BY: KENNY VARNER Purdue Boilermakers: A Long Rebuild Begins Under Barry Odom The Purdue Boilermakers hit rock bottom in 2024, going 0–11 against FBS opponents and looking completely outmatched most weeks. Now, they’re starting over from scratch. With just one returning starter and question marks at nearly every position, this season is less about chasing…

BY: KENNY VARNER Penn State 2025 Football Preview Penn State enters the 2025 season as the favorite to win the Big Ten, with one clear mission: get James Franklin his first national title. The Nittany Lions have loaded up with talent, depth, and experience, and they look every bit as good as anyone in the…

BY: KENNY VARNER Dan Lanning enters his fourth season at Oregon after leading the Ducks to a perfect 13-0 regular season, capped off by a Big Ten title that included marquee wins over Ohio State and Penn State. Although the Buckeyes got their revenge in the College Football Playoff, Oregon proved it belongs among the…

BY: KENNY VARNER The defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes enter the 2025 season with a few key pieces to replace—most notably at quarterback, running back, and across the defense, which returns just three starters. Still, this is a program that never lacks talent or depth. Even non-starters at Ohio State typically see significant playing…

BY: KENNY VARNER The Northwestern Wildcats are coming off a disappointing 4-8 season, but could an upgrade in talent lead to more wins in 2025? With 10 returning starters—four on offense and six on defense—this team should be improved, but whether that results in a bowl bid remains very much up for debate. The most…

BY: KENNY VARNER Matt Rhule heads into his third year at the helm for Nebraska, and if history is any indicator, the Cornhuskers might be on the verge of a major leap forward. At Temple, Rhule improved from two wins to six and then ten by his third year. At Baylor, he went from one…

BY: KENNY VARNER The Minnesota Golden Gophers are coming off a solid 8-5 season, and with 10 returning starters—five on each side of the ball—they have a realistic shot at matching that win total again in 2025. The schedule sets up nicely, giving Minnesota a clear path to another bowl game. While they might not…

BY: KENNY VARNER The Michigan Wolverines took a step back last season, finishing 8-5. With a new head coach and significant personnel turnover, that kind of regression was expected. However, with 12 returning starters and a second year under head coach Sherrone Moore, Michigan is poised to return to the top 20—if not higher—in 2025.…

BY: KENNY VARNER Jonathan Smith is an excellent coach, as he proved during his time at Oregon State, and in his first year at Michigan State, he began laying the foundation for a new culture in East Lansing. The Spartans went just 5-7, but they overachieved given the circumstances. Now, in Year 2 under Smith,…

BY: KENNY VARNER Maryland Football: A Bleak Outlook for 2025 The Maryland Terrapins’ 2024 season fell apart in dramatic fashion, as they lost seven of their final eight games to finish with a disappointing 4-8 record. Even more troubling than the record itself was how uncompetitive the team looked during that stretch—only twice in those…