From the Couch Sports

A retrospective on the teams in the FBS that regressed the most from 2024 to 2025.

Sam Houston State: -8 win difference

Sam Houston St. entered the FBS in 2023 after a great run in the FCS in the 2010s. Head coach K.C. Keeler consistently lead them to the FCS Playoffs and they won the 2020 FCS National Championship.

In 2023, they struggled to adjust to the new division but 2024 was way different.

2024: 10-3 (6-2) New Orleans Bowl win

This was their best season in the FBS (only 2 years), they tied for 2nd place in the CUSA. They exceeded expectations set for them during the preseason, they were projected to finish fifth in the conference. They beat rival Texas State in Houston’s NRG Stadium in September. Four of their last six conference wins were low scoring close games, but wins nonetheless. They won their first bowl game against Georgia Southern in the New Orleans Bowl.

Head Coach K.C. Keeler left SHSU for Temple after 11 seasons at Sam Houston State.

2025: 2-10 (1-7)

For the 2025 season they hired former Wisconsin OC Phil Longo. The Bearkats started the 2025 season 0-8 as they struggled defensively, bottom 5 in scoring defense and yards allowed. Seven members of the 2024 season transferred to North Texas. For most of the year they were considered the worst team in the FBS until they finally won two games in November against Oregon St. and Delaware. For the 2025 season the Bearkats played their home games at Shell Energy Stadium, the home of the MLS team Houston Dynamo, where they struggled with low attendance. In 2026, they will return to campus to Bowers Stadium and that should help the team win a few more games.

Penn State: -7 win difference

Penn State had MASSIVE expectations going into the 2025 season. They were the #2 team in the AP Preseason Rankings and expected to make another Big 10 Title run and get back to the College Football Playoff.

2024: 13-3 (8-1) CFP First Round & Fiesta Bowl Win, Lost in CFP Semifinal to ND, finished #5 in the AP Poll

The 2024 Penn State team was ELITE. QB Drew Allar had a great year with over 3,500 total yards and 30 TD’s. Their offense had two 1,000 yard rushers, RB Kaytron Allen and RB Nicholas Singleton. The two running backs combined for 2,735 scrimmage yards and 27 TD’s and their main target in the receiving game was TE Tyler Warren, who was a 1st round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Defensively they were lead by the #3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft Abdul Carter at defensive end.

The Nittany Lions had a few close calls in the Big 10 but managed to make it to the Big 10 Title game where they lost a close one to Oregon. Even though they lost the Big 10 Title game, they qualified for the CFP and crushed SMU at home in the First Round and took care of business in the Fiesta Bowl against Ashton Jeanty and the Boise State Broncos. In the CFP Semifinals they lost to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl 27-24 after a late interception gave the Irish an opportunity to hit a game-winning field goal with seconds to go.

2025: 6-6 (3-6) Pinstripe Bowl appearance

Like I said, this team had MASSIVE expectations for the 2025 season. They returned Allar, Allen, and Singleton and had one of the most talented rosters in the nation. James Franklin returned as Head Coach as well, duh.

After starting 3-0 but a little sluggish, they hosted Oregon on September 27 in a primetime heavyweight battle. Oregon had them dead to rights until a late 14-point 4th quarter comeback forced overtime. Both teams scored a touchdown in the first overtime. Oregon scored first, but failed the 2-point conversion. Penn State would get their chance to win the game. On the first play of their possession, Drew Allar dropped back and threw a wheel route that was intercepted by Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman to end the game. The loss sucked for them but one loss to a good Oregon team wouldn’t hinder their chances at the CFP or Big 10 Title game.

Well, one loss became two after they were upset at UCLA by a bad Bruins team. Two losses became three after they lost at home to Northwestern. Then the wheels came off, Drew Allar was injured late in that game and was ruled out for the rest of the season. To add insult to injury, literally, James Franklin was fired in the middle of his 12th season at Penn State. His 104 wins at Penn State left him T-2nd on the all time wins list at Penn State.

The Nittany Lions lost three more games after that: at Iowa, at Ohio State, and Indiana, a game where they were minutes away from the upset. On November 15th, they finally won their first Big 10 game of the year at Michigan State and closed the season out with a win against Nebraska and a road game at Rutgers to limp into bowl eligibility.

The Nittany Lions hired former Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell to take over after James Franklin. (Franklin will coach at Virginia Tech next year.)

Penn State will play Clemson, another team that will be on this list, in the Pinstripe Bowl on December 27.

Syracuse: -7 win difference

No one expected Syracuse to set the world on fire in 2025, but they had solid momentum after a good 2024 season under first-year coach Fran Brown.

2024: 10-3 (5-3) Holiday Bowl Win, finished #20 in the AP Poll

In 2024, Syracuse was coached by former Georgia DB coach Fran Brown. The Orange beat three Top-25 teams, most notably a late-season win against Miami, which kept the Canes out of the CFP. The win against Miami featured the largest comeback win in school history and marked the first time since 1998 they beat three Top-25 teams. QB Kyle McCord set the ACC’s single-season passing yard record with 4,779 yards. Syracuse earned their first 10-win season since 2018, only their third in school history. Fran Brown won the FWAA First-Year Coach of the Year and the Paul “Bear” Bryant Newcomer Coach of the Year Awards.

2025: 3-9 (1-7)

Syracuse lost NFL Draft picks QB Kyle McCord, TE Oronde Gadsen II, and RB LeQuint Allen, but did gain ND transfer QB Steve Angeli and a Top-50 recruiting class. They opened the season in Atlanta against #24 Tennessee but lost 45-26. After wins against Colgate and UConn, they marched into Clemson’s Death Valley and upset the Tigers 34-21. The win came at a cost though, QB Steve Angeli tore his Achilles tendon and was ruled out for the season. This was a huge blow, in his four games for the Orange he was one of the top passers in the nation to that point. He had 1,317 yards 10 TD’s and 2 INT’s, all career-highs. Syracuse’s offense never recovered after that. Over the course of their next eight games, they averaged just 11 points per game and didn’t score 20 points in any of those games. Rock bottom for them was a 70-7 failure against Notre Dame in their 11th game. ND scored two pick-sixes, a blocked punt TD, and two long TD runs all in the first quarter. The season came to an embarrassing end when they lost 34-12 to a 1-10 Boston College team.

Fran Brown was retained after the 2025 season and I’d expect Angeli to come back next year and try to right the ship in 2026.

ARMY: -6 win difference

I hate to put a service academy on this list, but given their 2024 success, they statistically had one of the biggest fall-offs this season.

2024: 12-2 (8-0) American Conference Champs, Independence Bowl Win, finished #21 in the AP Poll

Army had one of their best seasons in school history in 2024, their first season in the American Conference. They won the went a perfect 8-0 in the regular season and beat Tulane in the conference title to win their first conference title in school history. One for one, not too shabby. They started the year 9-0 before losing to Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium. I don’t think they would have made the playoffs had they beaten Navy in the regular season finale, but it didn’t matter, Navy shocked them and won 31-13. Army bounced back to win the Independence Bowl and capture their first ever 12-win season, only the second ever 12-win season by a service academy (Air Force 1985.) Their offense was lead by senior QB Bryson Daily, who lead all QBs with 1,659 rushing yards. He lead all rushers in the American Conference in yards and lead the nation in rushing TD’s with 32.

2025: 6-6 (4-4) Fenway Bowl appearance

Replacing Daily at QB would be no joke for the Cadets. In Week 1 Army learned that the hard way. They opened the season at home against FCS Tarleton State and dropped the game in double overtime. Missed field goals and turnovers plagued the offense as Army became just 1 of 4 FBS teams to lose to an FCS team in 2025. It didn’t get any easier for them after that. Army squeaked one out against Power 4 Kansas State in Week 2 before losing another overtime game to conference opponent North Texas. They made a permanent QB switch from Dewayne Coleman to Cale Hellums after losing to ECU after that loss which turned the season around. The Black Knights would only lose two more games after that as Hellums ended up rushing for over 1,000 yards and 15 TD’s. Them and Penn State had similar situations, fantastic 2024 seasons followed by disappointing 2025 seasons that were salvaged late in the year. Hellums is a junior so I’d expect him to lead Army next year unless he hits the portal.

Colorado: -6 win difference

Unless something drastic happens in 2026, the Coach Prime effect may have fizzled out in Boulder.

2024:9-4 (7-2) Alamo Bowl appearance, finished #25 in the AP Poll

Deion Sanders has had an enormous impact on Colorado since being named the Head Coach in 2023. He single-handedly made Colorado nationally relevant again. BUT…as much as the hype built for every Buffs game in 2023, they were not good. They finished 2023 4-8.

2024 however, was a step in the right direction. Lead by his son Shedeur and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, the Buffaloes stampeded out of the gate with an exiting win over FCS juggernaut North Dakota State in Week 1. They lost at Nebraska in Week 2 but won 7 of their next 8 games in 2024 to set themselves up for a possible Big 12 Title appearance. Kansas beat them in the final week of the season and ruined their chance at a conference title but based off the entire seasons body of work and his dual threat capability on both offense and defense, Travis Hunter won the 2024 Heisman Trophy becoming the first true both sides of the ball Heisman winner. Shedeur Sanders lead the conference in passing yards and passing touchdowns too. The Buffs fizzled out in the Alamo Bowl in 2024, but their turnaround from 2023 to 2024 was impressive.

2025: 3-9 (1-8)

Colorado STUNK in 2025. I mean they flat out STUNK. They opened the season with lots of hype, bringing in Liberty QB Kaidon Salter to replace Sheduer Sanders. They also brought in freshman 5-star QB Julian Lewis to be the eventual heir apparent. In Week 1 they played a good Georgia Tech team in Boulder and if it wasn’t for a gritty performance from GT QB Haynes King Colorado would’ve won that game. Colorado toyed with different QBs at the start of the season, played Julian Lewis a little but ended up redshirting him. They stuck with Salter but it really made no difference, their passing offense, which was prolific in 2024 wasn’t up to par. Their run offense was non-existent and they had the worst defense in the Big 12 and one of the worst in the nation. They had just one conference win, against ranked Iowa State and their other two wins were against Group of 5 Delaware and Wyoming.

I’m not sure what Coach Prime is going to do for the 2026 season, most likely he stays at Colorado and has Julian Lewis behind center. Lewis played alright in the four games he did play, he started two. Maybe Colorado will have a similar turnaround in 2026 like they had in 2024.

Colorado State: -6 win difference

65 miles north of Boulder another collapse was happening to Colorado’s in-state rival.

2024: 8-5 (6-1) Arizona Bowl appearance

Jay Norvell was brought in to coach the Rams in 2022 after a successful stint at Nevada where he went to four straight bowl games and finished with a 33-26 record. It took him a few years at CSU, but in 2024 he finally had some success. They started the season 2-3, with a loss to Colorado in there, but the team went on a nice run winning their next five games and earning bowl eligibility for the first time since 2017. They weren’t world beaters by any stretch but were lead by a strong campaign from QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi and 1,000-yard rusher Avery Morrow. The Rams lost a close one to Fresno State and missed their chance to play for the MWC Title game but they improved their win total by three games from 2023. They lost in the Arizona Bowl but given the circumstance and accomplishment of making a bowl game for the first time since 2017, you could say the 2024 season was a success.

2025: 2-10 (1-7)

Colorado State will move to the Pac-12 in 2026, their final season in the Mountain West was one to forget. Gross. They opened the season at Washington and lost, but they held their own in Seattle. In Week 2, they needed a miracle to avoid and upset against FCS Northern Colorado and that’s when you could tell things might get ugly. They dropped their next three but avenged the 2024 loss to Fresno State by beating them 49-21.Long-time veteran starter Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi stepped away from the team after he was benched in the September loss to UTSA. Jay Norvell would be gone shortly after that too. He was fired one week after the win against Fresno State and the Rams would end the year on a 6-game losing streak. For a team predicted to finish near the top of the MWC standings, they ended their run in the conference as one its worst teams in 2025.

Colorado State will enter the Pac-12 in 2026 with a new head coach, former UConn coach Jim Mora. Mora brings years of head coaching experience, notably leading the Huskies to back-to-back 9-win seasons for the first time in school history.

Arkansas: -5 win difference

If your team fires the coach mid-season it’s a bad sign. Sure enough, it happened to the Arkansas Razorbacks this season.

2024: 7-6 (3-5) Liberty Bowl win

A late bowl win qualified clinched a winning season for Arkansas. They kept it close to a few solid teams in 2024 including Missouri, Texas A&M, and Texas but were just unable to finish in those games. Their highlight of the season was an upset against #4 Tennessee in Fayetteville. QB Taylen Green lead the Arkansas offense and showed his dual threat capabilities adding almost 4,000 total yards and over 20 touchdowns. Things were trending downwards for Head Coach Sam Pittman but the 7-6 season was good enough for him to keep his job for the 2025 season.

2025: 2-10 (0-8)

Boo Pig Sooie! This year was a disaster for the Razorbacks, they still couldn’t win the close game and the athletic department had enough of the Sam Pittman era. Arkansas dominated their first two games agasinst FCS Alabama A&M and in-state foe Arkansas State but after that one, they’d fail to see the win column for the rest of the season. It’s a damn shame because QB Taylen Green had a great year much like he did in 2024. Again, it was the close game that plagued the Razorbacks, especially early in the season. They nearly pulled off an early upset against CFP playoff team Ole Miss until a late turnover ended their final drive. They then traveled to Memphis to take on the Tigers. Arkansas jumped out to an early 28-10 before blowing it and losing 32-31. Turnover again plagued the offense. The final straw for Sam Pittman came the next week after getting destroyed at home against Notre Dame. He was fired and in his place former Arkansas Bobby Petrino would serve as the interim. Under his direction he kept it close against #12 Tennessee, #4 Texas A&M, Mississippi State and LSU but the team lost all of those games by one possession or less. The Razorbacks finished the year winless in the SEC for the 3rd time in 10 years.

Ironically enough Arkansas hired Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield, the same coach that helped derail their 2025 season. It’s going to be a long road ahead for the Razorbacks in 2026 and beyond but winning a few SEC games next year will be a good place to start.

South Carolina: -5 win difference

I really though Shane Beamer had a good thing going in Columbia, SC but after the 2025 season I’m not so sure,

2024: 9-4 (5-3) Citrus Bowl appearance, finished #19 in the AP Poll

The Gamecocks enjoyed their most successful season in the Shane Beamer era in 2024. There was a real buzz around the program, especially when College GameDay came to town in early September for their game against LSU. Unfortunately they dropped that one close and another tough one a few weeks later in Tuscaloosa but after a 3-3 start, they reeled off six wins in a row. Four of those six came against Top-25 teams. Their defense was one of the best in the conference and LaNorris Sellers’ game-changing ability put him on the map for being one of the nation’s best freshman quarterbacks. South Carolina also beat Clemson on the road in back-to-back seasons, the first time they had done that since 2010-2012. There was a legitimate argument that win might’ve propelled them into the CFP but ultimately they were left out.

2025: 4-8 (1-7)

South Carolina started the year #13 in the nation and emerged as a potential CFP contender. LaNorris Sellers was high on everyone’s pre-season Heisman list and NFL Mock Draft boards, the Gamecocks were ready to compete. They got off to a good start, beating Virginia Tech in Atlanta in Week 1. However, in Week 3 their season would start to take a turn for the worst. Vanderbilt came into town riding a high off of their win at Virginia Tech the week before. The game started competitive but Sellers was injured in the 2nd quarter and the Gamecocks couldn’t recover from that. Turnovers crushed them and the Commodores rolled to a 31-7 win. Sellers would be back for the next game at Mizzou, but they dropped that one 29-20. In 2024 the Gamecocks beat Top-25 teams, in 2025, they couldn’t beat any of them. South Carolina was close against #11 LSU and #4 Alabama, but couldn’t finish. Speaking of not finishing, the best example of that was on November 15th when SC played at #3 Texas A&M. No one gave the Gamecocks a chance against the undefeated Aggies but man, they stormed out of the gate and dominated the first half. They forced turnovers, played clean, and had a 28-3 halftime lead. The second half was a disaster for them. They couldn’t do anything with the ball just as the Aggies offense was catching fire. Texas A&M scored 28 unanswered points and completed their largest comeback win in school history. A tragic end to that game fit the season for South Carolina.

The Gamecocks ended the season with a blowout win against Coastal Carolina and a disappointing loss to Clemson. Shane Beamer will be back in 2026 and Sellers is probably staying but if things don’t turn around in Columbia, Beamer ball will likely be on his way out.

(Dis) Honorable Mention

Marshall: -5 win difference

2024: 10-3 (7-1) Sun Belt Champions

Charles Huff quietly made Marshall a Sun Belt contender, he lead them to three straight bowl games going into 2024. Things clicked in 2024 with Braylon Braxton behind center. He lead the team with his dual-threat ability and ball security. The Thundering Herd were a one-point loss at Georgia Southern away from a perfect conference record. In the Sun Belt title game they blanked Louisiana Lafayette 31-3 in Louisiana for their first ever Sun Belt Title.

Huff and Marshall couldn’t agree on a contact extension and he left to take the Southern Miss job. Many Marshall players hit the portal, including QB Braylon Braxton and the Thundering Herd opted out of the Independence Bowl.

2025: 5-7 (3-5)

Former NC State and West Virginia defensive coordinator Tony Gibson took the Marshall job for the 2025 season. They would have to rebuild the roster after 50 players transferred, 21 of them went to Southern Miss. The rebuild would be one of the biggest challenges any team would face in 2025, pretty much all of Marshall’s 2024 production and experience would need to be replaced. All things considered Marshall played well in 2025 as they aimed to replace the 2024 production. Florida and Syracuse transfer Carlos Del Rio-Wilson replaced Braylon Braxton at QB and totaled over 2,500 yards with 23 TD’s, he lead the team in rushing. The problem with Marshall this year though was their inability to win close games, going just 1-4 in one-score games.

Florida: -4 win difference

2024: 8-5 (4-4) Gasparilla Bowl win

The Gators had a rough start to 2024 but went on a four-game winning streak late in the year, two of those wins were against #20 LSU and #9 Ole Miss, to secure their first winning season in the Billy Napier era. QB DJ Lagway showed his potential and things were trending upwards for the Gators going in to 2025.

2025: 4-8 (2-6)

After the strong finish of 2024, there was real buzz in Gainesville about the UF football team. Much like South Carolina, Florida was a dark horse CFP contender and QB DJ Lagway was expected to have a breakout season. Their schedule was similar to 2024, but many people thought they’d pull off some big wins with a their talented roster. The Gators started the year ranked #15 and rose to #13 heading into Week 2. Then it all went south, they lost to USF at home, Lagway threw 5 INT’s the next week against LSU and then the Gators dropped another one to Miami. Napier’s seat was hotter than ever and DJ Lagway looked like he regressed instead of progressed. Then, in typical Billy Napier fashion, he beat a Top-25 team with his job on the line. The Gators upset #9 Texas in The Swamp in shocking fashion. Maybe the season would…nevermind. #5 Texas A&M took care of them the following week, Florida returned home and squeaked one out against Mississippi State but Billy Napier was fired after the game. Napier had one decent season during his tenure, the random Top-25 wins kept him in Gainesville longer than he should’ve been. Napier went 22-23 (12-16), one of the worst coaching records in UF history.

After the Gators fired Napier, Florida lost a close one to #5 Georgia and #6 Ole Miss but were blown out at Kentucky and at home against #20 Tennessee. The Gators offense struggled with inconsistencies, Lagway lead the SEC with 14 interceptions, and the Gators defense just couldn’t handle the pressure of having to carry the team. They did beat an inconsistent Florida State team to end the season so I guess that’s something.

The Gators hired Tulane Head Coach Jon Sumerall, another Group of 5 coach with a good resume at smaller schools. Let’s see if he can turn things around. He will enter the 2026 without DJ Lagway, who recently hit the transfer portal.

Billy Napier is heading back to the Sun Belt, this time as Head Coach of James Madison.

Clemson: -3 win difference

A difference of three wins isn’t that bad but considering Clemson’s preseason ranking and high expectation I had to throw them in the (dis) honorable mention.

2024: 10-4 (7-1) ACC Champions, College Football Playoff First Round, finished #14 in the AP Poll

Clemson had an interesting 2024. They were blown out by Georgia in Week 1 but bounced back and won six in a row after that. They dropped an ACC game to Louisville and a shocking loss to rival South Carolina but still qualified to play in the ACC Title game. Clemson beat SMU and made the CFP but lost to Texas in the First Round. QB Cade Klubnik had a great season and showed himself more than capable of helping leading Clemson to another CFP ru in 2025.

2025: 7-5 (4-4) Pinstripe Bowl

Clemson came into the season ranked #4 and opened the season with a close loss to #9 LSU at home. Nothing wrong with that loss, LSU was a good team too but their offense started a bit slow in their next game against Troy. They won that one but it was much closer than it should’ve been. Clemson would then be upset on the road at Georgia Tech and then again at home against Syracuse. Their 1-3 start was their worst start since 2004. The Tigers lost two more home games mid-way through the season to put give them their most home losses since the early 2000s. The saving grace for teh Tigers was a four-game win streak to end the season which included a win against South Carolina. Cade Klubnik was not as impressive in 2025 as he was in 2024, he struggled with a nagging injury and his production just wasn’t at the same level.

Clemson faces Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl at the end of December and Dabo Swinney’s job security may be at the lowest it’s ever been.