School soccer’s margins have solely grown slimmer following the newest wave of convention realignment. The reshaped panorama has flattened the aggressive curve, turning each convention schedule right into a week-to-week grind. The distinction between a playoff contender and a crew scrapping for bowl eligibility can come down to a couple premature accidents or dangerous breaks in one-score video games. Because of this, a number of groups enter the 2025 season with flooring and ceilings which can be miles aside.

Final season, a number of packages shattered expectations — for higher or worse. Few predicted Arizona State’s colossal breakthrough, nor did many anticipate Indiana to publish one of the best season at school historical past. On the opposite aspect, it will’ve taken a psychic to foresee Florida State’s collapse right into a two-win catastrophe.

Surprises are baked into the material of faculty soccer. Figuring out them earlier than they occur is, by nature, an excessive problem. However studying the tea leaves on a few of the sport’s greatest thriller groups presents a glimpse into their potential to both overachieve or disappoint.

Listed below are faculty soccer’s greatest wild playing cards heading into the 2025 season.

All playoff odds by way of FanDuel Sportsbook.

Odds to succeed in CFP: +520

The 5 wins Utah posted final season matched the fewest of its energy convention period and snapped a bowl streak that dated again to 2014. Lengthy story quick: that is in all probability not taking place once more. There could be ample shock worth in seeing a crew go from under .500 to the playoff within the span of 1 12 months, however that’s an attainable feat for a program that guarantees a significant offensive improve with tantalizing dual-threat weapon Devon Dampier arriving to unravel the Utes’ devastating quarterback points. The whole beginning offensive line is again, too. Would anybody be stunned if the Utes dangled across the bowl eligibility threshold once more? In all probability not. However it’s arduous to wager in opposition to Kyle Whittingham when he has this many instruments at his disposal. 

Odds to succeed in CFP: +1200

With Jalon Daniels lastly wholesome, final season was imagined to be Kansas’ alternative to lastly put all the pieces collectively and shock the faculty soccer world. As a substitute, a 1-5 begin stopped the Jayhawks from even reaching a bowl sport. However one thing modified down the stretch when Lance Leipold’s squad rattled off three straight wins over ranked opponents. It’s not possible to foretell which model of Kansas exhibits up in 2025. If it’s the former, this might be among the finest seasons in program historical past. If it’s the latter, it will likely be ‘simply one other 12 months of Kansas soccer” within the backside of the Massive 12.

Odds to succeed in CFP: +360

SMU was a polarizing crew forward of final season, however ended up proving all of its believers proper with a visit to the ACC title sport and School Soccer Playoff look. After Rhett Lashlee stated farewell to greater than half of his beginning lineup, the Mustangs are again in offseason limbo. Solely two defensive starters are again from the playoff squad, and it’s truthful to marvel how ready SMU is to exchange them with solely has one 12 months of Energy 4 recruiting expertise below its belt. Roster depth will decide if one other playoff surge is within the playing cards.

Indiana Hoosiers

Odds to succeed in CFP: +630

Dwelling and dying by the switch portal creates immense boom-or-bust potential. Indiana was on the growth aspect in a magical and historic 12 months 1 below Curt Cignetti, however a big contingent of the faculty soccer public is hesitant to purchase into one other a kind of particular campaigns in 2025. One other 23 transfers joined the combination this offseason, and none are as essential as Fernando Mendoza, whose darkhorse Heisman contender potential offers the Hoosiers cause to consider they are going to stay a top-12 crew nationally. It’s on the few returning starters — Elijah Sarratt, Mikail Kamara, Aiden Fisher and D’Angelo Ponds chief amongst them — to make sure roster turnover doesn’t put a cap on this program’s ceiling.

Odds to succeed in CFP: +570

USC gained six video games in its first common season within the Massive Ten. Consider it or not, that .500 crew was only some performs away from playoff rivalry. What if the Trojans reverse their one-score sport fortunes and go 5-1 in these spots this 12 months as an alternative of the 1-5 they went in 2024? It’s clearly not that easy, however the slim margins present simply how a lot variance exists on this crew’s potential for 12 months 2 within the Massive Ten. Avoiding Ohio State and Penn State may be the jumpstart this program desperately wants. Then again, a third-straight letdown season may be the start of the top for Lincoln Riley’s tenure on Los Angeles.

Odds to succeed in CFP: +520

The final time Oklahoma averted the damage bug, it gained 10 video games and climbed as excessive as No. 5 within the CFP rankings. In some ways, the Sooners’ SEC debut might be tossed apart as an outlier. Any crew stretched that skinny at huge receiver and offensive line could be sure to perish in such a loaded convention. Optimistic regression is in retailer. The query is, how a lot. Brent Venables wants it to manifest within the type of at the least a number of further wins with the intention to silence his critics. The protection ought to stay stout below Venables’ steering, so if John Mateer clicks at quarterback and new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle is a success, Oklahoma ought to bounce again fairly properly. All the way in which to playoff rivalry? We’ll see.

Odds to succeed in CFP: +370

Hesitance to purchase into Auburn as a playoff hopeful is warranted. There isn’t a proof of idea below Hugh Freeze, and the Tigers have not gained greater than six video games since earlier than the pandemic. That’s the reason many have been fast to take this offseason’s splashes on the recruiting path with a grain of salt. If ever there was a time for all the pieces to come back collectively, although, that is it. The whole beginning offensive line and defensive backfield is again from a 12 months in the past. Auburn’s boasts of the nation’s most promising huge receiver items and Jackson Arnold is a breakout candidate at quarterback. Something from .500 to SEC title rivalry is in play for this wild card crew.