The 2024 season was the first time that the College Football Playoff included 12 teams, and several teams made their first-ever appearances.
Arizona State earned a first-time bid in the field as the Big 12 Champion, as did Penn State, SMU, Boise State, Indiana, and Tennessee.
There will likely be at least one or two first-timers in the 2025 CFP field, and according to one college football expert, the Big 12 has three of the most likely candidates.
These are the 10 most-likely first-timers in the 2025 College Football Playoff field, according to X user @CFBudge.
Miami and South Carolina top the list at one and two, with Texas A&M coming in at No. 3 on the list. Both the Hurricanes and Gamecocks were right on the verge of earning a bid this past season, but narrowly missed, while Texas A&M was a couple of losses away from making it happen.
Next on the list, however, is Kansas State, who finished 9-4 last season and will bring back some pivotal pieces in 2025, none bigger than quarterback Avery Johnson.
After tying for first place in the Big 12 and ending the season with an 11-2 record, BYU is the No. 6 team on the list and has been a popular pick to win the league next season.
Perhaps the most intriguing Big 12 team on the list is Texas Tech, which checks in at No. 7. The Red Raiders overhauled their roster with one of the biggest NIL funds in the country last season and could be a very popular dark-horse candidate once summer rolls around.
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