Five college football sleepers that could contend for national championship

You know the college football favorites by now. They’ve been at the head of the odds list for some time.

It’s the same two teams that met for a College Football Playoff semifinal thriller in January, the same two teams that will meet in a season opener in Columbus, Ohio.

Ohio State and Texas are deserving front-runners. Each will transition to a new starting quarterback, but those quarterbacks are ballyhooed blue-chippers, Julian Sayin at Ohio State and Arch Manning at Texas. And coaches Ryan Day and Steve Sarkisian possess a deft hand with quarterbacks. Across other positions, those teams remain steeped in talent.

If I could select those two teams or have the field in a quest to pick the 2025 national champion, I’d be tempted to ride with B&B: Bevo and the Buckeyes.

Behind those two teams, the oddsmakers’ consensus likes Georgia, Penn State, Oregon, Notre Dame and Alabama next in the pecking order.

That still leaves a handful of teams that intrigue me as national championship longshots. How do I define a longshot? Their odds are worse than 12-to-1.

Here are my top national championship sleepers for the 2025 season:

Prime sleeper candidates to contend for national championship

LSU

BetMGM odds: 20-to-1

Brian Kelly got LSU’s donor game squared away this offseason. It shows in the Tigers’ transfer class. Nobody secured a better portal haul than Kelly. That includes additions like defensive linemen Patrick Payton (Florida State) and Jack Pyburn (Florida) who should fortify a defense that’s sagged for years. Pair that with proven quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and a gifted wide receiver room, and it’s understandable why Kelly says this is his best LSU roster. A tough schedule plots land mines en route to the playoff, but on talent alone, LSU is better positioned to pursue a national title than it’s been in years.

Clemson

BetMGM odds: 13-to-1

What’s not to like about Clemson? The Tigers returned gobs of production, making them the decisive ACC frontrunner. Much like LSU, they feature a seasoned quarterback (Cade Klubnik) and a talented batch of wide receivers. Clemson hosts LSU in a Week 1 prove-it game. Clemson boasts several players who should hear their name called early in next year’s draft, like defensive linemen Peter Woods and T.J. Parker. The offensive line is seasoned and solid. Plus, Dabo Swinney added three transfers – gasp! – who buoy the two-deep. There’s plenty to like, plus a clear path to the playoff from the ACC.

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Longer-shot sleepers to contend for national championship

Michigan

BetMGM odds: 22-to-1

Michigan finished last season by upsetting Ohio State and Alabama, and it did so while lacking a competent quarterback. Hello, Bryce Underwood, the nation’s No. 1-ranked recruit in this past class. Underwood might not look the part of polished quarterback by September, but Michigan’s forgiving schedule provides a runway for the Wolverines to improve throughout the season and make the playoff. Transfer quarterback Mikey Keene (Fresno State) provides cushion if Underwood needs some time. Michigan returned several starters from a stout defense. If it can get right at quarterback, it can make the playoff, at a minimum.

Mississippi

BetMGM odds: 25-to-1

Few teams generated more hype last summer than Ole Miss. The Rebels came up a victory short of the playoff, and widespread expectations for this team are substantially less. That feels like an overcorrection. If quarterback Austin Simmons becomes a breakout performer – he’s talented enough do it – consider Ole Miss a playoff contender. The Rebels lost a lot of production off a 10-win team, but nobody does the annual transfer dance better than Lane Kiffin. He assembled another fine group of newcomers, including wide receivers Harrison Wallace III (Penn State) and De’Zhaun Stribling (Oklahoma State). The offense remains in good shape. The question is whether a rebuilt defense can flourish like last year’s group did in a takedown of Georgia.

Hail Mary sleeper to contend for national championship

Oklahoma

BetMGM odds: 66-to-1

Oklahoma’s roster looks substantially better on the heels of a losing season that sparked Brent Venables to bring in quarterback John Mateer from Washington State. Mateer’s offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, followed the quarterback to Norman to run Oklahoma’s offense. Win-win. Another win: Landing standout running back Jadyn Ott, a California transfer. Oklahoma returned a lot of production, and it surely can’t be as injury plagued as last season. That leaves the manhole, though, of arguably the nation’s most daunting schedule, which could swallow even an improved Sooners team.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

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