By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports
The wait is finally over.
Every year, college football seems to have the longest offseason. From the middle of January to the end of August, there’s not much to do but speculate.
Well, the time for waiting and speculating is past. It’s time to play the games.
Here’s my Preseason Power Rankings of teams from the West.
1. Oregon Ducks (0-0, 0-0)
Two hundred and Thirty-Three. That’s the number of days since Oregon’s disaster in the Rose Bowl.
Two hundred and thirty-three days for Dan Lanning to stew on what went wrong, 233 days for the Oregon staff to make sure that never happens again.
The 2025 season is all about redemption for the Ducks, and another run to the Playoff is expected.
Lanning knows what he is doing. Keep the faith.
2. Arizona State Sun Devils (0-0, 0-0)
The hype is real and the expectations are high. Arizona State returns many starters on both sides of the ball from a team that won the Big 12 and made the Playoff.
But unlike last year, the target is on their back.
No longer the underdog or the Cinderella story, now, everyone will be gunning to knock the Sun Devils off.
The pressure is a privilege. It’s time to deliver the goods.
3. Boise State Broncos (0-0, 0-0)
Once again, the favorite to win the Mountain West, Boise State, enters the season needing to replace the production of Ashton Jeanty.
The Broncos have the respect of the Playoff committee and the AP Poll voters.
The clout could pay dividends at the end of the year.
As the highest-rated Group of Five program, the path to the Playoff is laid out for the taking.
4. Utah Utes (0-0, 0-0)
There’s plenty of talk surrounding Utah’s program heading into 2025. Is it justified? Perhaps.
But Utah was embarrassed in its first season in the Big 12. Changes were made to the offensive staff, and a highly touted quarterback was brought in through the portal.
A road game against a Big Ten opponent is the first test of the new era.
Let’s see if the expectations are deserved.
5. USC Trojans (0-0, 0-0)
Different year, same story. USC is trending in the wrong direction.
Lincoln Riley has all the tools and resources needed to succeed. The exposure is where it needs to be, and the roster is talented.
But SC is too good of a program to lack a Heisman-caliber quarterback.
So, ask yourself, how is Riley in Year Four without a star under center? If he can’t deliver, that’s on him.
6. BYU Cougars (0-0, 0-0)
Starting a true freshman at quarterback is worrisome.
Frankly, it’s a sign of desperation and lowers the expectations of the year.
There’s a reason why first-year players usually don’t start. They typically are not ready to play at this level. And definitely not at the quarterback position.
Perhaps Bear Bachmeier is built different. But until he proves it, there are fair reasons to doubt BYU.
7. Washington Huskies (0-0, 0-0)
Flying under the radar, Washington is set to exceed expectations.
Jedd Fisch knows how to build a program, and quarterback Demond Williams Jr. is perfect for his offensive system.
At the same time, Jonah Coleman is an NFL-caliber running back and Denzel Boston is one of the top receivers in the country.
Don’t overlook UW this year.
8. UCLA Bruins (0-0, 0-0)
It’s a new era in Westwood with Nico Iamaleava under center.
The transfer quarterback from Tennessee should boost UCLA up a tier in the Big Ten pecking order.
Eight wins is now a reasonable goal that’s within reach.
The Bruins ended last year winning four of their final six games, bringing clear momentum into the season.
9. Oregon State Beavers (0-0, 0-0)
Look me dead in the eye when I say this: Oregon State has a shot at making the Playoff.
Laugh it off if you want. But the path is there, albeit a narrow one.
The schedule is respectable, and Maalik Murphy is one of the top quarterbacks in the West.
The expanded Playoff era screams for Cinderellas to emerge and make a run. Why not Oregon State?
10. San Jose State Spartans (0-0, 0-0)
The Spartans are making the Mountain West Championship Game.
You heard it here first. San Jose State is primed to have the type of season that UNLV had last year.
The schedule is ideal and the talent on the roster is there.
Ken Niumatalolo is a great coach and SJSU has the resources in place. This is their year.
Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.
