers will be better off in 2025.

Alabama

It’s only Year 2 and Kalen DeBoer is likely not going anywhere, but a playoff appearance should be the minimum for the Crimson Tide. That’s the definition of pressure.

An improved offense and defense seems like it’s coming, at least on paper. Patience is needed when taking over for Nick Saban, but DeBoer needs success a little faster than others at a pressure-packed institution.