The 2025 CFB season is just 2 weeks away, with Week 0 set to light up stadiums across the country. But while fans are counting down the days, insider Josh Pate is already peeking ahead to December, when the CFP field will be set. He’s got his eye on a few SEC dark horses, teams flying under the radar now but capable of shocking the nation later. Okay, think back to last year’s surprise runs from Indiana and SMU. Following that, Pate believes we could see a few more programs crash the party this season, rewriting the playoff conversation in bold ink.
Interestingly, on Sunday night’s Josh Pate’s CFB Show, the spotlight turned to sleepers. And Pate rolled out five picks he believes could sneak into the playoff chase. Two from the SEC. Two from the ACC. One lone wolf from the B1G. And each with the tools to make noise. Each with the potential to flip the script in the 2025 season. But despite its dominance in CFB, which SEC powerhouse is staring down?
Mike Elko’s Texas A&M is riding sleeper hype, but a preseason curse shadows College Station. Still, Pate is sold on the Aggies’ blueprint under Elko. “I think I got the right head coach there to see it through. I like the identity of this team,” he said. With a deep offensive line and a loaded tailback room, “three guys I would trust pretty much anywhere,” the run game looks fierce, per Pate. Here, Marcel Reed brings mobility, while Pate noted, “Collin Klein understands they’re going to live or die with their ability to stretch the field this year.” So, the good news? They already feel “a whole lot better” about airing it out than they did last season. But what’s behind that?
Their personnel are shaping the game plan. “I think they’ll be better at pushing the ball down the field,” said Pate. And with Mike Elko’s defense ready to lock in, Elko declared, “You better handle that ’cause I’m over here with this defense.” So, after a rough finish last season — one Pate openly called out — there’s a collective push to improve. Although the schedule is brutal, it’s the SEC, after all. And they would be facing a gauntlet of powerhouse SEC opponents, with tough road trips to top-ranked teams like Notre Dame, Arkansas, and LSU, plus challenging non-conference matchups that add to the grind. But when the dust settles, Pate believes Texas A&M could show up strongly.
Well, Mike Elko’s squad could emerge as a 9-3 team, knocking on the door of the playoff bubble, according to Pate. “This is about sleepers. This is not about favorites.” So now, if the offense finds balance and the defense holds strong, College Station could be buzzing with playoff talk once again. But Texas A&M’s six-year curse looms large.
Despite breaking into the AP preseason poll at No. 26, they’ve only finished the season ranked once, in 2020. And if they don’t perform at an SEC level this year, they could end up unranked again in 2025. However, besides Texas A&M, which other SEC team is on Josh Pate’s sleeper list?
Another SEC team buzzing with sleeper potential
Missouri landed on Josh Pate’s sleeper list thanks to the solid foundation they’ve built over the past 2 seasons in CoMo. Although their schedule also plays a big role this season, it’s notably lighter without powerhouses like LSU, Texas, Georgia, or Florida, giving the Tigers a clearer path forward. And the real wildcard?
Quarterback Beau Pribula. A transfer from Penn State, Pribula could be the key to Missouri’s playoff hopes. “Missouri is one of them. … Beau Pribula, that’s the roll of the dice. That’s the quarterback that transferred in from Penn State,” explained Josh Pate. But the bigger factor is the head coach steering the ship. “This is Eli Drinkwitz, people. This is Eli Drinkwitz. Be careful,” warned Pate, hinting that the Tigers could surprise a lot of people this season. And why not?
Since Eli Drinkwitz took over as head coach in 2020, the Missouri Tigers have steadily risen, evolving into a competitive force in the SEC. On top of that, he’s focused on cultivating a strong team culture and a balanced offense, which has fueled improved records and multiple bowl game appearances. Now, let’s see what this season brings.
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