By Mark Pszonak
There are several teams that are on the precipice of potentially program-changing seasons in 2025, but which of them will SWIM and which will SINK?
South Carolina
The skinny: There hasn’t been this much buzz around Columbia since the Steve Spurrier days more than a decade ago. And it is understandable with talented players like defensive end Dylan Stewart, quarterback LaNorris Sellers and wide receiver Nyck Harbor leading the charge. But will they meet expectations? They have a very good chance to do so. The schedule is never easy in the SEC, but the Gamecocks do avoid Georgia, Texas and Tennessee. However, they do play Alabama and LSU, and finish the conference season with back-to-back road games against Ole Miss and Texas A&M. And as usual, they end the season by hosting Clemson. South Carolina will have to earn it and they have the ability to do so, but I don’t think they’ll be able to reach their lofty goals in 2025.
Verdict: SINK
Texas Tech
The skinny: The Red Raiders have become somewhat of a college football experiment. They have the advantage of having some very wealthy boosters who have been extremely generous in an attempt to make Texas Tech elite on the football field. With the help of the transfer portal, the roster has improved significantly, but now they have to actually put it all together. The possibility of this happening is helped because of head coach Joey McGuire, who has already established a very positive culture in Lubbock. With him in charge, a talented, yet underrated quarterback returning, Behren Morton, and an abundance of exciting new transfers, look for Texas Tech to take advantage of what seems likely to be another chaotic Big 12 season.
Verdict: SWIM
Penn State
The skinny: Penn State has already been playing at a high level, so their situation is a bit different from the other programs on this list. For the Nittany Lions it is about taking the next step, it is about being better than Ohio State and Michigan in the Big Ten, it is about winning the big game and it is about being a legitimate National Championship contender. They have the tools to accomplish these goals with quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen all spurning the NFL for one more season to take the Nittany Lions to loftier goals. The Big Ten schedule avoids Michigan, but a November 1st trip to Ohio State is huge, while there are other potential pitfalls against Oregon, Iowa and Indiana. Can Penn State win the Big Ten and play for a National Championship in 2025? Yes. But will they? Until head coach James Franklin can win a huge game, I’m still leaning towards no.
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Verdict: SINK
Indiana
The skinny: Indiana came into the 2024 season with no hype but finished it as one of the top stories nationally. Now they have the much bigger challenge of proving to everyone that they belong with the elite. Head coach Curt Cignetti did a masterful job in 2024 during his first season in Bloomington by molding a successful roster through the transfer portal. Now he has to do it again. New quarterback Fernando Mendoza is talented and will lead an offense that once again should be potent. But one important thing that fell perfectly for the Hoosiers in 2024 is missing in 2025 – the schedule. After avoiding most of the best teams in the Big Ten last season, aside from Ohio State, the Hoosiers play Illinois, Iowa, Oregon and Penn State in 2025. The Hoosiers will be good, but they won’t be packing for the playoffs again.
Verdict: SINK
Arizona State
The skinny: Similar to Indiana, the Sun Devils were a fun, unique story in 2024 that also experienced a great deal of success. However, unlike the Hoosiers, they return their quarterback, Sam Leavitt, along with an elite playmaker at wide receiver, Jordyn Tyson. Head Coach Kenny Dillingham, who has quickly proven himself as one of the top young minds in the game, has to take advantage of having Leavitt and Tyson in 2025, because 2026 will be an entirely different challenge with both in the NFL. The Big 12 is likely to be wild and unpredictable again, which fits perfectly into what the Sun Devils are trying to accomplish.
Verdict: SWIM
