Thanks to the expanded 12-team format, the College Football Playoff is no longer just a Power Four party.
Starting last season, the door opened wide for the Group of Five to crash the biggest stage in college football — and Boise State proved it can be done. With a guaranteed spot for the highest-ranked Group of Five champion, teams outside the usual power conferences have a legitimate path to the title, even if the odds are low.
So, as we look ahead to the 2025 season, which Group of Five schools are built to make a serious push toward a CFP spot? Here are three teams that could make it happen.
1. Boise State Broncos
Let's start with the most obvious choice. If there’s a Group of Five program with the experience and resume to do it again, it's Boise State.
The Broncos had a massive 2024 season, finishing 12-2, grabbing one of the playoff’s first-round byes before ultimately falling to Penn State in the quarterfinals.
Sure, running back Ashton Jeanty is off to the NFL, and that’s a major loss. But head coach Spencer Danielson isn’t panicking — he’s reloaded. Fresno State transfer Malik Sherrod is coming off a near-1,000-yard season, and sophomore Sire Gaines could take a huge leap. The offensive line brings back four of five starters and quarterback Maddux Madsen returns to lead the offense.
Boise State has the schedule, the coaching, and the talent to make another run and, honestly, they're probably the favorite to be the Group of 5 berth again.
2. UNLV Rebels
UNLV nearly pulled off the dream season in 2024, coming one win away from making the playoff. They just had to beat Boise State in the Mountain West title game — and fell short. Still, that run wasn’t a fluke. And now, the Rebels might be even more dangerous with a new face leading the charge.
Enter Dan Mullen.
Mullen coached in the SEC for over a decade, made a ton of postseason appearances, and now inherits a roster that’s already in a good spot.
Quarterback Anthony Colandrea transferred in from Virginia, and he’s exactly the kind of dynamic player that could thrive under Mullen’s system, assuming he wins the job. UNLV reloaded through the Transfer Portal and they've got a chance to be very good.
UNLV has a tougher schedule than Boise State, and they'll have to travel to Albertsons Stadium when they take on the Broncos in the middle of October.
3. Tulane Green Wave
Tulane is in a bit of a transition, but don’t let that fool you — this is still a program to watch.
Yes, they lost their starting quarterback Darian Mensah to Duke, and 1,000-yard rusher Makhi Hughes transferred to Oregon. On paper, that’s a lot of production to replace. But head coach Jon Sumrall went out and hit the portal hard — and what he brought in is pretty exciting.
Quarterback-wise, Tulane has options. TJ Finley (Western Kentucky), Donovan Leary (Illinois), and Kadin Semonza (MAC Freshman of the Year at Ball State) are all in the mix. Whoever wins the job is stepping into an offense that’s been consistentl and they'll have a chance to make a statement early.
Their non-conference schedule is loaded.. They open with Northwestern, then face South Alabama, Duke (and their former QB), and Ole Miss in consecutive weeks. If they can go 3-1 or better in that stretch, they’re going to be firmly in the playoff picture and, perhaps, even ranked ahead of Boise State.