$3M QB's team, Penn State among college football's most intense pressure cookers 

With spring football wrapped up, the 2025 college football season is quickly approaching. Some teams will face far more pressure than others.

Here are the five teams under the most pressure in 2025, ranked in inverse order:

5. Alabama Crimson Tide (9-4 in 2024 | 5-3 in SEC)

The four losses in Kalen DeBoer's first season as Tide head coach were Alabama's most in one season since Nick Saban's first season in 2007, per Yahoo Sports.

With Jalen Milroe gone, Ty Simpson — a former five-star recruit who has been waiting three years to start — will likely lead the team at QB. A talented defensive line, plus the return of sophomore wide receiver Ryan Williams (48 catches, 865 yards last season), one of the top players in the country, have the Crimson Tide tied with Clemson for the seventh-best odds (+1400, per FanDuel) to win the national title. 

The pressure is always high on Alabama, and it is even more this season as DeBoer looks to establish his own identity with the program.

4. LSU Tigers (9-4 in 2024 | 5-3 in SEC)

Coming off a disappointing season, LSU returns a lot of production. QB Garrett Nussmeier, entering his fifth season with the program, is projected to be one of the top QBs in the 2026 NFL Draft, mostly because of his deep-ball accuracy. The return of linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. from an ACL tear in his right knee — plus the top-ranked portal class, per 247 Sports — is encouraging for LSU.

The Tigers face a challenging schedule, beginning with a showdown against Clemson in Week 1. LSU hasn't reached the College Football Playoff since its national title win in 2019, so the Tigers and polarizing head coach Brian Kelly have extra pressure to perform. 

3. Miami Hurricanes (10-3 in 2024 | 6-2 in ACC)

Entering his fourth season as the head coach, HC Mario Cristobal faces mounting pressure as he looks to lead the Hurricanes to their first playoff appearance.

An opener against 2024 CFP runner-up Notre Dame should be challenging. Georgia transfer QB Carson Beck — who will make a little more than $3M this year from the school's collective, per The Athletic — is coming off right elbow surgery, so his health could determine how far this team goes. 

Xavier Restrepo (1,127 yards, 11 TDs), the team's leading receiver from 2024, is now in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent. Damien Martinez (1,002 yards, 10 TDs), the top running back from last season, was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the NFL Draft. Those departures, along with defensive issues from last season, pose concerns and keep the pressure high in Miami.

2. Texas Longhorns (13-3 | 7-1 in SEC)

With Arch Manning taking over at QB for Quinn Ewers, a seventh-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins, HC Steve Sarkisian's Longhorns are viewed as one of the top teams in the country.

Texas has the No. 1-ranked recruiting class and returns RB CJ Baxter and a solid group of receivers. Ewers endured 31 sacks last season, so the improvement of the pass protection by the offensive line is vital. 

If Manning, a far better runner than Ewers, has time to operate in the pocket, Texas has the potential to overcome the pressure it is facing and win its first national title since 2005.

1. Penn State Nittany Lions (13-3 in 2024 | 8-1 in Big Ten)

Penn State, arguably facing as much pressure as any team in the country, recently earned the No. 1 ranking in Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt's post-spring top 25. The return of QB Drew Allar, RBs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen and four of the five starters on the offensive line gives the Nittany Lions plenty of wallop.

The biggest question is Allar. He completed 66.5% of his passes in 2024, but he struggled in the three playoff games, completing fewer than 60% of his throws in each game.

If Allar can improve his accuracy and Penn State can defeat Ohio State, which it has only accomplished once in the past 10 meetings, this could be the year head coach James Franklin and the Nittany Lions finally deliver on expectations.