100 days until Week 0: Top storylines, games and predictions for the 2025 season

One hundred days from now, the college football season will officially begin. Week 0 will kick off on Aug. 23 with an international edition of Farmageddon as Big 12 hopefulsIowa Stateand Kansas Statemeet in Dublin.

While we're counting down days until the season starts, it's never too early to look at storylines, players and coaches who should define 2025. We'll even make some wild predictions.

This year, we'll see six-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick make his college football coaching debut at North Carolinaand star QB Nico Iamaleava debut at UCLAafter a dramatic transfer portal exit from Tennessee.

We'll see formerGeorgiaQB Carson Beck at Miami(if he's healthy) and Arch Manning-mania officially kicks off at the Horseshoe when SEC favorite Texastravels to face Ohio State, the reigning College Football Playoff national champions.

Our ESPN college football reporters have put together 10 lists of 10 things to know (100 in total!) ahead of the college football season.

Jump to a section:br/>Storylines | Must-see gamesbr/>Coaches | Heisman contendersbr/>First-time CFP teams | Freshmenbr/>Transfers | First-round byebr/>Predictions | G5 teams

10 must-know storylines

10. The House settlement's impact on walk-ons: Walk-on success stories have always been among the most compelling college football has offered, but as the sport evolves toward a more professional model, those slots are in jeopardy. Federal judge Claudia Wilkin delayed approval of the multibillion-dollar antitrust settlement last month largely because of the negative impact it was set to have on walk-on opportunities. The settlement included a proposal to limit football rosters to 105, which means that some programs would be cutting 20-plus spots designated for walk-ons athletes. We'll have to wait to see how things are finalized before being able to draw specific conclusions but it's hard to see a scenario where walk-on programs can be as robust as they have been. From the outside, it will be hard to see much of a difference, but for those on the inside, this rips away part of the sport that has been central to what makes it special. -- Kyle Bonagura

9. Can Lincoln Riley and Mike Gundy bounce back? Just four years ago, these two were facing off in a top-10 Bedlam matchup, with Gundy's No. 7 Oklahoma Stateteam beating Riley's No. 10 Oklahoma37-33. Then Riley stunned everyone by departing for USCthe next day, where he's gone 26-14, including 4-5 in conference games in his first Big Ten season. Gundy, meanwhile, has gone 20-19 over that span, including 0-9 in the Big 12 last year. Gundy has always bounced back over a stellar career (including a 10-win season in 2023 after going 7-6 the season before), and last season's 3-9 disaster was his first losing season since his first in 2005. But losing ground in the new Big 12 without Texasor OU has him squarely on the hot seat. Riley, meanwhile, has leeway because of the monstrous 10-year, $110 million contract USC gave him in 2022. -- DaveWilson

8.Diego Pavia and the fight for more eligibility: Vanderbiltquarterback Diego Pavia won a landmark injunction in federal court that determined his junior college football should not have counted toward his four-year NCAA eligibility clock. The decision granted Pavia additional eligibility and led to a quick decision from the NCAA to issue a waiver for anyone else in his position. It was yet another court-mandated decision that has the potential to have a strong ripple effect through the sport. The most obvious change could be in recruiting. The option to go the junior college route looks a lot more appealing if it doesn't count against an NCAA eligibility clock because many high school football players would benefit from another year of physical development at that age. It could allow players to become more sought-after recruits, increase their earning potential and ability to earn playing time early at a four-year school. The interesting part, though, is to think about where this could lead. Because it seems like it's only a matter of time before someone else -- or a group -- goes to court to challenge the four-year eligibility cap or the existence of a cap on eligibility at all. -- Bonagura

7. Is this NIL's last big hurrah? Schools such asTexas Techhave leaned into the NIL era, with 20 incoming football transfers and standard deals for all players in multiple sports. But once the $2.8 billion House v. NCAA settlement is approved by the judge, the NCAA says it will begin new oversight of NIL compliance. With distribution of up to $20.8 million in revenue sharing allocated to be paid directly to players, the NCAA says it will take a closer look at NIL enforcement, with all deals of $600 or more subject to independent review, along with new tech platforms to monitor payments. Part of the settlement provides for the creation of a new enforcement entity for Power 4 schools. While the NCAA's record on enforcement in the past has been wildly inconsistent, many administrators still feel this will be the end of the pay-for-play deals that we've seen thrown around as a last gasp before the potential for the settlement and revenue sharing. -- Wilson

6. Coaching encores: A lot can change in one college football season. Just ask Mike Norvell. Or Ryan Day. Two years ago, Norvell was hurting as his team was bypassed for the College Football Playoff, then watched the bottom fall out of Florida State's 2024 season, going from 13-1 to 2-10. Ryan Day, meanwhile, lived both lives in a matter of months, losing on Nov. 30 toMichiganwith calls for his head before getting in the first 12-team playoff field and beating Notre Dameto win the title on Jan. 20. So the theme for many coaches is what will they do for an encore? Day gets to replace quarterbackWill Howard and running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson. Norvell convinced his old mentor, Gus Malzahn, to leave the head coaching job at UCF to focus again on just offense as coordinator at FSU. Meanwhile, Rich Rodriguez, who became a rising star by going 60-26 at West Virginia, returns to try to bring the Mountaineers back. And Scott Frost, who fell from grace back at his alma mater and got fired at Nebraskaafter going 16-31, returns to UCF, where he went 19-7, including going 13-0 in 2017. -- Wilson

5. The Iamaleava dominoes: Tennesseetransfer Nico Iamaleava and his brother, Arkansastransfer Madden Iamaleava, aren't officially enrolled at UCLA yet. But during UCLA's Spring Showcase, they watched as Luke Duncan took first- and second-team reps while Nick Billoups, who is in the transfer portal, also took some snaps, according to the Los Angeles Times. Meanwhile, Joey Aguilar, who had transferred to UCLA initially after a standout year at App State, is now transferring to Tennessee to replace Nico. By this fall, Aguilar will be in Knoxville and the Iamaleava brothers could be Nos. 1 and 2 on the Bruins' depth chart. Coach DeShaun Foster said "it's just comforting" having Nico around, which is not the way Tennessee felt after a dispute over NIL money. He heads to Los Angeles after throwing for 2,616 yards with 19 TDs and 5 INTs. The soap opera will continue into the fall. -- Wilson

4. Deion without Hunter and Shedeur at Colorado:The Colorado Buffaloes proved a lot of the skeptics wrong last year by posting a nine-win season and losing out on a chance to play in the Big 12 title game due to a tiebreaker. It was a remarkable improvement over the previous season, when Colorado finished in last place in the Pac-12. But for Deion Sanders, here's where the real test probably begins. Even with a generational talent in Travis Hunter and a dynamic quarterback with his son, Shedeur Sanders, the Buffaloes were still just 13-12 over the past two seasons. They masked a lot of issues. Without them, the team's on-field identity will inevitably evolve. And with that, we'll also likely get a better understanding of how committed Coach Prime is to the job long term. -- Bonagura

3. DeBoer at Alabama, Year 2: Replacing Nick Saban at Alabama was always going to be a unique conundrum because it's completely unfair to expect anyone to replace the greatest college football coach of all time. The coach who came after Saban was going to be measured against him. That's just how this works. While that dynamic is probably unfair, that doesn't make DeBoer's task any easier. He left a place where the external pressure would be relatively nonexistent for the foreseeable future after leading Washington to a national title game appearance in his second season. The Crimson Tide were disappointing last year, but it also made sense that Year 1 was transitional as Saban's shadow still loomed quite large. That will be the case for a long time, to varying degrees, but now that there has been adequate time to shape the roster into his own vision, it will be interesting to see how Alabama looks in Year 2 under DeBoer. -- Bonagura

2.Manning, Mateer and Texas' and Oklahoma's offensive makeovers: The Red River Reboot is afoot. Quinn Ewers is gone after three years as Texas' starter, giving way to Arch Manning, the Heisman favorite who has two starts and 28 career pass attempts under his belt. Meanwhile, at Oklahoma, the Sooners have imported an offense under new coordinator Ben Arbuckle and junior quarterback John Mateer, who arrived from Washington State, along with Calrunning back transfer Jaydn Ott. The Longhorns, coming off two straight College Football Playoff semifinal appearances, lost star receiversMatthew Golden, Isaiah Bond and tight endGunnar Helm. The Sooners, meanwhile, are replacing Nic Anderson, Brenen Thompson and tight end Bauer Sharp while trying to bounce back from a 6-7 season and the departure of former five-star recruit Jackson Arnold to Auburn. -- Wilson

1. Belichick goes to school: Let's try to set aside the sideshow that is Bill Belichick's personal life and return our attention to why anyone is fascinated with him in the first place. Arguably the greatest football coach who has ever lived, a man who won six Super Bowls as the head coach of the New England Patriots but has never coached at the college level, will begin his reign atNorth Carolina. There have been all sorts of outside-the-box coaching experiments in recent years, but this one -- strictly from a football standpoint -- might be the most interesting. His arrival in Chapel Hill comes with so many questions. Can he relate to college-aged players?Does his style translate to the college level? How long will he stay? But they really all boil down to one: Will he win? The last time North Carolina won a conference title (1980), the millennial generation had yet to arrive. -- Bonagura

10 best games to watch

10 coaches to watch

10 early Heisman Trophy contenders

10. Ryan Williams, WR, Alabama: As a 17-year-old true freshman, Williams was one of the most electric playmakers in the country the first part of last season. He had five touchdown catches in his first four games, including the game winner against Georgia, and finished the season with 10 touchdowns (eight receiving, two rushing). Williams has tremendous big-play ability. He averaged 18 yards per catch and is as dangerous catching the deep ball as he is at making things happen after the catch. -- ChrisLow

9. John Mateer, QB, Oklahoma: Cam Ward almost won the Heisman Trophy and became the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft after transferring to Miami from Washington State. Mateer, another Wazzu transfer, is coming off of his own breakout season following two years of backing up Ward. If the Sooners can protect him -- a big if -- Mateer could become the next in a long line of OU transfer QBs (Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts) to contend for the Heisman. -- Jake Trotter

8. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame: Love ranked second last year in yards after contact per rush (among running backs with at least 150 carries) after averaging 4.41 yards, only trailing Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, the No. 6 overall pick in last month's NFL draft. Love, who figures to get more touches for the Irish in 2025, could be the first back off the board in next year's draft. -- Trotter

7.LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina: There may not be a more valuable player in the country than the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Sellers, who's next to impossible to tackle when he breaks out of the pocket. Sellers looks and plays a lot like Cam Newton did when Newton was at Auburn for his 2010 Heisman Trophy season. Sellers, a redshirt sophomore, needs to become a more polished passer. He accounted for 25 touchdowns (18 passing, seven rushing) last season and was one of five Power 4 quarterbacks to pass for more than 2,500 yards and rush for more than 600 yards. -- Low

6. Drew Allar, QB, Penn State: Though he tossed a catastrophic late interception in Penn State's loss to Notre Dame in the playoff semifinals, Allar is coming off a banner 2024 with a QBR of 77.5, which ranked 16th nationally. Allar took a big jump from 2023 to last season and could make another sizable leap in his third year as the starter. -- Trotter

5.DJ Lagway, QB, Florida: There was some concern this spring about Lagway's throwing shoulder, but coach Billy Napier said Lagway should be 100% by June. He was one of the top true freshmen in college football last season and led the Gators to wins in their last four games of the season after Graham Mertz was injured. At 6-3 and 240 pounds, Lagway has elite arm strength and is extremely tough to bring down in or outside the pocket. He threw 12 touchdown passes in 192 attempts last season. -- Low

4.Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU: After waiting his turn for three years, Nussmeier had a breakout year in 2024 and enters his redshirt senior season as the starter for the second straight season. Nussmeier was fifth nationally and second in the SEC with 4,052 passing yards a year ago. He threw 29 touchdown passes but was also intercepted 12 times. Nussmeier's experience and toughness make him one of the unquestioned leaders in the LSU locker room. He engineered fourth-quarter comebacks in wins over Ole Miss and South Carolina last season. -- Low

3. Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State: Multiple NFL scouts and personnel told ESPN that Smith would've been a top-five pick in this most recent draft, had he been eligible. Instead, the 19-year-old phenom, who won't be eligible for the draft until 2027, will power a retooling Ohio State offense still boasting plenty of talent, albeit inexperienced, around him. -- Trotter

2. Arch Manning, QB, Texas: Though he has attempted only 63 career passes, Manning is the current favorite to win the Heisman, according to ESPN BET. With his famous surname, Manning has as much national hype as any first-time, full-time starting QB in recent college football history. He'll be tested immediately, when the Longhorns travel to Ohio State to face the defending national champion Buckeyes in Week 1. -- Trotter

1.Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson: Klubnik has grown tremendously since his first season as a starter in 2023. The 6-2, 210-pound senior ranks in the top five in Clemson history in nearly every passing category and put up huge numbers a year ago when he was one of two FBS quarterbacks with more than 3,600 passing yards and 400 rushing yards.He accounted for 43 touchdowns (36 passing, seven rushing) and threw only six interceptions in 486 passing attempts. What's more exciting is he has all of his top wide receivers returning for the 2025 season. -- Low

10 potential first-time CFP teams

10 freshmen to watch

10 transfers to watch

10. Max Klare, TE, Ohio State: The Buckeyes' passing attack didn't need any extra help going into 2025 with the star power the team returns at wide receiver, but Klare could end up being a sneaky great addition. The Purdue transfer ranked fourth among all Power 4 tight ends with a team-high 685 receiving yards on 51 receptions last season and should be a dependable target for the Buckeyes' inexperienced QBs.

9. Nic Anderson, WR, LSU: The Tigers have put together a CFP-caliber roster with an elite portal class this offseason full of proven starters. Anderson sat out almost the entire 2024 season because of injury but showed he can be a big-time playmaker at Oklahoma in 2023, turning 38 catches into 798 yards and 10 TDs. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier should greatly benefit from the arrival of Anderson and Kentucky transfer Barion Brown, two of the top wideouts from the portal.

8. David Bailey, OLB, Texas Tech: The Red Raiders went all-in for 2025 and assembled an absolutely loaded portal class this offseason. Bailey, a former freshman All-American at Stanfordand a projected early-round NFL draft pick next year, is teaming with fellow transfers Lee Hunter (UCF), Romello Height (Georgia Tech) and Skyler Gill-Howard (Northern Illinois) to give Texas Tech one of the most talented defensive lines in the country.

7. Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia: Adding difference-makers at wide receiver was a huge priority for the Bulldogs this offseason. They landed an explosive playmaker in Branch, a first-team All-America kick returner who produced 1,863 all-purpose yards and six TDs over two seasons at USC. Georgia OC Mike Bobo is going to have a lot of fun finding different ways of getting Branch involved.

6. Isaiah World, OT, Oregon: The Ducks landed lots of proven players via the portal, including running back Makhi Hughes (Tulane) and safety Dillon Thieneman (Purdue), but World is the one who has pro scouts buzzing. The 6-foot-8 left tackle was a three-year starter at Nevada and should be an excellent replacement for first-round pickJosh Conerly Jr.

5. Eric Singleton Jr., WR, Auburn: Singleton, a freshman All-American in 2023, caught 104 passes for 1,468 yards and scored 10 TDs over his two seasons at Georgia Tech, and also ran track for the Yellow Jackets. He's bringing blazing speed and excellent route running to a Tigers offense that will be led by Oklahoma transfer QB Jackson Arnold and a bunch of high-impact portal additions.

4. Carson Beck, QB, Miami: Beck initially declared for the NFL draft but wisely reversed course and came back to school after Miami made an offer he couldn't refuse. He brings serious big-game experience to the table for the Hurricanes as a two-year starter with a 24-3 career record and put up more than 8,000 total yards and 63 total TDs at Georgia. He sat out spring practice while he recovered from elbow surgery but is ready to step in as Cam Ward's successor and prove he's a first-round talent.

3. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana: Indiana coach Curt Cignetti worked wonders with veteran transfer Kurtis Rourke leading his offense in 2024. If Mendoza can enjoy similar success, he could become a first-round pick next year. Mendoza, a 19-game starter at Cal, threw for 3,004 yards on 69% passing last season while playing behind a line that surrendered the most sacks in FBS. After earning a CFP bid in Cignetti's debut season, the Hoosiers couldn't have found a better QB to keep them in the Big Ten race in Year 2.

2. Darian Mensah, QB, Duke: Mensah flew completely under the radar as a two-star recruit and didn't get much national attention last season as a redshirt freshman starter at Tulane, but coaches absolutely coveted him when he hit the portal. The 6-3, 205-pound passer flashed elite arm talent and potential first-round upside in his debut season. The Blue Devils made him one of the highest-paid players in the sport and are betting Mensah can turn them into an ACC and CFP contender in 2025.

1. John Mateer, QB, Oklahoma: Mateer was one of the more dynamic quarterbacks in the country in his first season as a starter at Washington State, putting up 3,139 passing yards, 1,032 rushing yards (excluding sacks) and 44 total touchdowns.The fact he gets to keep playing with his offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle in Norman sets him up to be even better in 2025. He brings much-needed swagger to the Sooners' offense and could quickly make Oklahoma a factor in the SEC title race. -- Max Olson

10 potential first-round bye teams

10 wild predictions for the season

10. Juice Kiffin scores for Ole Miss:OK, we need one wild prediction that's so wild they'd have to make a movie about it -- though this one could infringe on "Air Bud" copyrights. But if the tush push is legal for short-yardage dominance, it's only reasonable to assume someone could hand the ball to a yellow lab in space for some explosive plays, too, right? Well, there's no better combination of "dog with skills" and "coach willing to think outside the box" than Juice and Lane Kiffin, so why not throw us all a bone and give it a whirl? And honestly, it has been six years since something dog-related has completely upended the Egg Bowl. We're overdue.

9. Kent State's streak reaches 34:Things are bad at Kent State. After the 2022 season, Sean Lewis voluntarily left his head coaching job for a coordinator position at Colorado. His successor, Kenni Burns, proceeded to lose every game he coached vs. an FBS opponent. Burns was then put on leave and ultimately fired in April for multiple alleged violations of his contract. As it stands, the Golden Flashes have dropped 23 straight games vs. FBS opponents, with their lone win over the past two years coming against FCS Central Connecticut. Things aren't likely to improve in 2025. Kent State's schedule includes road games at Texas Tech, Florida State and Oklahoma, plus MAC dates with four bowl teams from last year. They do get UMass, Akron, Ball Stateand Central Michigan-- all chances for a rare W -- but we're not holding our breath. Our prediction: By the time 2025 is over, it will have been three years since the Golden Flashes celebrated an FBS win, and their trophy case will be getting awfully full from all those Bottom 10 championship trophies (which, we assume, is just the Civil Conflict trophy with duct tape over the name plate).

8. There's a new power in Texas:The Big 12 looks to be up for grabs as Utahgets healthy, BYU stockpiles talent, Coach Prime goes into Year 3, and Iowa State and Arizona State look to build on exceptional 2024 seasons with returning stars at QB. But here's a prediction that none of them are the conference's champion when it's all said and done. That honor goes to Texas Tech, which has been lurking for two years under Joey McGuire, and has added a wealth of star power this offseason. In the portal, it found Stanford's David Bailey and Georgia Tech's Romello Height to anchor the D-line, netted heft on the O-line with Howard Sampson, Hunter Zambrano and Will Jados, and added speed at receiver, tight end and corner. McGuire has top talent, depth and a manageable path to the playoff. Expectations are high in Lubbock, and we're betting the Red Raiders live up to the hype.

7. Florida State wins 10 games:The roller-coaster ride in Tallahassee is enough to make any fan lose his lunch. In 2021, the team was dismal, still dealing with the ripple effects of Jimbo Fisher's departure and Willy Taggart's ill-fated hire. But by 2023, the Seminoles were on top of the world -- winners of 19 straight games and holders of a 13-0 record. Then they were snubbed from the playoff, got routed by Georgia in the Orange Bowl, then went 2-10 in 2024 in what was, perhaps, the most incredible year-over-year decline in modern college football history. But what goes down must go up again, right? A simple regression to the mean on some key luck-based metrics should get FSU back to a bowl game, but if the defense takes a step forward under new coordinator Tony White and the offense is energized byTommy Castellanosat QB, it's not absurd to think the Noles regain much of the form they had in 2023, when they finished 10-3 and looked like a genuine contender by year's end.

6. Riley saves his job:It has been a rough few years in L.A. for Lincoln Riley, who was once touted as the greatest offensive mind of his generation. USC is just 13-14 in its past 27 games vs. power conference competition, and last year's unit finished sixth in scoring offense in its first year in the Big Ten. But has Riley actually lost his touch? Has the rest of the country figured him out? Is the Big Ten really so old-school that his offense can't work amid the run-heavy tradition still upheld in places such asIowa, Michigan and Wisconsin? We're not buying it. Riley knows what's at stake this season, and with a manageable schedule -- at Notre Dame and at Oregon being the biggest hurdles -- here's our official prediction that the Trojans turn things around and finish the regular season at 10-2 or better.

5. Ohio State loses to Michigan ... again:The Buckeyes are national champions. Last year's team was elite, and this year's could be just as good. There's no reason to be anything but joyous in Columbus. Only ... the fine folks from that state up north do have something of a trump card. Michigan's four straight wins over Ohio State make for some pretty good bragging rights, even if the playoff trophy resides at the Horseshoe. Last year's astonishing Buckeyes loss might've cost Ryan Day his job had the playoff not expanded to 12 and given Ohio State a second bite at the apple. And so, when this year's game comes around on Nov. 29, the buzz won't be about Ohio State's 2025 championship game win. It will be about the four straight losses, and that's an awfully big monkey now living on Day's back. So, we won't be too shocked if that dark cloud looms so large that the Buckeyes stumble yet again thanks to all of the outside noise. Would the Ohio State faithful be OK with a fifth straight loss to Michigan if it was followed by a second straight national title?

4. Georgia misses the playoff:For the better part of three seasons, the Bulldogs seemed invincible. Only an injury-plagued one-score loss to Alabama in the 2023 SEC title game might have prevented Georgia from winning three straight national championships. And yet, by the end of 2024, it was clear some of the shine was off the once-dominant program. Carson Beck struggled without much help from his skill positions. The Dawgs lost to Alabama, were whooped by Ole Miss, and nearly fell to Georgia Tech before escaping in eight overtimes. By the time Notre Dame eased past Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, it was pretty clear Kirby Smart didn't have a championship-level team. So, will 2025 be a return to greatness? It's possible, but the SEC is stacked, and with games at Tennessee, home vs. Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss and the rivalry showdown vs. Florida, there are ample opportunities to stumble. Is 8-4 possible? Would a 9-3 Georgia be a sure bet for the playoff? Could things get worse? When the standard is dominance, it's hard to maintain the standard for long in today's college football.

3. Belichick is one-and-done: It's no secret Bill Belichick wanted an NFL job before landing at North Carolina. His buy-out with the Tar Heels also drops significantly next month. So a quick visit in Chapel Hill before heading back to the pros wouldn't be a shocker (especially if he can set the stage for his son, Steve, to land the UNC head job afterward). But what if the scenario for his departure is less about moving up than falling down? The Heels are in the midst of a massive makeover in Year 1 under Belichick, who has never coached in college and is already dealing with his share of off-field spectacle. Is a 3-9 type of season possible? It certainly won't be a good look if that's where the Tar Heels land.

2. Manning doesn't win the Heisman:The 1997 Heisman voting is part of college football lore, as Michigan's Charles Woodson won the prize over the more heavily touted Tennessee QB Peyton Manning. Now 28 years later, Manning's nephew, Arch, is set to lead Texas -- and he probably has even more hype going into the season than Peyton or Eli ever did. We're believers in Arch Madness, but predicting a playoff run for Texas doesn't exactly count as a "wild" guess. Instead, how about a little history repeating itself? We're predicting Arch Manning looks every bit as good as his famous uncle, and he enters December as the Heisman favorite. But when the award is announced, it'll actually be a surprise winner instead. Who wins it? How about Oklahoma's John Mateer? Or maybe Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith? Or perhaps Tennessee gets a little revenge and sends its own athletic defensive star to the podium, withJermod McCoywinning the hardware.

1. Kelly goes ballistic: Brian Kelly has been head coach at LSU for three years. In 2022, he lost in Week 1 to Florida State. In 2023, he lost to the Noles in Week 1 again. In 2024, the Bayou Bengals flubbed away a game against USC and, once more, opened the year 0-1. Each time, Kelly was left ... frustrated. (And none of this includes his famed postgame quote after a Week 1 overtime victory against Florida State in 2021 in which he joked about executing his players.) So, what happens if LSU starts 0-1 again this year? It's entirely possible, as the Tigers draw Clemson in the opener.It's not hard to envision a scenario in which a late Garrett Nussmeier fumble leads to a Clemson scoop-and-score and a 21-20 LSU loss after which Kelly turns into the red guy from "Inside Out" during his postgame news conference. -- David Hale

10 CFP contenders from the Group of 5