Illinois, Utah, Texas Tech Headline 2025 CFP Race

As the 2025 college football season approaches, several programs are highlighted as potential College Football Playoff (CFP) debutants, with Illinois singled out by Fox Sports' Joel Klatt for their continuity and quarterback leadership from Luke Altmeyer. Nebraska and Florida are also identified as strong contenders for their first CFP appearances if they can overcome challenging schedules. In the Big 12, Texas Tech remains a sleeper pick for the conference title and a possible CFP run, while Utah is projected by On3's Brett McMurphy to win the Big 12 and secure a playoff berth. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark has advocated for maintaining only five automatic qualifiers in the expanded playoff, emphasizing fairness and on-field results. The Big Ten is expected to have strong representation, with four teams likely to make the playoff, and teams like Indiana and Georgia Tech are considered potential surprises. The evolving landscape points to increased competition and new contenders emerging in the 2025 CFP race.