X factors for every Top 25 team: What could make (or break) the season

For each assemblage shot team, the play often tin plaything connected 1 person, presumption radical oregon situation. If this 1 happening comes unneurotic arsenic planned -- oregon adjacent amended than expected -- the play could beryllium a large success. If it doesn't spell well, the team's play could spell south.

Though the backmost presumption often fills that role, particularly erstwhile there's a caller subordinate astatine the helm, different concerns tin beryllium shoring up a weakness from past year, incorporating a cardinal transportation oregon having an important subordinate instrumentality from injury.

For the teams successful our post-spring Power Rankings, the stakes are peculiarly high. Spots successful the College Football Playoff are connected the line, and nonaccomplishment could enactment coaches connected the blistery seat.

We asked our assemblage shot reporters to supply the biggest X origin -- the 1 happening that could marque oregon interruption the play -- for each of our Top 25 teams.

1. Penn State Nittany Lions

X factor: QB Drew Allar's big-game performances

Penn State enters what appears to beryllium an all-in season, and Allar has the ingredients to beryllium the apical NFL backmost imaginable for the 2026 draft. But his play nether the brightest of lights has near thing to beryllium desired. He hasn't beaten Ohio State oregon Michigan, helium delivered immoderate bully moments successful a Big Ten title crippled nonaccomplishment to Oregon but was inactive intercepted twice, and threw the important interception successful a CFP semifinal nonaccomplishment to Notre Dame. Penn State has made the indispensable investments astir Allar, who volition stock a backfield with astir apt the nation's apical moving backmost tandem. The clip has travel for the elder to beryllium astatine his champion successful the biggest moments. If helium delivers, Penn State volition person a existent accidental astatine its archetypal nationalist rubric since 1986. -- Adam Rittenberg

2. Clemson Tigers

X factor: Run defense

Though the Tigers person had standout players crossed their beforehand 7 implicit the past fewer years, that radical has fallen abbreviated successful 1 peculiar country -- unreserved defence -- and it became glaring past season. The information is, its diminution began erstwhile Wes Goodwin took implicit arsenic antiaircraft coordinator. In each of his 3 seasons, the unreserved defence has gotten worse, culminating successful what became a large contented successful 2024. Clemson gave up 160.6 yards connected the ground, and determination isn't overmuch much impervious needed arsenic to however poorly the Tigers attempted to halt the tally than their playoff nonaccomplishment to Texas, erstwhile the Longhorns rushed for 292 yards. Clemson tackled poorly and often took atrocious angles. This play Tom Allen takes implicit aft starring 1 of the champion rushing defenses successful the state astatine Penn State. Expect this country to beryllium vastly improved, returning to the modular Clemson acceptable nether Brent Venables. -- Andrea Adelson

3. Texas Longhorns

X factor: Middle of the antiaircraft line

Texas has been loaded the past 2 seasons, but 1 of the reasons it made back-to-back CFP semifinal trips were the large men successful the mediate of the antiaircraft line. Giant, diversion space-eaters specified arsenic T'Vondre Sweat, Vernon Broughton, Byron Murphy II and Alfred Collins made it pugnacious to propulsion the Longhorns astir and freed up others to marque plays erstwhile they weren't. But this offseason, Texas had to spell searching for large men, landing Syracuse freshman All-American Maraad Watson (6-foot-3, 313 pounds), Cole Brevard (6-3, 333) from Purdue, North Carolina's Travis Shaw (6-5, 342), and 6-5, 299-pound German Hero Kanu, who arrives from Ohio State. Five-star freshman Justus Terry (6-5, 268) is already connected field and volition look to beryllium successful the premix on with sophomore Alex January (6-5, 308), who appeared successful 11 games past season. The Longhorns person prima borderline rushers successful Colin Simmons, Trey Moore, and do-everything linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. to bring pressure. But opening against Ohio State, past hitting an SEC docket with truthful galore caller faces up beforehand volition beryllium a cardinal country for Texas. -- Dave Wilson

4. Georgia Bulldogs

X factor: WR Colbie Young

Georgia hopes it upgraded its receiver corps by adding Zachariah Branch (USC) and Noah Thomas (Texas A&M), and heralded freshman C.J. Wiley. The instrumentality of Young, a senior, mightiness extremity up being arsenic important. Young played sparingly past play and was suspended portion facing transgression charges involving an alleged home unit incident. He reached a plea woody with prosecutors and returned to the team. He's an extracurricular menace that excels astatine making contested catches. "Yeah, helium gives you problems outside," Georgia manager Kirby Smart said. "You're going retired determination and there's not a batch of defence you tin person for a feline that gets the shot astatine the highest constituent and goes up." -- Mark Schlabach

5. Ohio State Buckeyes

X factor: TE Max Klare

The Buckeyes landed the apical choky extremity successful the transportation portal successful Klare, who arrived successful Columbus from Purdue. Klare caught 51 passes for 685 years and 4 touchdowns during his sophomore season, easy starring the Boilermakers successful those 3 categories. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Klare figures to springiness the Buckeyes a dynamic people implicit the mediate of the field, nicely complementing receiver Carnell Tate and All-American wideout Jeremiah Smith. Klare's beingness should besides springiness Ohio State's caller starting backmost -- whether it's Julian Sayin oregon Lincoln Kienholz -- a playmaking information broad aboriginal successful the season. With Smith acceptable to bid attraction connected the outside, Klare should find plentifulness of favorable matchups operating inside. -- Jake Trotter

6. LSU Tigers

X factor: QB Garrett Nussmeier

Quite simply, Nussmeier volition find however acold LSU goes successful 2025. Recent years person been bully to the returning LSU starter -- Jayden Daniels being the latest illustration -- and Nussmeier's stats from past play comparison to those of Daniels from 2022 earlier helium won the Heisman Trophy the pursuing year. Brian Kelly did a fantastic occupation successful the transportation portal bolstering the roster, including getting Nussmeier plentifulness of weapons and added protection. If determination were a concern successful which a bully subordinate becomes large successful 2025, it feels arsenic if it's successful Baton Rouge with Nussmeier helping Kelly execute what helium came to LSU to do. -- Harry Lyles Jr.

7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

X factor: QB CJ Carr

Carr hasn't attempted a walk successful a crippled yet astatine Notre Dame, but the backmost is facing lofty expectations heading into the 2025 season. Carr, the grandson of erstwhile Michigan manager Lloyd Carr, is inactive locked successful a conflict with Kenny Minchey for the starting job. Last year's backup, Steve Angeli, transferred to Syracuse. After redshirting past twelvemonth due to the fact that of an elbow wounded successful his throwing arm, Carr performed good successful outpouring practice. He appears to beryllium the subordinate to beat. The Saline, Michigan, autochthonal was ranked the No. 2 pouch passer successful the Class of 2024, according to ESPN. With moving backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price returning, on with a bully violative line, the Irish mightiness not request overmuch from Carr. But he'll person to debar turnovers and marque bully decisions portion moving the offense. -- Mark Schlabach

8. Oregon Ducks

X factor: QB Dante Moore

Dan Lanning's squad is truthful heavy and good rounded that it's hard to accidental the Ducks' occurrence this play volition hinge wholly connected Moore. And yet, since the Ducks' lineage of quarterbacks (Justin Herbert, Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel) has buoyed Oregon's discourtesy successful caller years, Moore has immoderate large shoes to fill. The 20-year-old sophomore spent a twelvemonth learning nether Gabriel and violative coordinator Will Stein aft getting thrown into the occurrence arsenic a existent freshman starter during his lone play astatine UCLA. This time, the signifier volition beryllium overmuch bigger and the unit overmuch higher. -- Paolo Uggetti

9. Alabama Crimson Tide

X factor: QB Ty Simpson

Simpson has waited his crook and had chances to triumph the backmost occupation astatine Alabama, and present it's his clip unless helium takes a measurement backmost during preseason camp, which is thing cipher astatine Alabama expects to happen. In his 4th twelvemonth successful the program, Simpson volition beryllium starting anew with first-year violative coordinator Ryan Grubb, but helium has the multidimensional skills Grubb likes successful his quarterback. Getting disconnected to a bully commencement volition beryllium captious for Simpson and the Tide. -- Chris Low

10. BYU Cougars

X factor: LB Siale Esera

After playing successful lone 5 games successful each of the past 2 seasons, Esera's vocation hasn't gotten disconnected to the commencement galore were expecting from the Provo native. But present that helium is afloat healthy, that should change. Esera emerged from outpouring shot arsenic a starting linebacker and has drawn rave reviews from some caput manager Kalani Sitake and antiaircraft coordinator Jay Hill. At 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, helium has some the size and athleticism to go a difference-maker successful the Big 12 -- and that's the expectation. -- Kyle Bonagura

11. Illinois Fighting Illini

X factor: OLB Gabe Jacas

Jacas mightiness not beryllium a nationalist sanction conscionable yet, but helium has the accomplishment acceptable to propel Illinois and contend for the sport's biggest antiaircraft honors. The 6-foot-3, 275-pound Jacas led Illinois successful sacks (8), tackles for nonaccomplishment (13), forced fumbles (3) and backmost hurries (10) past fall, and bypassed the NFL for different accidental with an Illini squad that returns astir of its halfway players from a 10-win team. Illinois astir apt needs to make much pass-rush punch astir Jacas, who was the team's lone accordant menace disconnected the borderline past season. The Illini besides struggled a spot against bully passing offenses. But if Jacas tin decision double-teams, oregon escaped up others to unit quarterbacks, Illinois should person a accidental astatine its archetypal CFP appearance. -- Rittenberg

12. Arizona State Sun Devils

X factor: Wide receivers beyond Jordyn Tyson

Despite sitting retired the past 2 games of the season, Tyson caught 75 passes successful 2024. All different Arizona State wide receivers combined for 61 receptions. It was surely awesome that the Sun Devils managed 2 large performances astatine the extremity of the play without Tyson, but the limitations of the ASU receiving corps ramped up the grade of trouble for backmost Sam Leavitt and do-everything moving backmost Cam Skattebo. With Skattebo present successful the NFL, immoderate operation of receivers Malik McClain and Derek Eusebio, and incoming transfers Jalen Moss (Fresno State), Noble Johnson (Clemson) and Jaren Hamilton (Alabama) volition request to travel up large to marque definite Leavitt and Tyson person the assistance they need. -- Bill Connelly

13. South Carolina Gamecocks

X factor: WR Nyck Harbor

No subordinate connected South Carolina's roster looks the portion rather similar Harbor. He's 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, built similar DK Metcalf and is an implicit rocket. But that velocity has been a spot of his downfall done 2 seasons successful Columbia, wherever helium has spent outpouring arsenic portion of the Gamecocks' way team. Call it a distraction -- that's debatable -- but his improvement connected the shot tract hasn't been rather arsenic accelerated arsenic the Gamecocks mightiness person hoped. Harbor has started 13 games implicit 2 seasons but caught lone 38 passes and 3 touchdowns. This spring, helium focused solely connected football, and helium says he's poised for a breakthrough. "Going done a full twelvemonth wholly committed to football, I've ne'er had that before," Harbor said. "It's done wonders successful my quality to recognize the crippled and physique disconnected past year. I'm going to beryllium a full antithetic subordinate by the clip autumn rolls around." -- David Hale

14. Iowa State Cyclones

X factor: WR Chase Sowell

Sowell steps into a wide receiver country that mislaid its apical 2 players -- Jayden Higgins (second-round prime by the Houston Texans) and Jaylin Noel (third-round prime by the Texans) -- leaving a monolithic accumulation spread connected the outside. Sowell was a reliable enactment astatine East Carolina the past 2 seasons -- 34 catches, 678 yards successful 2024; 47 catches, 622 yards successful 2023 -- and is expected to connection the Cyclones a much-needed big-play threat. Sowell should payment from the acquisition of backmost Rocco Becht, who volition beryllium starting for a 3rd consecutive play successful Ames. -- Bonagura

15. SMU Mustangs

X factor: TE RJ Maryland

For sheer NFL potential, determination mightiness not beryllium a amended imaginable astatine SMU than Maryland. The choky extremity has racked up 17 touchdown catches implicit his archetypal 3 seasons, but past twelvemonth was chopped abbreviated aft helium was injured successful a triumph implicit Stanford, sitting retired the remainder of the season. Maryland should beryllium backmost to 100% by the commencement of the 2025 season, and his instrumentality comes astatine a captious clip for SMU's passing game, arsenic six of the different 7 Mustangs to reel successful astatine slightest 200 receiving yards past play are gone. A steadfast Maryland creates a clear-cut mismatch and forces defenses to set each week. He could beryllium successful enactment for a breakthrough play -- and if that happens, the Mustangs' discourtesy should travel suit. -- Hale

16. Texas Tech Red Raiders

X factor: Defensive coordinator Shiel Wood

It truly can't beryllium overstated that this defence has to beryllium better. Texas Tech has been 1 of the biggest storylines of the assemblage shot offseason erstwhile it comes to roster building, mostly due to the fact that of the Red Raiders' willingness to walk money. Wood comes successful aft tenures arsenic antiaircraft coordinator astatine Tulane successful 2023 and Houston successful 2024. On paper, this is simply a overmuch much talented group. Statistically, it can't beryllium overmuch worse. But we won't cognize until the opening kickoff. -- Lyles

17. Indiana Hoosiers

X factor: QB Fernando Mendoza

Can Mendoza, a transportation from Cal, instrumentality different leap successful 2025? Among each the variables that could perchance assistance -- oregon fto down -- the Hoosiers' successful Year 2 nether manager Curt Cignetti, nary consciousness much important than this. Mendoza became a beacon of a spirited (if yet underwhelming) 6-7 run for the Bears past fall, erstwhile helium completed 68.7% of his passes (12th champion nationally among QBs with astatine slightest 100 passing attempts) successful his archetypal afloat play arsenic a starter. Mendoza has large shoes to capable aft Kurtis Rourke motored Indiana's record-setting discourtesy to the nation's second-best points per crippled tally (41.3) successful 2024. But Mendoza should beryllium playing down a sturdier violative enactment successful 2025, and determination are plentifulness of playmakers wrong an intriguing Hoosiers accomplishment presumption radical led by seasoned receiver Elijah Sarratt. If Mendoza tin find different cogwheel operating a much favorable concern this fall, it could spell a agelong mode toward pulling Indiana backmost into playoff contention. -- Eli Lederman

18. Kansas State Wildcats

X factor: QB Avery Johnson

The K-State programme is evidently successful sturdy shape, having won betwixt 8 and 10 games for 4 consecutive years nether Chris Klieman. But erstwhile you motion a big-time, blue-chip backmost specified arsenic Johnson (ESPN's No. 3 dual-threat QB successful the 2023 class), you're giving yourself a changeable astatine a higher ceiling than usual. Johnson's archetypal play arsenic a starter successful 2024 was each implicit the representation -- the bully was precise good, the atrocious was awfully worrisome -- which is however these things usually go. But present he's entering his inferior season, and helium has a ace explosive accomplishment corps with weapons specified arsenic moving backmost Dylan Edwards, receiver Jayce Brown and transfers Caleb Medford (New Mexico) and Antonio Martin Jr. (Southeastern Louisiana). If Johnson is acceptable to unrecorded up to his hype, Kansas State fans could truly bask 2025. -- Connelly

19. Florida Gators

X factor: Health of QB DJ Lagway

Quarterback play astatine immoderate level of shot is much invaluable than it has ever been, and a large crushed expectations are increasing successful Gainesville is due to the fact that of No. 2 for the Gators. Lagway had immoderate enarthrosis soreness successful the offseason that carried implicit from past year, truthful helium was constricted successful outpouring signifier and played lone 5 snaps successful the outpouring game. He resumed throwing successful precocious April, and it seems Florida has been cautious successful hopes of having him acceptable to spell this autumn for a steadfast season. -- Lyles

20. Michigan Wolverines

X factor: QB Bryce Underwood

Underwood's high-profile committedness flip from LSU to Michigan was among the biggest recruiting coups yet successful the NIL era. The Wolverines besides brought successful Mikey Keene done the transportation portal. Keene has thrown for 8,245 vocation yards and 65 touchdowns during stints astatine Fresno State and UCF. But Underwood has the endowment that could crook Michigan into a playoff contender. That's a batch to inquire of a existent freshman. But Underwood isn't an mean freshman. The top-rated pouch passer successful the 2025 class, Underwood won 2 authorities titles successful Michigan and went 50-4 arsenic the starter astatine Belleville High School, with 38 consecutive victories from Week 4 of his freshman play to the authorities rubric crippled of his inferior year. The Wolverines struggled to propulsion the shot past year. Underwood could instantly alteration that successful 2025 -- if helium wins the job. -- Trotter

21. Miami Hurricanes

X factor: Defensive secondary

Headed into past season, the X origin for Miami was a bladed secondary, and that portion ended up having a relation successful costing the Hurricanes a spot successful the ACC title game. Now, that radical should beryllium considered a spot -- and the X origin again. If this portion plays the mode it is projected to, the Hurricanes volition person fixed the biggest contented connected their squad from a twelvemonth ago. Miami brought successful highly touted transfers Charles Brantley (Michigan State), Xavier Lucas (Wisconsin) and Zechariah Poyser (Jacksonville State), returns FWAA freshman All-American OJ Frederique Jr., and signed respective freshmen and others done the portal to physique depth. Without question, Miami is acold much talented astatine this position, and that could beryllium the quality betwixt playing for a championship. -- Adelson

22. Louisville Cardinals

X factor: Running game

There mightiness not beryllium a amended one-two punch astatine tailback successful the state than Louisville's duo of Isaac Brown and Duke Watson. Among Power 4 backs with astatine slightest 60 carries past season, Watson led the federation by averaging 8.9 yards per rush. Brown was 4th astatine 7.11. Over Louisville's last 8 games of the season, the duo combined for 1,264 rushing yards, 121 receiving yards and 16 scrimmage touchdowns portion forcing 43 missed tackles. Plus, the Cards' O-line should beryllium among the ACC's best, creating a blueprint for 1 of the astir explosive crushed attacks successful the country. -- Hale

23. Texas A&M Aggies

X factor: Running game

The Aggies' discourtesy volition spell arsenic acold arsenic their moving backs instrumentality it. Last season, Le'Veon Moss broke out, averaging 6.3 yards a transportation with 10 touchdowns, and had been liable for astir a 4th of the offense's full accumulation erstwhile helium was mislaid for the play due to the fact that of a genu wounded against South Carolina successful November. The Aggies, 7-1 going into that game, mislaid that one, past finished 8-5 without Moss, losing to Auburn, Texas and USC by a combined 16 points to limp to the finish. Freshman Rueben Owens, a prima recruit, besides missed astir of past play due to the fact that of a ft injury. With Moss and Owens back, on with Amari Daniels, who added 700 yards and 8 TDs past year, abruptly A&M has an embarrassment of riches astatine the position. With the Aggies returning a beardown violative line, violative coordinator Collin Klein volition beryllium capable to instrumentality immoderate unit disconnected backmost Marcel Reed's improvement on with a caller radical of wide receivers. -- Wilson

24. Ole Miss Rebels

X factor: WR Cayden Lee

Ole Miss enters the 2025 play with a first-year starter astatine backmost successful Austin Simmons. Much has been made astir the transfers Lane Kiffin brought successful astatine receiver, specifically with De'Zhaun Stribling and Harrison Wallace III. But Lee comes successful disconnected of a coagulated sophomore season, with 874 yards and 2 touchdowns connected 57 receptions. Adding endowment successful the portal is good, nary doubt, but determination is worth successful guys who person (literally) been determination and done that. -- Lyles

25. Oklahoma Sooners

X factor: QB John Mateer

The Sooners swung large successful the transportation portal and brought successful Mateer (along with his violative coordinator Ben Arbuckle) from Washington State to bring immoderate beingness to an discourtesy that finished 97th nationally successful scoring discourtesy (24 points per game) and 113th successful full discourtesy (313 yards per game) past season. Mateer tin bushed defenses with his limb and legs. He was the lone FBS backmost past play to walk for much than 3,000 yards (3,139) and unreserved for much than 800 yards (826), and helium accounted for 44 touchdowns (29 passing and 15 rushing). If helium plays astatine a akin level successful Norman, the Sooners should beryllium 1 of the astir improved teams successful the SEC. -- Low